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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
ex
 USS Staten Island (AGB-5) (1952 - 1966)
 USS Northwind (AGB-5) (1952)
 USCGC Staten Island (WAG-278) (1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Sierra - Xray - November
 NSXN
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Native (L)ima - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Coast Guard Unit Commendation
Bottom Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - National Defense Service Medal - Antarctic Service Medal
Burton Island Class Icebreaker:
  • Laid down, 9 June 1942, at Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Pedro, CA.
  • Launched, 28 December 1942
  • Commissioned USCGC Staten Island (WAG-278), 26 February 1944, and immediately delivered to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program, renamed Severny Veter (Northwind)
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 19 December 1951, at Bremerhaven, Germany
  • Commissioned USS Northwind (AGB-5), 31 January 1952, CDR. John B. Davenport, in command
  • Renamed USS Staten Island (AGB-5), 25 February 1952
  • Decommissioned, 1 February 1966
  • Turned over to the US Coast Guard and commissioned USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278), 1 February 1966
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1966
  • Decommissioned by the Coast Guard, 15 November 1974
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, date unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,481 t.(fl) 3,052 t.(lt)
    Length 269'
    Beam 63' 10"(max)
    Draft 25' 9"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 353
    Armament one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount forward
    Propulsion two electric motors driven by six Westinghouse DC generators, driven by six Fairbanks-Morse, 10-cyl 2-cycle diesel engines, twin shafts, 10,000shp
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USCGC Northwind (WAG-278)
    Staten Island 359k Northwind (WAG-278) launching, 28 December 1942, at Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Pedro, CA.
    US Coast Guard photo by "Dick" Whittington Photography, Los Angeles, CA.    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 345k Northwind (WAG-278) off Western Pipe & Steel Co., Shipyard, San Pedro Harbor, 10 February 1944.
    US Coast Guard Photo by "Dick" Whittington Photography, Los Angeles, CA. Photo # 42-69-92.    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 105k Northwind (WAG-278) under way prior to her transfer to Soviet Russia. She had already received much of her armament and electronics for Coast Guard service when the decision was made to give her to the USSR under lend-lease. Note the reduced armament of four single 3"/50 cal dual gun mounts, eight single 40mm AA gun mount, six single 20mm AA gun mounts, two depth charge tracks and no radar.
    US Navy photo from "U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and Craft of World War II" by Robert L Scheina.    		 Robert Hurst
    Severny Veter
    Severny Veter 53k Ex-USCG Staten Island (WAG-278) in Soviet service as Severny Veter, date and location unknown. Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Severny Veter 92k Severny Veter under way, date and location unknown. Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    Staten Island
    09080529
    483600    		 728k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) participates in the Navy Testing of Cosmic Radiation at North Geomagnetic Pole. Staten Island with a group of civilian and naval scientists onboard left Boston, MA. 18 July 1953, for the North Geomagnetic Pole. They will make a comprehensive series of high altitude observations of the primary cosmic radiation and the pressure, temperature, and density of the atmosphere in the northern latitudes. This project, known as Project Mushrat, is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research with the assistance of the Bureau of Aeronautics and the Military Sea Transportation Service – Atomic Energy Commission Joint Program of Basic Research in Nuclear Physics, and the Naval Research Laboratory Program of Upper Atmosphere Research. Because of the widespread interest in the project, and particularly in the balloon-rocket technique, a number of observers from the three military services will accompany the expedition. The Balloon-Rocket Technique, commonly referred to as Balloon Assisted Take-Off (BATO) or Rockoon, was developed by Dr. James A. Van Allen at Iowa State University and used on board the USCGC Eastwind during the summer of 1952. This method makes it possible to reach high altitudes by small, relatively inexpensive rockets. During the summer of 1952, one of the balloon rocket flights launched from Eastwind and achieved a peak altitude of about 295,000 feet.
    US Navy photo #'s 483600 and National Museum of the U.S. Navy. 330-PS-6008 (USN 483601)    		 National Museum of the US Navy
    Robert Hurst
    Staten Island
    09080532
    483601    		 399k
    Mahoning County 201k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) and USS Mahoning County (LST 914) circa 1950's during an Arctic summer DEW Line deployment. Photo was probably taken from USS Arneb (AKA-56) Corey Ginsberg
    Staten Island 286k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) approaching the icebreaker USCGC Northwind (WAG-282) at Icy Cape, Alaska, 30 July 1955.
    US Coast Guard photo #07-30-55 (06).    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 1178k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) under way in pack ice. date and location unknown. Note the large ice field in the far distance and the ship in the background following Staten Island.
    US Navy photo    		 David Buell
    Staten Island 50k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) under way east of Cross Island, Alaska during "Operation: Dewline," 19 August 1955.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-685913, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Staten Island 39k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) under way, date and place unknown
    Staten Island 133k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) anchored (dead man anchor) in the Antarctic ice pack, 1961. Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Staten Island 86k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) in the Antarctic ice pack, date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Tommy Trampp
    Staten Island 68k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) in the Antarctic ice pack, date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Staten Island 143k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) with an HUL-1 helicopter on board approaches the Palmer Peninsula during Antarctic operations, 1 April 1963.
