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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Diamond Head (AE-19)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - India - Foxtrot
NUIF
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Discount - 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 - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (3-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (3) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Mount Hood Class Ammunition Ship:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1709) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 3 February 1945
  • Acquired by the Navy, 10 March 1945
  • Converted to an Ammunition Ship at Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard, Baltimore, MD.
  • Commissioned, USS Diamond Head (AE-19), 9 August 1945, LCDR. F. C. Snow, USNR, in command
  • Decommissioned, 23 August 1946, at Galveston, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Galveston
  • Recommissioned, 9 August 1951
  • During the Vietnam War USS Diamond Head participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    5 to 23 May 1967 Tet Counteroffensive
    27 to 28 March 1968 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    5 to 28 June 1967
    18 to 31 July 1967
    17 to 31 August 1967
    25 September to 17 October 1967
    24 to 31 October 1967
    6 to 8 December 1967
  • Decommissioned (date unknown)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1973
  • USS Diamond Head (AE-19) earned three campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 24 March 1974 for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by MARAD, 3 October 1974, to Ships Inc, for 273ドル.678, removed from the Reserve Fleet, 30 October 1974 to Camden, N. J. (Old NYSB site)
    Specifications:
    Displacement 15,296 t.(lim)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 28' 3"
    Speed 16.4 kts.
    Complement
    officers 23
    enlisted 244
    Largest boom capacity 36 tons
    Cargo Capacity 7,700 DWT
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four 3"/50 gun dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 400,000 Non refrigerated
    Fuel Oil Capacity 10,935 Bbls, NSFO
    Ship's Service Generators three turbo 360Kw 120/240V D.C.
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    three Combustion Engineering header type boilers 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main reduction gear
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Diamond Head
    09051917    		 469k "The North Carolina Shipbuilding company, fo[u]r years old yesterday, marked the day by launching the U. S. S. Diamond Head, its 200th vessel. In the top photograph is the launching party. Left to right, they are: Winder Harris, of Norfolk, Va.; Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Kenneth S. Brown, Norfolk; Miss Ann Harris, Norfolk; Mrs. Aungus Echols, Norfolk; Mrs. Joseph Harris, Norfolk; Miss Florence Harris, maid of honor; Captain Roger Williams, president of the shipbuilding company; Miss Betty Harris, maid of honor, and Mrs. David Bill, of Norfolk, sponsor. The lower left picture shows Mrs. Bill smashing the champagne against the bow of the vessel, and lower right, the new ship slides down the ways toward the Cape Fear river." The Sunday-Star News, Wilmington, N.C. Sunday February 4, 1945. Michael Mohl
    Diamond Head 117k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) departing her conversion yard, Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard at Baltimore, MD., 10 August 1945, a day after completing conversion and commissioning. A Baltimore harbor tug is assisting.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-87311, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archive, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Diamond Head 136k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) under way at NOB Norfolk, VA., circa 1963. She is being assisted by the tug Nahasho (YTM-535).
    US Navy photo    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Diamond Head 112k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) underway off the Virginia Capes, August 1964 © Richard Leonhardt
    Diamond Head 123k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) underway off the Virginia Capes during an underway replenishment exercise, August 1964 © Richard Leonhardt
    Diamond Head 84k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) moored pierside at NOB Norfolk, VA, August 1964 © Richard Leonhardt
    Diamond Head 185k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Smolinski
    Diamond Head 91k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine December 1964.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Diamond Head 1184k Personnel transfer via high-line between USS Diamond Head (AE-19) and USS Chikaskia (AO-54) while underway in the Mediterranean Sea, 1965
    Photo from the collections of HM1 John Wagner, RADM E. L. Feightner, BM2 Charles Peterman, and LCDR Al Gordon, compiled and edited by BM3 David Zanzinger.    		 Al Gordon, Secretary USS Chikaskia Reunion Organization
    Diamond Head 618k
    Diamond Head 126k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) being assisted by Okmulgee (YTB-765) as she is coming alongside USS Amphion (AR-13) (not shown) for repairs in January 1967 at the "Army Piers" (Norfolk International Terminal), Norfolk, VA. To accommodate Diamond Head alongside the repair ship USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) is being moved by an unidentified tug, just visible in the far right side of the photo. George McLeer USS Amphion 1966-68, R-4 Div Electronics Repair Shop
    Diamond Head 73k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) underway during a replenishment at sea with USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692), circa 1967, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Diamond Head 69k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) underway during a replenishment at sea with a destroyer, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Diamond Head 181k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) underway at Hampton Roads, June 1968.
    Photo courtesy of Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA., ©Nobe Smith.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Diamond Head 82k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) at anchor, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Diamond Head 75k USS Diamond Head (AE-19) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

    For more photos and information about USS Diamond Head, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Data Base
  • AE/AOE Sailors Association
    Commanding Officers
    LT. Guyon, Elmer Edward, USNR (Ferry Command Crew # 1) 10 March 1945 - 14 March 1945
    Decommissioned 14 March 1945 - 9 August 1945
    01 LCDR. Snow, Franklin Charles, USNR 9 August 1945 - 23 August 1946
    Decommissioned 23 August 1946 - 9 August 1951
    02 CAPT. Smiley, Clare Brown, USN (USNA 1932) 9 August 1951 - October 1952
    03 CAPT. Veasey, Alexander Craig October 1952 - October 1953
    04 CAPT. Taylor, Robert Lee no dates
    05 CAPT. Sunderland, Morton, USN (USNA 1932) September 1955
    06 CAPT. Scott II, James, USN (USNA 1935) December 1956 - ?
    09 CAPT. Swanson, Chandler Waterman August 1959 - 8 September 1961
    10 CAPT. Hingson, James Monroe, USN (USNA 1939) 8 September 1961 - 19 September 1962
    11 CAPT. Lacouture, John Edwin (Tiger One), USN (USNA 1940) 19 September 1962 - 12 August 1963
    12 CAPT. James Palmer 12 August 1963 - 14 August 1964
    13 CAPT. Ruiz, Charles Kenneth (Ken), USN (USNA 1943) 14 August 1964 - 29 July 1965
    14 CAPT. Yeich, Lloyd George, USN (USNA 1944) 29 July 1965 - January 1967
    15 CAPT. Knott Jr., Zebulon Vance (Zeb) January 1967 - 14 March 1968
    16 CAPT. King, Herbert Thomas 14 March 1968 - 28 August 1969
    17 CAPT. Snead II, Leonard Alexander (Swoose) :RADM 28 August 1969 - 11 September 1970
    18 CAPT. Lyon, Henry J. USN (USMMA 1942) 11 September 1970 - 24 March 1972
    19 LCDR. Long, Charles Woodfern, USN 24 March 1972 - 1 June 1972
    20 CDR. Harris, James Wesley 1 June 1972 - February 1973
    21 LCDR. Ablowich, Dean Allen, USN (USNA 1960) February 1973 - 1 March 1973
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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