Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, patch at right by Tommy Trampp

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USNS Butte (T-AE-27)
ex
 USS Butte (AE-27) (1970 - 1998)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Uniform - Oscar
NWUO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (4)
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon, Op. Restore Hope, Somalia) - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Armed Forces Service Medal
Kilauea Class Ammunition Ship:
  • Laid down, 21 July 1966, at General Dynamics Shipyard, Quincy MA.
  • Launched, 9 August 1967
  • Commissioned, USS Butte (AE-27), 14 December 1968, Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA., CAPT. Wallace M. Riggs in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Butte (AE-27) participated in the following campaign:

    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign
    6 and 8 to 14 February 1973
    22 February to 3 March 1973
    28 March 1973

  • Decommissioned, 3 June 1996, and placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Butte (T-AE-27)
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 24 May 24, 2004
  • USS Butte earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, disposed of as a target in support of fleet training exercises, 30 June 2006
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,340 t.(lt) 19,940 t.(fl)
    Length 564'
    Beam 81'
    Draft 29'
    Speed 20 kts.
    Complement
    MSC 125 -133 Civilian Mariners
    Naval Detachment 30
    Cargo Capacity 6,000 DWT
    non-refrigerated 60,000 cu ft
    Armament
    USS - four twin 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    USNS - none
    Aircraft
    two MH60S Seahawk helicopters
    Propulsion
    one General Electric turbine
    three Foster-Wheeler 600psi boilers
    single six blade fixed propeller, 22,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Butte 190k Butte (AE-27) while under construction at General Dynamics, Quincy MA. Note: Riggers lowering bow section Butte into place.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine September 1968.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Kilauea 326k Butte (AE-27), background, and Kilauea (AE 26), foreground, christening ceremonies, 9 August 1967, at General Dynamics, Quincy, MA. S. Dale Hargrave
    Butte 87k Butte (AE-27) under way probably during builders trials, circa 1968.
    Photo courtesy General Dynamics (Quincy).    		 Robert Hurst
    Butte 79k USS Butte (AE-27) under way during sea trials in 1968.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine March 1970.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Butte 265k USS Butte (AE-27) under way in 1970 in the Atlantic Ocean off Norfolk, VA.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Smolinski
    Butte 95k USS Butte (AE-27) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine October 1970.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Butte 753k USS Butte (AE-27) at anchor at San Remo, Italy, 23 April 1972 Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Butte 727k USS Butte (AE-27) at anchor off Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines, circa summer 1973. Photo by CDR Michael Cosgrove USN Ret. USS Conquest
    Butte 96k USS Butte (AE-27) under way in 1979 while conducting a vertrep replenishment at sea, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Butte 49k USS Butte (AE-27) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Butte 77k USS Butte (AE-27) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Butte 50k USS Butte (AE-27) under way, date and location unknown.
    ©Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA.     		Mike Smolinski
    Butte 261k USS Butte (AE-27) underway, 1 December 1983, location unknown.
    US DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SC-84-04815    		 Robert Hurst
    Butte
    09052724    		 856k A CH-46 Sea Knight prepares to lift a pallet of 16 inch powder canisters from USS Butte (AE-27) for delivery to USS Iowa (BB-61) during an underway replenishment (VERTREP), 5 January 1984. In the background is USS America (CV-66)
    US National Archives Local Identifier DN-SC-86-04786 a US Navy photo by PHAA Elliott    		 Robert Canchola
    Butte
    09052720
    NARA Identifier: 6404551    		 368k USS Butte (AE-27) conducting an underway replenishment with USS Iowa (BB-61), 1 May 1984. Iowa had just been recommissioned four days earlier on the 27th of April.
    US National Archives Identifiers: 6404551, 6396454, 6409068 and 6409033, US Navy photos by PH1 Hilton.    		 Robert Canchola
    Butte
    09052721
    NARA Identifier: 6396454    		 365k
    Butte
    09052722
    NARA Identifier: 6409068    		 363k
    Butte
    09052723
    NARA Identifier: 6409033    		 379k
    Butte 61k USS Butte (AE-27) under way in the Ionian Sea in 1993. CDR. Dave Wood USN Ret. ex-CO USS Butte
    Butte 99k USS Butte (AE-27) under way while operating with other fleet units, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Butte 78k USNS Butte (AE-27) and USS Charleston (LKA-113) laid up at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., September 2004 Photo by Jon White STG-3, USS Luce, 1985-87
    Butte 77k USNS Butte (AE-27) and USS El Paso (LKA-117), USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) and USS John Hancock (DD 981) laid up at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., September 2004 Photo by Jon White STG-3, USS Luce, 1985-87
    Butte 51k Ex-USNS Butte (AE-27) with her back broken and sinking during SINKEX, 30 June 2006. Photo by Paul Shepard TJ Tropea
    Butte 44k Ex-USNS Butte (AE-27) with her back broken and sinking during SINKEX, 30 June 2006. Photo by Paul Shepard TJ Tropea

    For more photos and information about USS/USNS Butte, see:
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • AE/AOE Sailors Association
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Riggs, Wallace Marshall USN (USNA 1946)14 December 1968 - 7 May 1970
    02CAPT. Gregory Jr., Grover King7 May 1970 - 3 August 1971
    03CAPT. Rigot, William Laswell, USN (USNA 1948-A)3 August 1971 - 24 August 1972
    04CAPT. Scott, James Hernandez :RADM24 August 1972 - 12 October 1973
    05CDR. Young, Leonard Raymond12 October 1973 - 10 October 1975
    06CDR. Gustafson, Kenneth P. 10 October 1975 - 15 August 1976
    07CAPT. Gatje, George Carlisle15 August 1976 - 8 September 1976
    08CDR. McEntyre, Harry K.08 September 1976 - 4 May 1979
    09CDR. Black, Eugene Henry4 May 1979 - 27 June 1981
    10CDR. Rosson, Vernon Lee27 June 1981 - 8 June 1983
    11CDR. Madison, William Ross 8 June 1983 - 7 August 1985
    12CDR. Davis, Joseph Warren, USN7 August 1985 - 22 April 1988
    13CDR. Lynch, Michael J., USN (USNA 1971)22 April 1988 - 21 May 1989
    14CDR. Hall, Gary R.21 May 1989 - 7 May 1991
    15CDR. Martin, Christopher Bruce7 May 1991 - 8 January 1993
    16CDR. Wood, David W.8 January 1993 - 10 November 1994
    17CDR. Smith, David P.10 November 1994 - 3 June 1996
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Ammunition Ship (AE) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 22 May 2020