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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Investigator (AGR-9)
ex
 USS Investigator (YAGR-9) (1957 - 1958)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Alpha - Alpha
NTAA
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Award (I)ndia - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (2-Cuba) - National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 November 1944, as SS Charles A. Draper, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2336) at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL.
  • Launched, 9 January 1945
  • Delivered, 24 January 1945, to Polarus Steamship Co. Inc.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 26 October 1945, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 2 July 1956
  • Converted to a Radar Picket Ship at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Commissioned, USS Investigator (YAGR-9), 16 January 1957, LCDR. John H. Mehus USN in command
  • Redesignated (AGR-9), 28 September 1958
  • Decommissioned, 3 March 1965
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1965
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River, N.Y.
  • Sold to Dawoon Corp. of Karachi, Pakistan, 23 December 1971
  • Resold to Eckhardt Co. of Germany in April of 1971
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 May 1971, at Santandar, Spain
    Specifications:
    Displacement 10,760 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 24'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement 13 officers, 138 enlisted
    Armament two 3"/50 guns
    Capacities
    Fuel Oil, 443,646 gals.
    Diesel, 68,267 gals.
    Fresh Water, 15,082 gals.
    Ballast, 1,326,657 gals fresh water
    Propulsion
    two 220 PSI boilers
    one 3 cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine,
    one 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller,
    Shaft Horsepower 2,500
    Electric Generators 2
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By /
    Source
    Guardian
    09620106    		 67k Especially designed for the transport of Tanks and Boxed Airplanes the Z-EC-S-C5 type had the same hull-form as the EC2-S-C1 type but with large hatches and heavier loading gear. Typical for this type is the arrangement of two pairs of kingposts each on the forecastle and poop contrary to the two single kingposts on the forecastle and one kingpost on the poop with the EC2-S-C1 basic design. All vessels remained under US Flag and Registry after WWII and were laid up.
    United States Maritime Commission 1936 thru 1950    		 John Spivey
    Investigator 132k USS Investigator (AGR-9) moored pierside at Boston, MA., September 1960 © Richard Leonhardt
    Investigator 69k USS Investigator (AGR-9) moored pierside at Boston, MA., September 1960 © Richard Leonhardt
    Investigator 98k USS Investigator (AGR-9) underway, 11 September 1960, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Cieri
    Investigator 79k USS Investigator (AGR-9) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the US Navy Memorial.    		 Stan Svec
    Investigator 282k USS Investigator (AGR-9) positioning for a hi-line transfer with USS Skywatcher (AGR-3) while on station in the North Atlantic, circa May 1962. Photo by Dave Sutherland ET2 Skywatcher 1961 to 1963.
    Vigil 176k Left to right: Ex-USS Investigator (AGR-9), ex-USS Skywatcher (AGR-3) and ex-USS Vigil (AGR-12) laid up in the Hudson River National Defense Reserve Fleet, date unknown Russ Padden and Tim Rizzuto
    USS Investigator (YAGR-9 / AGR-9)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Mehus, John Harold USN16 January 1957 - 28 September 1958YAGR-9/AGR-9
    02LCDR. Edwards, Ralph Paul, USNR28 September 1958 - 23 October 1959YAGR-9/AGR-9
    03LCDR. Lehning, Ernest Paul, USN23 October 1959 - 5 July 1961AGR-9
    04LCDR. Norman, James Howard, USN5 July 1961 - 11 October 1963AGR-9
    05LCDR. Hinkley, Harold Lewis, USN11 October 1963 - ?AGR-9
    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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USS Investigator AGR-9
    YAGR's (Radar Picket Ships) Association
    Online Air Defense Radar Museum
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Radar Picket Ship (AGR) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 20 October 2023