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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Hamul (AD-20)
ex
 USS Hamul (AK-30) (1941 - 1943)


International Radio Call Signs,

USS Hamel (AK-30)
1941 International Radio Call Sign:
Nan - Baker - Dog - Peter
 NBDP
USS Hamul (AD-20)
1942 International Radio Call Sign:
Nan - Baker - Nan - Xray
 NBNX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with "A" device)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (1)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Hamul Class Destroyer Tender:
  • Laid down, 6 March 1940, as SS Sea Panther, a Maritime Commission type (C3 Cargo) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 40) at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched in May 1940
  • Delivered to Lykes Brothers, Steamship Co. of New Orleans, LA. and renamed SS Doctor Lykes
  • Acquired by the US Navy and Commissioned, USS Hamul (AK-30), 14 June 1941, CDR. Elwood M. Tillson, USN in command
  • Converted to a Destroyer Tender in 1942 at Mobile, AL.
  • Redesignated (AD-20), 7 January 1943
  • During World War II USS Hamul was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 10 May to 30 June 1945

  • During the Korean War USS Hamul participated in the following campaign;

    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Third Korean Winter, 19 March 1953        

  • Decommissioned, 9 June 1962, at Long Beach, CA.
  • USS Hamul earned one battle star for World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 25 September 1962, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, Permanent title transfer to MARAD, 1 July 1963
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 October 1975, to Levin Metals Corp., delivered, 2 December 1975
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,560 t.(lt) 14,800 t.(lim)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 9"
    Draft 24' 9" (lim)
    Speed 18.4 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 63
    Enlisted 795
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO 8,025 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one De Laval geared turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double De Laval Main Reduction Gear Ship's Service Generators
     four Diesel-drive 300Kw 450V A.C.
     three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    <
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Merchant Service Lykes Bros. SS Corp.
    Hamul 540k SS Doctor Lykes underway while in merchant service for Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., immediately after delivery by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, circa 1940, location unknown. Gerhard Muller-Debus
    Hamul
    09032035    		 155k Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., New Orleans, LA. advertisement headed up by an artist drawing of SS Doctor Lykes underway. Gerhard Muller-Debus
    USS Hamul (AK-30)
    Hamul57k USS Hamul (AK-30) near Boston Navy Yard, 19 December 1941.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-26434, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Hamul (AD-20)
    Hamul
    19-N-38705    		 116k USS Hamul (AD-20) at Mobile, AL., on 4 January 1943 upon completion of conversion
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-38705 & 19-N-38704, US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul
    19-N-38704    		 93k
    Hamul 251k USS Hamul (AD-20) with USS Levy (DE-162) alongside, 3 June 1943, at the DE crew training base. Bermuda. Photo taken by Dmitri Kessell, Life Magazine, from USS Edsall (DE-129). Used for educational and non-commercial purpose. John Chiquoine
    Hamul 112k USS Hamul (AD-20) tending a string of 4 unidentified Destroyer Escorts, date unknown, probably at the DE crew training base in Bermuda. CAPT. Jerry Mason, USN
    Hamul 54k USS Hamul (AD-20) with (from left to right)
    USS Calcaterra (DE-390);
    USS Pride (DE-323);
    USS Falgout (DE-324);
    USS Alger (DE-101) and
    USS Eichenberger (DE-202), alongside at Great Sound, Bermuda in early 1944. Note HF/DF antenna visible on three of the five DEs, and the two-tone Measure 22 camouflage on four of the five DEs.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 86271, courtesy Captain D.L. Madeira Collection.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul 307k USS Hamul (AD-20) at anchor in Great Sound, Bermuda, 15 July 1944, while serving as flagship of the DD-DE shakedown group. Coast Guard Patrol Boat CG-83474 is alongside.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 86270, collection of CAPT. D.L. Madeira, 1978.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Hamul 75k USS Hamul (AD-20) "A" Division, mid-1949, Atlantic. Ralph Drexel, MM2, USS Hamul, 1949-52
    Hamul
    09032036    		 123k USS Hamul (AD-20) underway, date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Hamul 264k USS Hamul (AD-20) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Jim Kurrasch
    Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
    Hamul 71k USS Hamul (AD-20) at anchor, circa early 1950s, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # USN 1043637, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul 125k USS Hamul (AD-20) moored to a buoy in San Diego Bay, circa late 1940s or early 1950s.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # USN 1043638, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul 172k USS Hamul (AD-20), in Japan, circa 1950 to 1952, while tending destroyers, from inboard to outboard:
    USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752)
    USS O'Brien (DD-725)
    USS Floyd B. Parks (DD-884)
    USS Bausell (DD-845) and
    USS Rogers (DD-876)         		Cyrus Dodd III for his father Cyrus C Dodd BM2 USN USS Hamul 1950-52
    Hamul 112k USS Hamul (AD-20) tending three unidentified destroyers partially visible on her port side, date and location unknown. Photo from "Our Navy" Magazine, Mid-December 1953. Stanley Svec
    Hamul 112k USS Hamul (AD-20) underway, circa 1951-53, location unknown. Jody Primeaux for his father John E. Primeaux USS Hamul 1951-53
    Hamul 68k USS Hamul (AD-20) at Yokosuka, Japan, late 1954-early 1955, with USS Blue (DD-744, USS Frank E. Evans (DD754) with another unidentified DD being moved out to make room USS Le Ray Wilson (DE-414) to tie up for maintenance in late 1954 or early 1955. Frank D. Heckart GM2 USS Le Ray Wilson DE-414
    Hamul
    09032034    		 299k USS Hamul (AD-20) underway in the Pacific Ocean in 1956.
    CDR. Gerald Durbin, USS Shangri-La CVA-38 1956 WestPac Photo # 090.    		 Bob Canchola
    Hamul 182k USS Hamul (AD-20) moored to a buoy at Naval Station Long Beach, CA., date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, April 1957.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Hamul 284kUSS Hamul (AD-20) moored pierside at Naval Station Pearl Harbor in 1960 with USS Fletcher (DD-445) and the sailing scow USS Echo (IX-95) alongside. This is a scene from the movie "The Wackiest Ship in the Army". The scow is not the real Echo. Tommy Trampp
    Hamul 278k
    Hamul 87k USS Hamul (AD-20) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1962.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Bryce Canyon 75k USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36) and USS Hamul (AD-20) anchored at Naval Station Long Beach, circa 1960s. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Isle Royale 77k USS Hamul (AD-20) Decommissioning Program and USS Isle Royale (AD-29) Recommissioning Program cover. John Comstock USS Isle Royale

