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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Vigil (AGR-12)
ex
 USS Vigil (YAGR-12) (1957 - 1958)


JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Discount (U)niform - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba) - National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 14 December 1944, as SS Raymond Van Brogen, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2339) at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL
  • Launched, 27 January 1945
  • Delivered, 10 February 1945, to the Maritime Commission to be operated, by Bull & Co., under contract to the WSA
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration at wars end to be turned over to Waterman Steamship Corp.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission in 1947 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL.
  • Acquired by the US Navy in June 1956
  • Converted to a Radar Picket Ship at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Commissioned, USS Vigil (YAGR-12), 5 March 1957, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, LCDR. Stanley Abstetar, USNR, in command
  • Redesignated (AGR-12), 28 September 1958
  • Decommissioned, 3 March 1965
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1965
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Final Disposition, sold to a Spanish firm for scrapping, 23 November 1970 towed to Bilbao, Spain, 21 December 1970, for scrapping
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,365 t.(fl)
    Length 441'
    Beam 59'
    Draft 22'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement
    13 officers
    138 enlisted
    Armament two 3"/50 guns
    Capacities
    Fuel Oil, 443,646 gals.
    Diesel, 68,267 gals.
    Fresh Water, 15,082 gals.
    Ballast, 1,326,657 gals fresh water
    Propulsion
    two 220psi 250° boilers
    one Filer & Stowell Co., of Milwaukee, WI. three cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine
    one 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller, 2,500SHP
    two Ship's Service Generators
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By /
    Source
    USS Vigil (YAGR-12)
    Guardian
    09620106    		 67k Especially designed for the transport of Tanks and Boxed Airplanes the Z-EC-S-C5 type had the same hull-form as the EC2-S-C1 type but with large hatches and heavier loading gear. Typical for this type is the arrangement of two pairs of kingposts each on the forecastle and poop contrary to the two single kingposts on the forecastle and one kingpost on the poop with the EC2-S-C1 basic design. All vessels remained under US Flag and Registry after WWII and were laid up.
    United States Maritime Commission 1936 thru 1950    		 John Spivey
    Outpost
    09621004    		 310k Outpost (YAGR-10) and Vigil (YAGR-12) conversion to radar station ships are almost complete, 13 October 1956, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA. Mike Green
    Vigil 33k USS Vigil (YAGR-12) underway, 2 April 1957, off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
    US Navy photo from DANFS.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Vigil 448k USS Vigil (YAGR-12) underway, 2 April 1957, off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
    US Navy photo     		Ed Zajkowski
    Vigil 77k USS Vigil (YAGR-12) off Newport, Rhode Island, 22 June 1957.
    US Navy photo # NH 66860, Courtesy of the Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia. Ted Stone Collection.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USS Vigil (AGR-12)
    Vigil 25k USS Vigil (AGR-12) underway, date and location unknown. Bill Bossert USS Tracer
    Vigil 98k USS Vigil (AGR-12) underway, date and location unknown. Robert M. Cieri
    Vigil 205k Ex-USS Vigil (AGR-12) laid up in the Hudson River National Defense Reserve Fleet, date unknown Russ Padden and Tim Rizzuto
    Vigil 176k Left to right: Ex-USS Investigator (AGR-9), ex-USS Skywatcher (AGR-3) and ex-USS Vigil (AGR-12) laid up in the Hudson River National Defense Reserve Fleet, date unknown Russ Padden and Tim Rizzuto
    USS Vigil (YAGR-12 / AGR-12)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Abstetar, Stanley, USNR5 March 1957 - 20 November 1858YAGR-12/AGR-12
    02LCDR. Story, Lester Thomas, USN20 November 1958 - 30 December 1959AGR-12
    03LCDR. Still, Raymond Giroux, USN30 December 1959 - 21 November 1961AGR-12
    04LCDR. Rawson, Charles Edward, USN21 November 1961 - 21 June 1963AGR-12
    05LCDR. Hickey, Joseph Patrick, USN21 June 1963 - 3 March 1965AGR-12
    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 Vigil (YAGR-12) Commissioning Program
    VADM. (RADM.) Ephrain R. McLean, Jr., Commandant Fourth Naval District Commissioning Speech
    YAGR's (Radar Picket Ships) Association
    Online Air Defense Radar Museum
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Radar Picket Ship (AGR) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 20 October 2023