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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:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
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 $273.678, 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

Size	Image Description	Source
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
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.
112k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** underway off the Virginia Capes, August 1964	© Richard Leonhardt
123k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** underway off the Virginia Capes during an underway replenishment exercise, August 1964	© Richard Leonhardt
84k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** moored pierside at NOB Norfolk, VA, August 1964	© Richard Leonhardt
185k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Mike Smolinski
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.
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
618k		Al Gordon, Secretary USS Chikaskia Reunion Organization
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
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.
69k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** underway during a replenishment at sea with a destroyer, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
181k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** underway at Hampton Roads, June 1968. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA., ©Nobe Smith.	Bill Gonyo
82k	*USS Diamond Head* (AE-19)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
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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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 7 September 2018