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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Great Sitkin (AE-17)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - India - Delta
NUID
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Glamour (I)ndia - 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 - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Bottom Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba) - Vietnam Service Medal (2) - 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 1706) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 20 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS Great Sitkin (AE-17), 11 August 1945, at Charleston, S.C., LCDR. William F. Smith in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Great Sitkin participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    1 to 12 May 1968
    25 May to 8 June 1968 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    23 September to 4 October 1968
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 2 July 1973
  • USS Great Sitkin earned two campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for scrapping, 1 March 1974 to US Ship Co., Camden, N.J. for 152,666,60,ドル dismantled, March to October 1974.

    Specifications:
    Displacement 15,295 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 28' 3"
    Speed 16.4 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 23
    Enlisted 244
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Cargo Capacity 7,275 DWT
    non-refrigerated 400,000 Cu. ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 10,925 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine engine
    two Combustion Engineering "header-type" boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Great Sitkin 100k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) underway off Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., 15 August 1945, a few days after commissioning and a few days before completion of conversion.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-87473, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Great Sitkin 63k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine August 1959    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Great Sitkin 28k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) under way in port in 1961, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Great Sitkin 77k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine October 1962    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Great Sitkin 69k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) is left behind as USS Lester (DE-1022) pulls away after an underway replenishment of ammunition, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine October 1962    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Springfield 275k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) delivers ammunition to USS Springfield (CLG-7) during an underway replenishment in the Mediterranean Sea during 1965 William C. Swisher
    Great Sitkin 225k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) rearming USS America (CVA-66) while underway in the Mediterranean Sea in 1965. Thomas Becher
    Great Sitkin 87k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Great Sitkin 78k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Great Sitkin 160k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) underway in the Mediterranean Sea in May 1967. Photo by Jim McCoy
    Great Sitkin 167k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) moored in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, date unknown Carlo Martinelli
    Great Sitkin 117k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    Great Sitkin 71k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) and USS Wrangell (AE-12) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Great Sitkin 243k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) under way in the Atlantic Ocean, date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Great Sitkin 78k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) at anchor, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Great Sitkin 156k USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) scale model courtesy motionmodels.com. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Great Sitkin 123k

    For more photos and information about USS Great Sitkin, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • USS Great Sitkin Association
  • AE/AOE Sailors Association
    Commanding Officers
    LT. Guyon, Elmer Edward, USNR (Ferry Command Crew # 1) 19 February 1945 - 21 February 1945
    Decommissioned 21 February 1945 - 11 August 1945
    01 CDR. Smith, William F., USNR 11 August 1945 - 21 February 1946
    02 CAPT. Perry, Emil Bates, USN 21 February 1946 - 23 July 1946
    03 CAPT. Catterton, Max Lee 23 July 1946 - July 1947
    04 CAPT. Hindman, Joseph Aloysius Esten July 1947 - June 1948
    05 CAPT. Busck, Vilhelm Klein, June 1948 - July 1949
    06 CAPT. Watson Jr., William Henry, July 1949 - July 1950
    07 CAPT. King, George Edward, July 1950 - July 1951
    08 CAPT. Butler Jr., William Clayton, RADM July 1951 - January 1952 09 CAPT. Phillips, George Lincoln, January 1952 - 10 January 1953 10 CAPT. Whitfield Jr., James Dickson, 10 January 1953 - 14 December 1953 11 CAPT. Wolseiffer, Frederick, USN 14 December 1953 - July 1955 12 CAPT. Gage, Norman Dwight, July 1955 - 28 June 1956 13 CAPT. Brock, James Ward, RADM 28 June 1956 - 9 August 1957 14 CAPT. Hahn, Harry Barrett, 9 August 1957 - 21 September 1958 15 CAPT. Schlech Jr., Walter Frederick, RADM 21 September 1958 - 09 September 1959 16 CAPT. Stebbins, Edgar Erwin, 09 September 1959 - 15 August 1960 17 CAPT. Manning, William James, 15 August 1960 - 21 July 1961 18 CAPT. Weinel, John Philip, ADM 21 July 1961 - 18 July 1962 19 CAPT. Burley Jr., Thomas Grover, USN (USNA 1941) 18 July 1962 - 12 July 1963 20 CAPT. Boyle Jr., John Earl, 12 July 07.1963 - 14 July 1964 21 CAPT. English Jr., Elbert Hartwell 14 July 1964 - 16 July 1965 22 CAPT. Esler Jr., Clifford Myers, USN (USNA 1942) 16 July 1965 - 27 July 1966 23 CAPT. Boice, Grant 27 July 1966 - 14 September 1967 24 CAPT. Riehl Jr., Julian William, 14 September 1967 - 23 December 1968 25 CAPT. Hermann, Edward Paul, 23 December 1968 - 30 January 1970 26 CAPT. Gerhard Jr., Harry E. RADM 30 January 1970 - 26 October 1970 27 CAPT. Rohrer, Paul W. :RADM 26 October 1970 - 16 July 1972 28 CAPT. Buchwald, Robert Dale 16 July 1972 - 23 March 1973 29 LCDR. La Pean Sr., James W. 23 March 1973 - 02 July 1973
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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