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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.

AE-15 Vesuvius

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Delta - Echo
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 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 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
  • 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 Vesuvius (AE-15) underway in San Francisco Bay, October 1957.
    Photo ©Allied Photographers, San Francisco.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Vesuvius 52k Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Bill Freeman
    USS Rainier (AE-5) web site
    Vesuvius 59k Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Stanley C. Svec
    Vesuvius 78k Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1960    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Vesuvius 96k Vesuvius (AE-15) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1964    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    View the Vesuvius (AE-15)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    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
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    Last Updated 8 December 2006