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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS USN Ret. - Popular Patch

USS Nitro (AE-2)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Lima - Lima
NELL

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

Pyro Class Ammunition Ship:

Laid down, 19 March 1919, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.

Launched, 16 December 1919

Commissioned USS Nitro (AE-2), 1 April 1921, CDR. R. W. Vincent in command

During World War II USS Nitro was assigned to both the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign;

Campaign and Dates
Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944

Decommissioned, 30 November 1945, at Norfolk, VA.

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 December 1945

USS Nitro earned one battle star for World War II service

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 30 March 1948, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 19 September 1949, to Welding Shipyards, Inc., New York

Specifications:
Displacement 11,000 t.(lt) 14,110 t.(fl)
Length 483' 10"
Beam 61' 1"
Draft 26' 7"
Speed 16 kts.

Complement

Officers 51

Enlisted 268

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Cargo Capacity 3,250 DWT

non-refrigerated 170,000 Cu ft

Armament

two single 5"/51 cal surface gun mounts

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose guns mounts

two twin 40mm AA gun Mounts

Fuel Capacity

NSFO 10,250 Bbls

Diesel 260 Bbls

Propulsion

one Navy Yard Puget Sound turbine

two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 200psi Sat°

single Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
Ship's Service Generators
one turbo-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
two turbo-drive 100Kw 120V D.C.

single propeller, 5,200shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	350k	Pyro (AE-1) under construction in dry-dock at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, 13 August 1919. Her sister, Nitro (AE-2), is building astern to starboard in the same dock. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 42574	Mike Green
NH 42575	219k	Pyro (AE-1) under construction in dry-dock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, circa August 1919. Her sister, Nitro (AE-2), is building astern to starboard in the same dock. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #'s NH 42575 and NH 42576. by Jacobs, Seattle.	Mike Green
NH 42576	189k		Mike Green
	214k	Pyro (AE-1) ready for launching in the construction dry-dock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, 16 December 1919. Her sister, Nitro (AE-2), is building astern to starboard in the same dock. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 70483	Mike Green
	302k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1) (closest to camera) and USS Nitro (AE-2)** during launching ceremonies, 16 December 1919, at Puget Sound Navy Yard. Puget Sound Navy Yard Museum	Mike Green
	198k	Nitro (AE-2) fitting out at Puget Sound Navy Yard, 3 January 1921. Practically complete except for her refrigeration plant and turbo generators. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 44863	Mike Green
	175k	Nitro (AE-2) completing her fitting out at Puget Sound Navy Yard, WA., 14 February 1921. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 2790 from the collection of Rear Admiral Ammen Farenholt, MC USN	Mike Green
09050216	82k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** moored pierside, 22 August 1922, location unknown. US Library of Congress Cat. # 8-26-22 LCCN2016846651.tif., US Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division, digital ID npcc.23273.	Robert Hurst
	132k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** dressed in flags moored to a buoy, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Jim Kurrasch Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
	52k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** moored pierside, date and location unknown. Photo from "U.S.Warships of World War One" with permission from the author Paul H. Silverstone.	Robert Hurst
	26k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** moored pierside, circa 1930s, location unknown.	Ron Reeves
	221k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** moored pierside at Naval Ammunition Deport Iona New York, circa 1930s. Photo by CWO4 Cecil Wood USMC	Donald Wood for his father CWO4 Cecil Wood USMC
09030320	172k	Philidelphia Navy Yard, 2 March 1932. *USS Dobbin* (AD-3) at pier 4, with two out of commission "four-piper" destroyers alongside. USS Nitro (AE-2) at pier 2, and USS Fulton (PG-49) at pier 3. The x-battleship USS Florida (BB-30) is scrapping across from Dobbin*. From the Dallin Collection 07139, Hagley Museum*. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	John Chiquoine
09050217	84k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2) moored pierside at Philadelphia Navy yard between 1930 and 1932. Nitro is at pier 2 or 3 with two flush-deckers, USS Lawrence (DD-250)** and an unidentified destroyer, across the pier. Temple University Digital Archives. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	John Chiquoine
	90k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** at Naval Ammunition Depot Balboa, Canal Zone, 1 January 1938. US National Archives photo # 80-G-466183, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	105k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** near the Norfolk Navy Yard, 4 September 1942. The two forward 5"/51 guns have been replaced with two additional 3"/50 AA guns and the .50 caliber machine guns have been replaced with 20mm guns. She also has a light radar platform around her forward searchlight. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo # 19-N-34507 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
09050201	175k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** underway, 17 December 1943. US National Archives photo # 80-G-200266, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	Rick Davis
	37k	*USS Nitro* (AE-2)** after departing Norfolk, VA., 20 April 1944, while enroute to Belfast, Northern Ireland. US Navy photo.	Hyperwar US Navy in WWII

USS Nitro (AE-2)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Vincent, Roe Willis, USN (USNA 1899)	1 April 1921 - 2 June 1923
02	CDR. Ridgely, Frank Eugene, USN (USNA 1896)	2 June 1923 - 1 December 1923
03	CDR. Stark, Harold Raynsford (Betty), USN (USNA 1905) :ADM	1 December 1923 - 14 November 1925
04	CDR. Pickens, Andrew Calhoun, USN (USNA 1904) :RADM	14 November 1925 - 8 April 1927
05	CAPT. Metcalf, Martin Kellogg, USN (USNA 1903)	8 April 1927 - 9 May 1929
06	CAPT. Finney, Earl Peck, USN (USNA 1902)	9 May 1929 - 9 June 1931
07	CAPT. McCain, John Sidney ("Slew"), USN (USNA1906) :ADM	9 June 1931 - 31 May 1932
08	CDR. Parker, Ralph Chandler, USN (USNA 1907)	31 May 1932 - 25 May 1934
09	CDR. Markland, Henry Thomas, USN (USNA 1908)	25 May 1934 - 31 May 1936
10	CDR. Kelly, Monroe, USN (USNA 1909)	31 May 1936 - 1937
12	CDR. Bennion, Mervyn Sharp, USN (USNA 1912)	10 March 1938 - 1 June 1939
13	CAPT. Cobb, Calvin Hayes, USN (USNA 1911) :VADM	1 June 1939 - 11 July 1940
14	CDR. Balsley, Alfred Henry, USN (USNA 1914)	11 July 1940 - 15 June 1941
15	CAPT. Chippendale, Burton Witham, USN (USNA 1915)	15 June 1941 - 3 June 1942
16	CDR. Johnson, George William, USN (USNA 1918)	3 June 1942 - 1 July 1942
17	LCDR. Milner, Robert Miller (Shorty), USN (USNA 1921a) (acting)	1 July 1942 - 29 July 1942
18	CDR. Ragonnet, Lucien, USN (USNA 1922) :RADM	29 July 1942 - 13 March 1943
19	CDR. Trimble, Foy, USNR	13 March 1943 - 25 September 1945
20	LCDR. Parr, Walter Scott, USN	25 September 1945 - 30 November 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
Launch Program
MARAD Vessel History Database

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Last Updated 6 September 2024