Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Hamul (AD-20)
ex
 USS Hamul (AK-30) (1941 - 1943)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - November - Xray
 NBNX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (1)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Hamul Class Destroyer Tender:
  • Laid down, 6 March 1940, as SS Sea Panther, a Maritime Commission type (C3 Cargo) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 40) at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched in May 1940
  • Delivered to Lykes Brothers, Steamship Co. of New Orleans, LA. and renamed SS Doctor Lykes
  • Acquired by the US Navy and Commissioned, USS Hamul (AK-30), 14 June 1941, CDR. Elwood M. Tillson in command
  • Converted to a Destroyer Tender in 1942 at Mobile, AL.
  • Redesignated (AD-20), 7 January 1943
  • During World War II USS Hamul was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign;
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 10 May to 30 June 1945
  • During the Korean War USS Hamul participated in the following campaign;
    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Third Korean Winter, 19 March 1953        
  • Decommissioned, 6 June 1962, at Long Beach, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 25 September 1962, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Permanent title transfer to MARAD, 1 July 1963
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 October 1975, to Levin Metals Corp., delivered, 2 December 1975
  • USS Hamul earned one battle star for World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,560 t.(lt) 14,800 t.(lim)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 9"
    Draft 24' 9" (lim)
    Speed 18.4 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 63
    Enlisted 795
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 8,025Bbls
    Propulsion
    one De Laval geared turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double De Laval Main Reduction Gear
    Ships Service Generators
    four Diesel-drive 300Kw 450V A.C.
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Commercial Service
    Hamul 540k SS Sea Panther underway while in commercial service for Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., immediately after delivery by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, circa 1940, location unknown. Gerhard Muller-Debus
    USS Hamul (AK-30)
    Hamul 57k USS Hamul (AK-30) near Boston Navy Yard, 19 December 1941.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-26434, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Hamul (AD-20)
    Hamul
    19-N-38705    		 116k USS Hamul (AD-20) at Mobile, AL., on 4 January 1943 upon completion of conversion
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-38705 & 19-N-38704, US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul
    19-N-38704    		 93k
    Hamul 112k USS Hamul (AD-20) tending a string of 4 unidentified Destroyer Escorts, date and location unknown. CAPT. Jerry Mason, USN
    Hamul 54k USS Hamul (AD-20) with (from left to right)
    USS Calcaterra (DE-390);
    USS Pride (DE-323);
    USS Falgout (DE-324);
    USS Alger (DE-101) and
    USS Eichenburger (DE-202), alongside at Bermuda in early 1944. Note HF/DF antenna visible on three of the five DEs, and the two-tone Measure 22 camouflage on four of the five DEs.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 86271, courtesy Captain D.L. Madeira Collection.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul 75k USS Hamul (AD-20) "A" Division, mid-1949, Atlantic. Ralph Drexel, MM2, USS Hamul, 1949-52
    Hamul 71k USS Hamul (AK-30) at anchor, circa early 1950s, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # USN 1043637.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul 125k USS Hamul (AK-30) moored to a buoy in San Diego Bay, circa late 1940s or early 1950s.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # USN 1043638.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hamul 172k USS Hamul (AD-20), in Japan, circa 1950 to 1952, while tending destroyers, from inboard to outboard:
    USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752)
    USS O'Brien (DD-725)
    USS Floyd B. Parks (DD-884)
    USS Bausell (DD-845) and
    USS Rogers (DD-876)         		Cyrus Dodd III for his father Cyrus C Dodd BM2 USN USS Hamul 1950-52
    Hamul 112k USS Hamul (AD-20) tending three unidentified destroyers partially visible on her port side, date and location unknown. Photo from "Our Navy" Magazine, Mid-December 1953. Stanley Svec
    Hamul 112k USS Hamul (AD-20) underway, circa 1951-53, location unknown. Jody Primeaux for his father John E. Primeaux USS Hamul 1951-53
    Hamul 68k USS Hamul (AD-20) at Yokosuka, Japan, late 1954-early 1955, with USS Blue (DD-744, USS Frank E. Evans (DD754) with another unidentified DD being moved out to make room USS Le Ray Wilson (DE-414) to tie up for maintenance in late 1954 or early 1955. Frank D. Heckart GM2 USS Le Ray Wilson DE-414
    Hamul 182k USS Hamul (AD-20) moored to a buoy at Naval Station Long Beach, CA., date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, April 1957.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Hamul 87k USS Hamul (AD-20) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1962.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.

    For more photos and information about USS Hamul, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • Photos from the collection of John E. Primeaux USS Hamul 1951-53
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Cargo Ship (AK) Photo Index Back To The Destroyer Tender (AD) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 September 2011