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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Darrel Inskeep via Bill Freeman, at right Don McGrogan, BMCS USN Ret.

USS Vesuvius (AE-15)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Delta - Echo
 NKDE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korea Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (6-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (13)
Fourth Row - United Nations Korea Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Mount Hood Class Ammunition Ship:
  • Laid down, date unknown, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1381), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 26 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Vesuvius (AE-15), 16 January 1945, CDR. Flavius J. George in command
  • Decommissioned, 20 April 1946, at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange
  • Recommissioned, 15 November 1951
  • During the Korean War USS Vesuvius participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    20 to 21 May 1952
    5 to 17 June 1952
    27 June to 1 July 1952
    12 to 24 July 1952
    5 to 20 August 1952
    27 to 29 August 1952
    14 to 26 September 1952
    16 to 25 October 1952
    6 to 21 November 1952
    		Korean Summer-Fall 1953
    18 to 31 May 1953
    10 to 19 June 1953
    27 June to 7 July 1953
    17 to 27 July 1953

  • During the Vietnam War USS Vesuvius participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    25 August to 3 September 1965
    14 to 23 September 1965
    4 to 13 October 1965
    24 October to 4 November 1965
    		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    23 February to 4 March 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    14 to 28 June 1966
    		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    22 to 31 October 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 to 4 July 1966
    17 July to 3 August 1966
    14 to 31 August 1966
    7 to 25 September 1966
    6 to 25 October 1966
    10 to 21 November 1966
    		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    1 to 4 November 1969
    14 to 28 November 1969
    1 to 5 January 1970
    21 January to 9 February 1970
    23 February to 12 March 1970
    22 March to 7 April 1970
    12 to 20 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    12 August to 2 September 1967
    19 September to 8 October 1967
    22 October to 4 November 1967
    17 November to 8 December 1967
    15 to 16 December 1967
    23 December 1967 to 11 January 1968
    		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 3 to 19 February 1971
    5 to 22 March 1971
    17 April to 5 May 1971
    14 to 25 May 1971
    3 to 11 June 1971
    25 June 1971
    27 to 30 June 1971
    Tet Counteroffensive
    7 to 19 February 1968
    		Consolidation I
    1 to 11 July 1971
    23 to 27 July 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    26 August to 7 September 1968
    10 to 20 October 1968
    29 October to 1 November 1968
    		Consolidation II
    14 to 31 March 1972
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 to 9 November 1968
    11 to 27 December 1968
    5 to 12 January 1969
    20 January to 1 February 1969
    10 to 22 February 1969
    		.

  • Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 14 August 1973 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Transferred to Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) Mare Island for further disposition
  • Title transfer to the Maritime Administration (MARAD)
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by MARAD sale, 5 April 1974, fate unknown
  • USS Vesuvius earned two battle stars for Korean War service and thirteen campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,910 t.
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 28' 3"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 267
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Propulsion geared turbine single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Vesuvius 78k USS Vesuvius (AE-15) underway in San Francisco Bay, October 1957.
    Photo ©Allied Photographers, San Francisco.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Vesuvius 52k USS Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Bill Freeman
    USS Rainier (AE-5) web site
    Vesuvius 59k USS Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Stanley C. Svec
    Vesuvius 78k USS Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1960    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Vesuvius 96k USS Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1964    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    View the USS Vesuvius (AE-15)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Vesuvius AE-15
    "AE" Sailors Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 8 December 2006