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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Montague (AKA-98)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Mike - Lima
NHML

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended_
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (4)
Fourth Row - Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship:

Laid down (date unknown) as a Maritime Commission (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 220) at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.

Launched, 12 February 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Irving S. Olds ( Evelyn Foster Olds), wife of Irving S. Olds, Chairman of the Board of U.S. Steel from 1940 - 1952 and daughter of Pell William Foster, founded Foster Wheeler

Commissioned USS Montague (AKA-98), 13 April 1945, CAPT. Bascom H. Thomas Jr. USNR in command

During World War II USS Montague was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS Montague was assigned to Occupation service and China service for the following periods;

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
Asia 2 September to 16 October 1945	1 to 12 October 1945
Europe 15 January to 5 March 1948	6 to 16 November 1945
Europe 23 September 1948 to 16 January 1949	20 January to 4 February 1952
Europe 13 May to 16 August 1950

During the Korean War USS Montague participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
North Korean Aggression 21 September to 31 October 1950	First UN Counter Offensive 25 January to 6 April 1951
Chinese Communist Aggression 11 November 1950 to 24 January 1951	Second Korean Winter 20 to 23 March 1952

Decommissioned, 22 November 1955, at Long Beach, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island Group, Vallejo, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS Montague earned four battle stars for Korean service

Returned to the Maritime Administration, 11 February 1960, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 March 1971, to West Waterway Lumber Co. for $69,724.00 (PD-X-899 dated 17 February 1971

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

Complement

Officers 38

Enlisted 387

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 11,190 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

Size	Image Description	Source
96k	*USS Montague* (AKA-98)** off New York Navy Yard, 23 April 1945. Her surface search radar antenna is at the top of the fore topmast, and a pole mast forward of the stack supports an air search radar and a yardarm for signal flag halyards. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM photo # 19-N-84515, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
197k	*USS Montague* (AKA-98)** under way off New York City, 23 April 1945. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107738 a New York Navy Yard photo.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
126k	*USS Montague* (AKA-98)** unloading refugees from a French LSM in southern Indo-China, circa 1955. US National Archives photo # NWDNS-80-G-644449, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US National Archives
115k	*USS Montague* (AKA-98)** underway, location unknown, circa 1954. Photo from 1954 Christmas Card. US Navy photo	David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret) (MMC) USS Montague 1954-55
381k	*USS Montague* (AKA-98)** moored to a buoy, location unknown, circa 1954-55. US Navy photo	David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret) (MMC) USS Montague 1954-55
856k	*USS Rasher* (SSR-269) and USS Montague (AKA-98)** go their separate ways in the early 1950's.	US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. Photo added 05/08/12.

USS Montague (AKA-98)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Thomas Jr., Bascom H., USNR	13 April 1945 - September 1945
02	CDR. Swany Jr., Ralph Michael George, USNR	September 1945 - April 1946
03	CAPT. McGregor, Rob Roy, USN (USNA 1929)	April 1946 - June 1946
04	CAPT. Haley, Ignatius Joseph, USNR	June 1946 - December 1946
05	CAPT. Hooper, Charles Frederick, USN (USNA 1922)	December 1946 - 1948
07	CAPT. Wright Jr., Henry Price	1950 - ?
08	CAPT. Knoertzer, Halford A.	1951 - June 1952
09	CAPT. Dimitrijevic, William Joseph	June 1952 - April 1953
10	CAPT. MacGregor III, Edgar John, USN (USNA 1930)	April 1953 - 11 August 1954
11	CAPT. Cox, William Ruffin :RADM	11 August 1954 - 22 November 1955


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 Montague (AKA-98) War Diaries April 1945 to November 1945

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 8 October 2021