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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT Cable Ship
Dellwood

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Transport/Cable Repair Ship:
  • Built in 1918-20 as the Cargo Ship SS Dellwood under a US Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation (EFC) contract, at Hanlon Dry Dock and Ship Building Corp., Oakland, CA.
  • Launched in 1919
  • Delivered to the United States Shipping Board in 1920
  • Purchased by the Quartermaster Corps, 19 November 1921, at San Francisco, CA. Capt. Harry K. Poole, USA in command and assigned to the U.S. Army Transport Service, commissioned USAT Dellwood
  • Dellwood's initial voyage for the Army Transport Service commenced 26 November 1921
  • Designated as the replacement for the aging USAT Burnside in the A.T.S. Pacific Fleet
  • Dellwood was refitted as a cable ship in 1922 at the Todd Shipyard at Harbor Island, WA. and was homeported at Seattle, WA. from 1921 to 1932
  • US Army Transport Cable Ship conducted support and repair operations on the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telephone System (WAMCATS) between 1922 and 1931, generally servicing the Seattle—Anchorage route
  • Dellwood made several voyages to England and the Azores in 1924 for the purposes of equipment modification and retrieval of new submarine cable purchased by the U.S. Government
  • The need for Dellwood diminished after radio became the primary communications means between Alaska and Seattle
  • Dellwood was decommissioned, 31 August 1932 and turned over to the U.S. Shipping Board at Seattle
  • Converted to a cargo ship
  • Chartered by Alaska Steamship Co., date unknown
  • Acquired by the War Shipping Administration, 17 December 1941, from the Alaska Steamship Co. as a Time Charter
  • Reacquired by the U.S. Army in 1942 and reconverted to a cable ship to service the WAMCATS
  • Allocated to the Alaska Steamship Co. under a General Agency Agreement, 7 May 1942
  • Final Disposition, struck an underwater pinnacle, 19 July 1943. and sank in Massacre Bay off Attu in the Aleutian Islands
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,478 gross tons
    Length 321'
    Beam 46'
    Draft 26'9"
    Speed unknown
    Complement unknown
    Cruise Radius unknown
    Fuel Capacities unknown
    Propulsion
    one triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
    single shaft 1,800 shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Merchant Service
    Dellwood 164k SS Dellwood moored at the Standard Oil Co. pier, Kodiak, Alaska in 1940. Dellwood worked in the Aleutians laying cable between the islands. She ran aground in July 1943 and sank. Flicker
    Dellwood 77k SS Dellwood underway, date and location unknown.
    Alaska Steamship Co.     		Alaska's Digital Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
    US Army Transport Cable Ship
    Dellwood 54k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood moored pierside in Alaska, date unknown Alaska's Digital Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
    Dellwood
    30040109    		 49k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood moored pierside, at Seattle, WA., 10 May 1924. Dellwood was engaged in laying cable and cable repair. This image was taken during one of her cable laying runs from her home port, Seattle, WA. to Trocadero Bay, Territory of Alaska. Many of the seamen depicted working on the ship are Filipino-American. Crew on deck as ship's grapnel picks up cable.
    Industries and Occupations Photographs Collection University of Washington: Special Collections Access # 657     		Robert Hurst
    Dellwood
    30040108    		 53k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood moored pierside, at Seattle, WA., 11 May 1924. Dellwood was engaged in laying cable and cable repair. This image was taken during one of her cable laying runs from her home port, Seattle, WA. to Trocadero Bay, Territory of Alaska. Many of the seamen depicted working on the ship are Filipino-American. Crew on stern as cable is being prepared prior to landing.
    Industries and Occupations Photographs Collection University of Washington: Special Collections Access # 658     		Robert Hurst
    Dellwood
    30040107    		 62k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood moored pierside, at Seattle, WA., 11 May 1924. Shore end of cable being pulled ashore. She appears to be at Pier 4 (now Pier 55) or possibly Pier 5 (now Pier 56).
    University of Washington: Special Collections. Access # 659     		Robert Hurst
    Dellwood 77k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood at anchor in Alaskan waters, circa, 1930-32.
    Walter W. Hodge Papers, Co. 1925-1948.     		Alaska's Digital Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
    Dellwood 61k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood at anchor in Alaskan waters, date unknown. Alaska's Digital Archives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
    Dellwood 82k US Army Transport Cable Ship Dellwood moored in her berth at Seattle, WA., date unknown. US National Archives, US Army Signal Corps collection
    History from "US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Vol. 4"
    Commanding Officers
     
    Masters, U.S.A.T. Dellwood
    		 
    01Capt. Harry K. Poole, USA19 November 1921 - 23 March 1922
     Out of commission for refit3 March 1922 - 18 March 1923
    02Capt. Robert W. Shears, USA18 March 1923 - 31 August 1932
     
    Commanding Officer of Troops, U.S.A.T. Dellwood
    		 
    01Capt. Wilton B. Persons, S.C., USA18 March 1923 - 10 January 1924
    021st Lt. Harold F. Hubbell, S.C., USA 10 January 1924 - 23 April 1927
    03Capt. Fred P. Andrews, S.C., USA 23 April 1927 - 1 July 1931
    04Lt. Col. Dawson Olmstead, S.C., USA1 July 1931 - 31 August 1932
    US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Vol. 2
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The US Army Ship Index Back To The US Army Cable Repair Ship Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 5 April 2024