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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Theenim (AKA-63)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Golf - Golf
NHGG

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS Theenim was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II

Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 18 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 215), at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.

Launched, 31 October 1944

Accepted from Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, 22 December 1944, by the War Shipping Administration and transferred to US Navy custody the same day

Commissioned USS Theenim (AKA-63), 22 December 1944, CDR. Gordon A. Littlefield, USCG, in command

During World War II USS Theenim was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransRon Twenty-One, COMO. J. R. Palmer USN (13);
TransDiv Sixty-One and participated in the following campaign:

Campaigns and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 15 April 1945

Following World War II USS Theenim was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
20 September to 6 October 1945
29 October to 6 November 1945

Decommissioned, 10 May 1946, at Norfolk VA.

Returned to the War Shipping Administration, 10 May 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Struck from the Naval Register 21 May 1946

Merchant Service

Sold by the Maritime Commission in 1948 to the United States Lines, renamed SS American Inventor

Renamed, 26 November 1958, SS Pioneer Surf and re-directed to serve on the Australia Run of United States Lines

Sold in July 1965, to Farrell Lines, Inc., renamed SS Australian Surf

Sold 27 November 1968, to Rancocas Steamship Co., renamed SS Surfer

USS Theenim earned one battle star for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 April 1970, to Victory Steel and Machinery Corp. for scrapping at Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Specifications:
Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(fl)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4"
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 48

Enlisted 351

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 4,900 dwt

non-refrigerated 440,000 Cu. ft.,

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Boats

eight LCMs

one LCP(L)

fifteen LCVPs

Fuel Capacity NSFO 10,990 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric steam turbine

two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Theenim (AKA-63)
	70k	Theenim (AKA-63) launching, 31 October 1944, at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
100206310 NARA BS 78219	394k	*USS Sheliak* (AKA-62)** at anchor in New York harbor, circa 22 December 1944. She is painted in Camouflage measure 32/8T. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Identifiers BS 78219 and BS 78218	Nicholas Tiberio
100206311 NARA BS 78218	92k		Nicholas Tiberio
	78k	*USS Theenim* (AKA-63) under way off Boston, MA., 22 January 1945. The ship is wearing Measure 32/8t camouflage scheme. Photos taken by an airship from blimp squadron ZP-11** from NAS South Weymouth, MA. US National Archives, Photo's # 80-G-301374 and 80-G-301376, US Navy photos courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, undazzle.com.	Mike Green
80-G-301374	533k
80-G-301376	662k
100206309 NA 205584864	304k	On 28 June 1945 two Japanese soldier-laborers were taken prisoner by *USS Theenim* (AKA-63)*, after having sailed their tiny craft 260 miles from Nauru Island, where they worked in a labor battalion. Mindful of Japanese trickery, the Coast guard "boarding party" keeps the sun to its back as it approaches the skiff. Once on the ship they were stripped, deloused and had their heads shaved before they were questioned by ENS. James R. Kennedy, USCG. US National Archives Identifier 205584864* and 205584861, Local Identifier 26-G-4708, US Coast Guard Photo # 4708. USS Theenim War Diary	David Upton
100206308 NA 205584861	251k
100206307 NA 205584864	251k
Merchant Service United States Line
	487k	Ex- *USS Theenim* (AKA-63)*, in service as the United States Line freighter SS American Inventor* working cargo in the port of Bremen, Germany in 1953. ©Weser-Kurier	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	78k	United States Line freighter SS American Inventor, departing New York City, mid-1950s.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus

USS Theenim (AKA-63)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Littlefield, Gordon Athorn, :RADM USCG	22 December 1944 - 18 October 1945
02	CAPT. Rhodes. Earl King, USCG	18 October 1945 - ?


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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 16 June 2023