USS ''Walter S. Gorka'' (APD-114), ex-DE-604, was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

high-speed transport High-speed transports were converted destroyers and destroyer escorts used in US Navy amphibious operations in World War II and afterward. They received the US Hull classification symbol APD; "AP" for transport and "D" for destroyer. In 1969, the ...

in commission from 1945 to 1947.

Namesake

Walter Stanley Gorka was born on 24 March 1922 in

Windsor Locks Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxim ...

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. He

enlisted Enlisted may refer to: * Enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...

in the

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at Hartford, Connecticut, on 15 May 1940 and eventually attained the

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third class. During

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...

, the

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, Gorka was a bombardier and gunner on a Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber of Escort Scouting Squadron 27 (VGS-27) embarked on auxiliary aircraft carrier . On 10 November 1942, Gorka went on an attack mission against a

Vichy French Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

. French antiaircraft shot down Gorka's aircraft and he was killed. He was posthumously awarded the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

Construction and commissioning

''Walter S. Gorka'' was laid down as the ''Rudderow''-class destroyer escort USS ''Walter S. Gorka'' (DE-604) on 20 March 1945 by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., at Hingham,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. She was reclassified as a ''Crosley''-class

and redesignated APD-114 during construction, and was launched on 26 May 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Josephine B. Gorka. ''Walter S. Gorka'' was commissioned on 7 August 1945, with

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R. G. Werner, USNR, .

Service history

''Walter S. Gorka'' was still fitting out when the

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ended

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on 15 August 1945. Following fitting out, she conducted

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training in Guantanamo Bay,

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, from 2 September 1945 to 27 September 1945 and subsequently carried some 140

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and

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from Guantanamo Bay to the

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. Upon her arrival in the United States, ''Walter S. Gorka'' was ordered to remain in commission, in

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, in the

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with the Florida Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at

Green Cove Springs Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida, Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,908. The city is ...

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. She served there as

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ship during the deactivation of several of her

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Decommissioning and disposal

''Walter S. Gorka'' herself was decommissioned at Green Cove Springs in January 1947, and remained there, inactive, until stricken from the

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on 1 June 1960. She subsequently was sold to the government of

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for conversion and use as a floating

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References

*
NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive DE-604 / APD-114 Walter S Gorka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter S. Gorka (APD-114) Crosley-class high speed transports World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States Ships built in Hingham, Massachusetts 1945 ships Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs Group