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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Left patch contributed by Mike Smolinski, right patch contributed by Bill Bossert, USS Tracer AGR-15

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Tracer (AGR-15)
ex
 USS Interrupter (AGR-15) (1958 - 1959)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - November - Tango - Sierra
 NNTS
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Incident (T)ango - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 24 December 1944, as SS William J. Riddle, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2340), at J, A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL
  • Launched, 31 January 1945
  • Delivered and accepted, 15 February 1945 by the War Shipping Administration, at Panama City, FL.
  • Simultaneously turned over to Moore McCormack Lines, Inc. for operation under General Agency Agreement
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration, 16 December 1946, at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Leased to Waterman SS. Corp., 29 January 1947 under a General Agency Agreement and bare bottom charter .
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration, 29 October 1947, at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group. Lee Hall, VA.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 21 May 1957, (title transfer) for conversion to a Radar Picket Ship at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Commissioned, USS Interrupter (AGR-15), 16 October 1958, at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. George S. Harrison USN in command
  • Renamed USS Tracer (AGR-15), 4 September 1959
  • Returned to Maritime Administration custody, 16 August 1965, at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA>
  • Decommissioned, 7 July 1965
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1965
  • Permanent transfer to the Maritime Administration, at Suisun Bay, 4 February 1966
  • Sold, 15 July 1974, by MARAD to Walco Vessels Ltd., for non-transportation use (PD-X-979 dated 5 June 1974) for $210,010.00, withdrawn from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, 1 August 1974
  • Placed in commercial service as a fish processing plant at Unalaska, AK, renamed Unisea
  • Final Disposition, towed to China in 2000 for scrapping
    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
    Merchant Service
    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
    Tracer
    09621506    		 239k SS William J. Riddle discharging cows in the Polish port of Nowy in 1946. Directly after the end of WW II, William J. Riddle was modified and engaged in a comprehensive cow and horses transport action to war-torn Europe.
    United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration    		 Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Tracer (AGR-15)
    Tracer 17k USS Tracer (AGR-15) underway, date and location unknown. Bill Bossert
    Tracer 128k USS Tracer (AGR-15) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1964 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Tracer 108k Ex-USS Tracer (AGR-15) being moved by tugs from Mare Island Naval Shipyard to the National Defense Reserve Fleet anchorage at Suisun Bay, Benecia CA. after being deactivated in 1965. David Nixon
    Commercial Service
    Tracer 193k Ex-USS Tracer (AGR-15) in September 1974, location unknown, after being converted into an Alaskan waters crab processing ship.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 89309    		 Mike Green
    Tracer 107k Ex-USS Tracer (AGR-15) in commercial service as Unisea, a fish processing plant at Unalaska, AK. date unknown. David Nixon
    USS Interrupter / Tracer (AGR-15)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Harrison, George Seymour, USN16 October 1958 - 26 March 1959
    02LCDR. Wootton, William Turnor, USN (USNA 1944)26 March 1959 - 22 July 1960
    03LCDR. Asmundson, Franklin John, USN22 July 1960 - 5 November 1961
    04LCDR. Reid, Albert Roy, USN5 November 1961 - 6 March 1964
    05LCDR. Barney, Glenn Palmer, USN (USNA 1951) 6 March 1964 - 7 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
    USS Tracer AGR-15
    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