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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Taconic (LCC-17)
ex
 USS Taconic (AGC-17) (1945 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Echo - Echo
 NWEE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon 1Jul58-1Nov58, 1-Dominican Republic 18Apr63-21Sep66)
Adirondack Class Amphibious Force Command Ship:
  • Laid down, 19 December 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1710), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 10 February 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 6 March 1944
  • Converted to an Amphibious Force Command Ship at Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Commissioned, USS Taconic (AGC-17), 16 January 1945, CAPT. C. G. Christie in command
  • USS Taconic (AGC-17) was featured in the 1951 movie "The Frogmen"
  • Redesignated Amphibious Command Ship (LCC-17), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 17 December 1969
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1976
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by MARAD, 1 March 1982, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,240 t (lt), 12,750 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 16.4 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 54
    Enlisted 579
    Largest Boom Capacity t0 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO - 20,300 Bbls
    Diesel - 710 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    span style="padding-left: 0em">Ship's Service Generators
    three turbo-drive 500Kw 120V/240V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Taconic
    10011726    		 245k
    Namesake
    Taconic - The Taconic Mountains are a 150-mile-long sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains lying on the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England. The range is separated from the Berkshires and Green Mountains to the east by a series of valleys, principally those of the Housatonic River, Battenkill River and Otter Creek. The Taconics' highest point is Mount Equinox in Vermont at 3,840 feet; among many other summits are Dorset Mountain, Mount Greylock and Mount Everett. (Wikipedia)
    Equinox Mountain, Manchester, VT. New York Public Library (NYPL_b12647398-74405), Public domain    		 Tommy Trampp
    Taconic
    10011723    		 252k USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway with tugs, in New York harbor, 1945.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 84642    		 Darryl Baker
    Taconic 192k USS Taconic (AGC-17) and USS Briareus (AR-12) at anchor, 4 June 1946, probably at Norfolk, VA. Brian Miller
    Taconic 39k USS Taconic (AGC-17) at anchor in 1947, location unknown.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-704282 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Taconic 44k USS Taconic (AGC-17) moored pierside, Naval Station Norfolk, 1948. Donald Burgin
    Taconic 26k USS Taconic (AGC-17) moored pierside, Naval Station Norfolk, 1948. Donald Burgin
    Taconic 1435k USS Taconic (AGC-17) moored at Taranto, Italy, circa May 1950. Fernando Menichini
    Taconic 338k USS Taconic (AGC-17) moored at Naples in September 1953.
    Photo taken from MS Oranje at Stazione Marittima.    		 Photo by Wim Grund (Amsterdam NL)
    Taconic 62k USS Taconic (AGC-17) at NavSta Rota, Spain Gary Green
    Taconic
    10011728    		 533k Three of four U.S. Navy amphibious command ships of the Atlantic Fleet at Naval Base Norfolk, VA., circa 1953. Left to right; USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8), USS Taconic (AGC-17) and USS Pocono (AGC-16).
    U.S. Navy "All Hands" magazine April 1953, p.36    		 Robert Hurst
    Taconic 319k USS Taconic (AGC-17) moored at Genoa, Italy, 29 August 1956 Photo by Carlo Matinelli
    Taconic 29k USS Taconic (AGC-17) at anchor, date and location unknown. Bobby Meister
    Taconic 594k USS Taconic (AGC-17), USS Pocono (AGC-16), USS Valley Forge (CVS-45) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59) moored at Naval Station Norfolk, circa March 1956.
    US Navy from "All Hands" magazine, March 1956 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Taconic 119k USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway, 29 November 1960, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 84643, courtesy D.M. McPherson, 1976.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Taconic 214k USS Taconic (AGC-17) anchored, off Little Creek Amphibious Base, Virginia Beach, VA., date unknown Mike Smolinski
    Taconic 237k USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Dr. Giorgio Arra from the 1966/67 Edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships".     		Robert Hurst
    Taconic 86k USS Taconic (AGC-17) anchored off Little Creek Amphibious Base, Virginia Beach, VA. in 1961. William Maki ETR2
    Taconic 107k USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway in October 1964 for Exercise Steel Pike One. Note the pole mast aft.
    US Navy photo # USN 1110602, courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    Taconic 190k USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway in July 1968, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107960    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Taconic 324k Aerial view of USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Taconic 106k Aerial view of USS Taconic (AGC-17) underway, circa October 1968, location unknown. Vernon C. Cook, USN Ret
    Taconic
    10011727    		 133k USS Taconic (AGC-17) K1ZHB-MM QSL card, 1963. Tommy Trampp

    For more photos and information about USS Taconic, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • MARAD Vessel History Data Base
  • 1959 Change of Command Program
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Christie, Carl Guilford, USN (USNA 1929)16 January 1945 - 26 July 1947
    02CAPT. Greene, Thomas Lawrence, USN (USNA 1927)26 July 1947 - 16 April 1948
    03CAPT. Paterson Jr., George Warren, USN16 April 1948 - 2 July 1949
    04CAPT. Deutermann, William Vincent, USN (USNA 1924)2 July 1949 - 21 July 1950
    05CAPT. Scott, Roger Frederick, USN (USNA 1927)21 July 1950 - 7 July 1951
    06CAPT. Graubart, Arthur Harrison (Speed), USN (USNA 1925)7 July 1951 - 7 June 1952
    07CAPT. Richardson, Gill MacDonald, USN (USNA 1927)7 June 1952 - 18 June 1953
    08CAPT. Lucker Jr., Nicholas, USN (USNA 1930)18 June 1953 - 3 April 1954
    09CAPT. Perkins, Albert Carson, USN (USNA 1929)3 April 1954 - 7 December 1954
    10CAPT. Stevens, James Edward, USN (USNA 1930)7 December 1954 - 12 January 1956
    11CAPT. Moncure, Samuel Pemberton, USN (USNA 1932)12 January 1956 - 14 July 1957
    12CAPT. Pratt II, William Veazie, USN (USNA 1933)14 July 1957 - 19 February 1958
    13CAPT. Chipman, Briscoe, USN (USNA 1935)19 February 1958 - 3 March 1959
    14CAPT. Conner, Terrell Hoyt Woodward, USN (USNA 1937)3 March 1959 - 16 February 1960
    15CAPT. Wilson, Donald Worrall, USN (USNA 1936)16 February 1960 - 1960
    16CAPT. Haines Jr., Preston Bennett, USN (USNA 1938)1960 - June 1961
    17CAPT. Hemley, Eugene Adams, USN (USNA 1940)June 1961 - 14 July 1962
    18CAPT. DeLano, Victor, USN (USNA 1941)14 July 1962 - 28 June 1963
    19CAPT. Buell, Thomas Chapin, USN (USNA 1941)28 June 1963 - 27 August 1964
    20CAPT. Anderson, Roy Gene, USN (USNA 1940) :RADM27 August 1964 - 18 June 1965
    21CAPT. Clift III, Frank Walter, USN (USNA 1944)18 June 1965 - 1 July 1966
    22CAPT. Hasse, Richard Alvin, USN1 July 1966 - April 1967
    23CAPT. Peters, John Victor, USN (USNA 1945)April 1967 - 1968
    24CAPT. Bradshaw, Harold George, USNMarch 1968 - 11 February 1969
    25CAPT. Gately, Donald Edward, USN11 February 1969 - 17 December 1969
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 13 December 2024