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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Nitro AE-2 AE-23 Association

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Nitro (AE-23)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Mike - November
NGMN
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Test Run (L)ima - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Lebanon) - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Southwest Asia Service Medal

Nitro Class Ammunition Ship:

Laid down, 20 March 1957, at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Inc, Sparrow Point, MD.

Launched, 25 June 1958

Commissioned, USS Nitro (AE-23), 1 May 1959, CAPT. Warren C. Hall in command

During the Vietnam War USS Nitro participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnam Ceasefire 30 May to 13 June 1972 26 to 30 June 1972 15 to 27 July 2 to 15 August 1972 30 August to 9 September 1972 1 to 10 and 19 to 29 October 1972 14 November to 3 December 1972 17 to 28 December 1972 2 to 4, 13 to 19 and 26 to 29 January 1973

Decommissioned, 28 April 1995

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 14 August 1995

USS Nitro earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service

Turned over to the Maritime Administration, 31 March 2000, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 22 June 2008, to Esco Marine, Brownsville TX for $446,726, towed from the James River Reserve Fleet, 23 July 2008

Specifications:
Displacement 9,050 t.(lt) 15,688 t.(fl)
Length 512'
Beam 72'
Draft 27'
Speed 19 kts. Complement

28 officers

331 enlisted

Armament four twin 3"/50 gun mounts

Propulsion

steam turbine

single propeller, 16,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	248k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23) at anchor in the Mediterranean Sea with USS Torsk (AGSS-423)** alongside, in 1960. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	9k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23) replenishing USS Intrepid (CV-11)**, circa 1960-62, location unknown. US Navy photo	Andy Faltum
	131k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** under way, date and location unknown.	Stephen Essex
09052331	126k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23) conducting an Underway Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with USS Independence (CVA-62)*, date and location unknown. Photos courtesy LCDR Bill Buc USN, VF-84*	Bob Canchola
09052332	469k
09052333	448k
	177k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** under way in 1964, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	273k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** at sea after departing Davisville, R.I., in 1965. US Navy photo.	Mike Smolinski
	104k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** entering port at Curacao, in August 1965.	Barry Smith GMG3 USS Nitro and Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	116k
	214k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** under way in 1965, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	196k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23) at right conducts an underway replenishment of ammunition with USS Forrestal (CV-59) while USS Altair (AKS-32)** at left simultaneously conducts an underway replenishment of general stores, Tyrrhenian Sea, 8 January 1965. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine July 1965. (Thanks to Ken Killmeyer, USS Forrestal Association Historian, who found out where and when the photo had been taken.)	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	274k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
09052330	386k	*USS Forrestal* (CVA-59) taking on ordnance and other supplies at sea from USS Nitro (AE-23)*. The Forrestal was in the Atlantic Ocean, near Jacksonville, Florida, on 25 June 1968. Photo by Roger W. USS Forrestal - Underway Replenishment \| It would have been … \| Flickr*	Robert Hurst
09052327	222k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23) colliding with USS Oriskany (CVA-34) the night of 28 June 1972 off Da Nang, South Vietnam. Neither ship was seriously damaged. Visible damage to Nitro** included her port bow holed and damage to her forward port side 40mm gun mount. There were no casualties. US Navy photos from the USS Oriskany 1972-73 Cruisebook	Bob Canchola
09052328	181k		Bob Canchola
	576k	Overhead view of *USS Nitro* (AE-23)** under way during her 1976 Mediterranean Cruise.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	69k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** at Naples, Italy, June 1976	© Richard Leonhardt
	66k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23) during a westbound UNREP in the Atlantic in early 1979. Photo taken from USS Canisteo (AO-99)** by Stephen P. Swierczek CDR, USNR Ret. USS Nitro DCA 1977-80	Bill Toohey ETC USN Ret. USS Nitro
	75k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** under way in 1978, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	279k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	1092k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** anchored at Genoa, Italy, 9 November 1979	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
	68k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	255k	*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** underway, 1 January 1983, location unknown US DefenseImagery photo # DN-SC-84-00632, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Defense Imagery Management Operations Center.	Robert Hurst
09052325	341k	Aerial view of *USS Nitro* (AE-23)** underway off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon. May 2, 1987. US National Archives Identifier 6422430, a US Navy photo by PH2 Davis now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Bob Canchola
09052326	400k	Aerial view of *USS Nitro* (AE-23)** at anchor, 18 March 1988. US National Archives Identifier 6433355, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Bob Canchola
09052329	238k	Aerial view of *USS Nitro* (AE-23)** underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
	153k	Ex-*USS Nitro* (AE-23)** being scrapped at Esco Marine, Brownsville TX., date unknown	William Toohey
	1703k
	191k

For more photos and information about USS Nitro, see:
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Hall Jr., Warren Collamore, USN (USNA 1937)	1 May 1959 - April 1960
02	CAPT. Walker III, Thomas Jackson (Tom) :VADM	April 1960 - 24 October 1960
03	CAPT. Cone, Davis	24 October 1960 - 15 December 1961
04	CAPT. Dashiell Jr., Edward Lawrence, USN (USNA 1939)	15 December 1961 - 7 December 1962
05	CAPT. Hyde, Richard Webster, USN	7 December 1962 - 2 December 1963
06	CAPT. Cassell, George L., USN :RADM	2 December 1963 - 2 July 1964
07	CAPT. Stickles II, Albert Louis, USN (USNA 1944)	28 September 1964 - 14 May 1966
08	LCDR. Hatcher, George Martin, USN (USNA 1952)	14 May 1966 - 1 September 1967
09	CAPT. Snyder Jr., Joseph Mitchell, USN (USNA 1945)	1 September 1967 - 10 February 1969
10	CAPT. Smith, Rush Spencer :RADM	10 February 1969 - 17 April 1970
11	CAPT. Howe, Thomas	17 April 1970 - 6 August 1971
12	CDR. Davis, Harry Leland	6 August 1971 - 15 January 1973
13	CAPT. Bassett, Charles Gordon	15 January 1973 - 7 September 1974
14	CDR. Jenkins Jr., George Joseph	7 September 1974 - 30 July 1976
15	CDR. Doolittle, John Beecher	30 July 1976 - 9 August 1978
16	CDR. Jockel Jr., Joseph Andrew	9 August 1978 - August 1980
17	CAPT. Loving Jr., Howard Hayden	August 1980 - 3 September 1982
18	CAPT. Millis Jr., Archibald Edward, USN	3 September 1982 - 20 June 1985
19	CDR. Stillmaker, William James	20 June 1985 - 27 July 1987
20	CDR. Jennings, David Bailey, USN (USNA 1969)	27 July 1987 - 11 May 1990
21	CDR. Ward, William Howard	11 May 1990 - February 1992
22	LCDR. Wright, William Arthur	February 1992 - February 1992
23	CDR. Moore, David Charles	February 1992 - 1 November 1993
24	CDR. Huber, Craig M.	1 November 1993 - 28 April 1995


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
AE/AOE Sailors Association
MARAD Vessel History Database

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 29 September 2023