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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Don McGrogan BMCS USN (Ret.) - Popular Patch

USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Victor - Bravo
 NKVB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom. left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp)
Third Row - Antarctic Service Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
Mount McKinley Class Amphibious Force Command Ship:
  • Laid down, 3 August 1943, as SS Eclipse, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC 1348) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 3 October 1943
  • Renamed Mount Olympus, 27 December 1943
  • Commissioned USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8), 4 May 1944, CAPT. J. H. Schultz in command
  • During World War II USS Mount Olympus was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 26 October 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 9 to 11 January 1945

  • Following World War II USS Mount Olympus was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East and Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    Asia - 2 September 1945 to 11 January 194612 to 22 January 1946
    Asia - 23 January to 16 February 194617 February to 30 May 1946
    Europe - 14 April to 23 August 1951 
    Europe - 16 October to 29 November 1952 

  • Decommissioned, 4 April 1956
  • Struck from the Naval Register 1 June 1961
  • USS Mount Olympus earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 6 January 1966 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 22 January 1973, to Eastern Overseas, Inc. (PD-X-952 of 13 December 1972) for $72,000.00
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,500 t.(lt), 12,580 t.(fl)
    Length 459'3"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24' (lim.)
    Speed 16.4 kts.
    Complement/Staff.
    54 Officers
    579 Enlisted
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 22,650 gal.
    Diesel 700 gal.
    Propulsion
    1 General Electric Geared turbine drive
    2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers 450psi 750°
    2 General Electric main reduction gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    four turbo-diesel 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one turbo-diesel 100Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, designed shaft horsepower 6,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Mount Olympus 10010832 28k
    Namesake
    Mount Olympus - Mount Olympus, at 7,980 feet, is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains of western Washington state. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is also the central feature of Olympic National Park. Mount Olympus is the highest summit of the Olympic Mountains. (Wikipedia)    		 Tommy Trampp
    Mount Olympus 163k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) underway, circa June 1944. location unknown.
    US Nation Archives identified #7326788, a US Navy Photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		  
    Mount Olympus 99k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) at Tokyo Bay, 2 September 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Warren Henrikson QM1/c
    Mount Olympus 54k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) underway during World War II, date and location unknown.
    Photograph, From the personal estate of naval photographer Alfred Emmanuel Weed.    		 Tommy Trampp
    Mount Olympus 75k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) at anchor in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, China, circa January 14 to 20 1946. Greg Hook for his uncle Wilson J. Hill RM3/c USS Olympus
    Mount Olympus 64k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) at anchor in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, China, 14 January 1946. Forward of USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) Greg Hook for his uncle Wilson J. Hill RM3/c USS Olympus
    Mount Olympus 50k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) at anchor in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, China, 14 January 1946. Greg Hook for his uncle Wilson J. Hill RM3/c USS Olympus
    Mount Olympus 90k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) transits the Panama Canal in 1946 enroute to the Antarctic for participation in Operation Highjump.
    Courtesy, US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo # 1986.056.001.022    		 Mike Green
    Mount Olympus 56k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) underway in 1946 during the US Navy Antarctic expedition, "Operation Highjump."
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, issue dated February 1947.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Mount Olympus 61k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) underway in support of "Operation Highjump" in 1947.
    US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo # 1986.056.001.368    		 Mike Green
    Mount Olympus 261k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) moored pierside at Wellington, New Zealand in 1947, after supporting Operation Highjump in the Antarctic.
    US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo # 1986.056.001.358    		 Mike Green
    Mount Olympus 51k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) underway, circa 1952, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Taconic
    10011728    		 533k Three of four U.S. Navy amphibious command ships of the Atlantic Fleet at Naval Base Norfolk, VA., circa 1953. Left to right; USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8), USS Taconic (AGC-17) and USS Pocono (AGC-16).
    U.S. Navy "All Hands" magazine April 1953, p.36    		 Robert Hurst
    Mount Olympus 40k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) ice bound in the Arctic ice pack, circa 1955.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Mount Olympus 130k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) and other vessels in the Arctic Ocean ice pack, circa 1955.
    US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo #1986.055.001.149    		 Mike Green
    Mount Olympus
    10010833    		 144k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) Christmas Card, circa 1955. John Miller
    Mount Olympus 19k USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) at anchor, date and location unknown  
    USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Shultz, John Henry :RADM24 May 1944 - 21 May 1945
    02CAPT. Dillavou, Claude Arthur21 May 1945 - 30 November 1945
    03CAPT. Rees, John Frank30 November 1945 - ?
    04CAPT. Moore, Robert RouseSeptember 1946 ?
    05CAPT. Brewer, James Theodore, RADM14 July 1950 - 17 August 1951
    06CAPT. Saunders, Willard Arthur17 August 1951 - February 1953
    07CAPT. Quiggle, Lynne Cline, RADMFebruary 1953 - September 1953
    08CAPT. Wilbur, Donald TaylorSeptember 1953 - January 1955
    09LT. Frahler, Donald Andrew USN, USNA 1948-B)January 1955 - 4 April 1956
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) Ships Newspaper/Magazine "OLYMPUSS"
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Command Ship (AGC) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 13 December 2024