    For more photos and information about USS Hamul, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • USS Hamul War Diary 1 January 1943 to 1 January 1946 and Factual History from 7 December 1941 to 15 September 1945
  • Photos from the collection of John E. Primeaux USS Hamul 1951-53
    • Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Tillson, Elwood Morse, USN (USNA 1919) 14 June 1941 to 18 December 1942
    02CDR. Deewall, Raymond Gregory, USN :RADM18 December 1942 to 3 October 1944
    03CAPT. Hoffner, Carleton Crosby, USN (USNA 1925) :RADM3 October 1944 to 26 September 1945
    04CAPT. Fenn, Herbert Keeney. USN (USNA 1913)26 September 1945 to 6 October 1945
    05CDR. Browne, James Roll, USN (USNA 1926)6 October 1945 to May 1946
    06CDR. Day, Walter DeForest, USN May 1946 to July 1946
    07CDR. Maurer, Richard Charles, USN July 1946 to November 1946
    08CAPT. Maher, Arthur Laurence, USN (USNA 1923) :RADM November 1946 to 11 July 1947
    09CAPT. Krause, Roland Ernest, USN11 July 1947 - December 1948
    10CAPT. Guillot, James, Casimir, USN (USNA 1923)December 1947 to February 1950
    11CAPT. Munroe Jr., Frank Asbury, USN (USNA 1925) February 1950 to June 1951
    12CAPT. Dalton, Carl Malcolm, USN (USNA 1925)June 1951 to July 1952
    13CAPT. Duborg, Francis Rahr, USN (USNA 1929)July 1952 to June 1953
    14LCDR. Watson, Samuel Elijah, USN (USNA 1943) June 1953 to September 1953
    15CAPT. Mccombs, Charles Edward, USN (USNA 1930) September 1953 to July 1954
    16CAPT. Deewall, Raymond Gregory, USN :RADMJuly 1954 to 1 May 1955
    17CAPT. Lewis, Porter, USN (USNA 1932)1 May 1955 to 1955
    18CAPT. Pieczentkowski, Herman Arnold, USN (USNA 1930) :RADMAugust 1955 to 16 August 1956
    19CAPT. Schoeni, Walter Paul, USN (USNA 1931) :RADM16 August 1956 to 27 July 1957
    20CAPT. Kilmartin Alfred Dunn, USN (USNA 1934)7 July 1957 to 14 July 1958
    21CAPT. Combs Jr., Walter Vincent, USN (USNA 1936)14 July 1958 to 22 June 1959
    22CDR. Jennings, Robert NOrcross, USNR22 June 1959 - 10 July 1959
    23CAPT. Keithley, Roger Myers, USN (USNA 1935)10 July 1959 to 2 July 1960
    24CAPT. Silk, Francis William, USN (USNA 1938)2 July 1960 to 21 July 1961
    25CAPT. Simpson, Eugene Howard, USN (USNA 1939)21 July 1961 to 9 June 1962
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 24 May 2024