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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Tarazed (AF-13)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Delta - Charlie
 NBDC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Medal (with "A" device)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Mizar Class Stores Ship:
  • Built as SS Chiriqui, for United Fruit Co., by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 14 November 1931
  • Delivered to United Fruit Co., 18 March 1932
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission on a bare-boat charter basis
  • Converted for Naval service at Brewer's Drydock Co., Staten Island, N,Y.
  • Commissioned USS Tarazed (AF-13), 14 June 1941, CDR. James M. Connally in command
  • During World War II USS Tarazed was assigned to the American and Europe-Africa-Middle East Theaters and participated in the following campaign:

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

  • Decommissioned, 4 January 1946, at New Orleans, LA.
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission the same day for return to United Fruit Co., named reverted to SS Chiriqui
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 21 January 1946
  • USS Tarazed earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Sold to Union-Partenreeders T/S, Bremen, Germany, renamed SS Blexen, re-flagged German
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1971
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,983 t.(lt) 11,875 t.(fl)
    Length 447' 10"
    Beam 60'
    Draft 26'
    Speed 18 kts. (max)
    Cargo Capacity 2,155 DWT
    Non-refrigerated 158,360 Cu ft
    Refrigerated 4,655 Cu ft
    Complement
    Officers 18
    Enlisted 220
    Largest Boom Capacity 5 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/51 cal gun mount
    three single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity 8,270 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Electric turbines
    four Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 350psi 666°
    three turbo-drive 500Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin propellers, 11,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Pre WWII Merchant Service
    Tarazed
    09061309    		 211k SS Chiriqui launching, 14 November 1931, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. Dale Hargrave
    Tarazed
    09061310    		 165k
    USS Tarazed (AF-13)
    Tarazed 101k Tarazed (AF-13) beginning conversion from SS Chiriqui at Brewer Ship Yard, Staten Island, N.Y., two days after her acquisition by the Navy. Part of her white superstructure may already have been painted dark gray. To the right is Betelgeuse (AK-28), later (AKA-11), being converted from SS.Mormaclark
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. 19-N-24235, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Tarazed 67k USS Tarazed (AF-13) off Boston Navy Yard, 19 May 1942. The 3"/50 guns fore and aft are all on deck, as is the 5"/51 gun on the stern.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM. photo # 19-N-29747, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Tarazed 112k USS Tarazed (AF-13) off Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA, 19 November 1942
    U.S. National Archives, RG-19-LCM. Photo # 19-N-37306, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Tarazed 65k USS Tarazed (AF-13) starboard broadside view underway off Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA, 19 November 1942
    US Navy Yard photo # 4183(42)    		 CAPT. Jerry Mason, USN Ret.
    Tarazed 179k USS Tarazed (AF-13) heads east toward Gibraltar as Commodore of convoy UGS-33 on February 13, 1944. The convoy reached the Gibraltar Strait, 2 March 1944, without incident.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-215546, a US Navy photo now in the custody of the US National Archives in College Park, MD.    		 Tracy White
    Tarazed 100k USS Tarazed (AF-13) photographed by an aircraft from Hampton Roads, 26 September 1945.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM. photo, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Post WWII Merchant Service
    Tarazed
    09061308    		 90k Post card image of ex-USS Tarazed (AF-13) in merchant service as SS Blexen moored pierside at Rotterdam, The Netherlands, circa 1959-60. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Tarazed
    09061311    		 185k SS Blexen moored pierside at Bremerhaven, West Germany, September 1966.
    Photo by Wolfgang Fricke    		 Robert Hurst
    Tarazed 61k SS Blexen moored pierside at Bremerhaven, West Germany in February 1967. Photo Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Tarazed (AF-13)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Connally, James Monroe14 June 1941 - ?
    02CDR. Chambers, Raymone W.1943 - ?
    05CDR. Fife, William Wallace, USN (Ret) (USNA 1919)5 May 1945 - December 1945
    06LT. Pollock, James Gordon, USNRDecember 1945 - 4 January 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 21 October 2022