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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Left Patch Contributed by Mike Smolinski, Right Patch Contributed Bill Bossert, USS Tracer AGR-15

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Interpreter (AGR-14)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Romeo - Uniform
 NBRU
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Charot (I)ndia - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 5 January 1945, as SS Dudley H. Thomas, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2341), at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL.
  • Launched, 8 February 1945
  • Delivered, 21 February 1945 to the Maritime Commission to be operated, by Merchants and Miners Transportation Co., Boston, MA., under contract to the WSA
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration in 1947 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 5 June 1957
  • Converted to a Radar Picket Ship at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Commissioned, USS Interpreter (AGR-14), 29 September 1958, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, CDR. John S. Craft USN in command
  • Decommissioned, struck from the Naval Register, and transferred to the Maritime Commission, 1 July 1965 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia CA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 4 November 1974
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,365 t.(fl)
    Length 441'
    Beam 59'
    Draft 22'
    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
    Filer & Stowell Co., of Milwaukee, WI. three cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine,
    Single 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller
    Shaft Horsepower, 2,500
    Two electric generators
    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
    Interpreter 22k USS Interpreter (AGR-14) underway, date and location unknown.
    USAF photo provided to Online Air Defense Radar Museum courtesy Jesse E. Pruden    		 Gene Mcmanus Webmaster
    Online Air Defense Radar Museum
    Interpreter
    09611402    		 116k A U.S. Navy Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune of US Navy Patrol Squadron 19 (VP-19) from NAS Alameda, CA., makes the weekly airdrop of mail to the ships of Radar Picket Squadron One operating at sea, in this case USS Interpreter (AGR-14).
    U.S. Navy "All Hands" magazine January 1962, p. 28.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Interpreter (AGR-14)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Craft, John Sherwood, USN29 September 1958 - 16 January 1959
    02CDR. Martin, William John, USN16 January 1959 - 25 January 1961
    03CDR. Richmond, John, USN25 January 1961 - 22 June 1962
    04LCDR. Beatty, Lloyd David, USN16 June 1962 - 24 March 1964
    05LCDR. Biron Sr., Joseph Edward, USN24 March 1964 - 1 July 1965
    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
    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 9 February 2024