    USN photo from U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News, November-December 2006.    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island
    09080531    		 317k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) in ice, date and location unknown.
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Staten Island 131k USS Staten Island (AGB-5) plaque. Tommy Trampp
    USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    Staten Island 16k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) in the Arctic ice pack, date unknown. Ken Laesser
    Staten Island 60k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) at anchor, date and place unknown.
    USCG photo    		 Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Staten Island 108k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) under way with a helicopter about to land on her flight deck, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 68k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) under way breaking ice, date and place unknown.
    USCG photo    		 Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Staten Island 84k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) breaks the eight foot pack ice in the Ross Sea near McMurdo Station, Antarctica, 28 December 1966, during Operation Deep Freeze.
    USCG Photo # 278-01086701 by Ken Lane.    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 1337k USCG Staten Island (WAGB-278) moored pierside at a US Navy facility, 31 July 1967, location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo # 07-30-55 (06).    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 462k USCG Staten Island (WAGB-278) under way in the ice, 14 August 1967.
    US Coast Guard photo # 278-081467-24.    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 88k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) re-supplying Hallett Station, Antarctica during Operation Deep Freeze 1966-67.
    Marine Photos and Publishing Co. photo    		 Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Staten Island 202k USCG Staten Island (WAGB-278) in the pack ice, 14 August 1967. Note crewmen on the ice working.
    US Guard photo # 278-081467-63    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 462k USCG Staten Island (WAGB-278) ice rescue team retrieving mail drop in the Bering Sea, 1 March 1969.
    US Guard photo # 2780021169-23A    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 67k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) under way breaking ice, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Staten Island 907k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) and the Canadian icebreaker CCGS John A. Macdonald escorting the tanker SS Manhattan through the Northwest Passage, sometime between September through December 1969.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 46k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) under way, 29 December 1970, location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo by PH 3 D. H. Walker, USCG    		 Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Staten Island 803k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 Robert Hurst
    Maumee 1387k Ships anchored in Winter Quarters Bay, Antarctica, 13 February 1971. From (L-R);
    inboard USNS Maumee (T-AO-149),
    outboard USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278),
    inboard USNS Wyandot (T-AKA-92),
    outboard USCGC Burton Island(WAGB-283),
    and across the bay, the New Zealand supply ship HMNZS Endeavour (A-184).
    US Navy photo [negative] No. XAM-120263-2-71 by PH2 Sterling.    		 Robert Hurst
    Staten Island 95k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) under way departing San Diego Bay, 16 November 1973. Staten Island was leaving San Diego after completing Fleet Readiness Training and was enroute to Antarctica for Deep Freeze 74.
    Marine Photos and Publishing Co. photo    		 Photo-Lawrence W. Lee Jr.
    Caption-Stephen McLaughlin (Staten Island 1972-1974)
    Staten Island
    09080533    		 217k USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) with an MSTS freighter at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 1974.
    U.S. Navy "All Hands" magazine, May 1974, p. 50.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Davenport, John Boynton, USN (USNA 1941) 31 January 1952 - 25 March 1952USS Northwind (AGB-5)
    02LCDR. Andronok, Edmund Leo (acting)25 March 1952 - 9 May 1952USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    03CAPT. Smith, Frank McElhany, USN (USNA 1935)9 May 1952 - 26 July 1954USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    04CDR. Hamlin Jr., Harold Sherwin (Hal), USN (USNA 1938)26 July 1954 - 6 August 1956USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    05CDR. Elliott Jr., James Brona (NG)6 August 1956 - 11 July 1958USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    06CDR. Lewis Jr., Price, USNR11 July 1958 - 3 August 1959USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    07CDR. Larson, Wesley Leonard, USN3 August 1959 - 26 January 1962USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    08CDR. Metschi, John James, USN (USNA 1946)26 January 1962 - 15 October 1963USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    09CDR. Erickson, Jack Louis, USN15 October 1963 - 15 April 1965USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    10CDR. Bonewits, Donald Gilbert, USN15 April 1965 - 1 February 1966USS Staten Island (AGB-5)
    11CDR. Beckwith, Stuart S.(Scotty), USCG (XO acting CO) (USCGA 1948)1 February 1966 - 1966USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    12CAPT. Norris, Robert Tallant, USCG (USCGA 1944)1966 - 1968USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    13CAPT. Walsh, Eugene F., USCG1968 - 1970USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    14CAPT. Putzke, Stanley G. USCG1970 - 1972USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    15CAPT. Moss, Robert Arthur, USCG (USCGA 1951)1972 - 1974USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    16CAPT. Guthrie, John C. USCG (USCGA 1950)1974 - 15 November 1974USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)
    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 22 December 2023