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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Glacier (AF-4)
ex
 USS Glacier (1898 - 1920)
 USS Delmonico (1898)

1921 - International Radio Call Sign:
Nan - George - Have
 NGH

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Philippine Campaign Medal - Mexican Service Medal - World War I Victory Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Transport clasp)
  • Built in 1891 as SS Port Chalmers at J. L. Thompson & Sons, Sunderland, Great Britain
  • Acquired by the Navy in 1898 at London from her owners, the Federal Line
  • Converted for Naval service at New York Navy Yard
  • Commissioned USS Delmonico, 5 July 1898. CDR. J. P. Merrill, USN
  • Renamed USS Glacier, 11 July 1898
  • Decommissioned, 5 March 1899, at New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Recommissioned, 31 March 1899, at New York, LT. William S. Seccombe in command
  • Decommissioned, 1 August 1903, at Norfolk, Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Recommissioned, 15 December 1903, at Norfolk, VA., LCDR. James H. Oliver USN in command
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1904, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Recommissioned, 15 September 1904, at Boston, MA., LCDR. James H. Oliver USN in command
  • Glacier was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) from September 1917 until decommissioning, 6 March 1922
  • Designated Stores Ship (AF-4), 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned, 6 March 1922, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Sold for commercial service, 17 August 1922, to Barde Steel & Machinery Co., Seattle, WA., for $22,000
  • Acquired by the War Shipping Administration, 10 October 1942, from T. J. Stevenson & Co. Inc. as agents for Carbella SS Co.
  • Re-delivered, 23 August 1944, to Carbella SS. Co., at Tampico, Mexico, renamed SS Carbella reflagged Mexican
  • Acquired by the War Shipping Administration, 13 September 1944, as agents for Mississippi Shipping Co. Inc.
  • Re-delivered, 27 October 1944, to Carbella SS. Co., at Santos, Brazil
  • Final Disposition, date unknown, still working as of 1956
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,325 t.
    Length 388' 7"
    Beam 46' 1"
    Draft 25' 4"
    Speed 12.3 kts.
    Complement 98
    Armament four 3" guns
    Propulsion steam turbine
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USS Glacier (AF-4)
    Glacier 48k USS Glacier underway, date and location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH53740    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Glacier 140k USS Glacier underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Jim Kurrasch
    Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
    Glacier 85k USS Glacier at anchor, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Glacier 64k USS Glacier at anchor, date and location unknown. Darryl Baker
    Justin 220k Collier USS Justin with USS Glacier inboard at Mare Island Navy Yard sometime between 1908 and 1915. Note the striking differences between the former Australian passenger and frozen meat liner (Glacier) and the former tramp freighter (Justin), which were built only a year apart.
    Photo courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Mike Green
    Glacier 764k Stern view of USS Glacier with unidentified tug alongside in San Francisco Bay, June 1909. Darryl Baker
    F-3 313k USS Glacier with Floating Workshop No. 5 and two submarines, USS H-4 (SS-147) and a second unidentified "H" class submarine alongside, between February and April 1921 at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. Photo, Darryl Baker
    Caption Ric Hedman
    Merchant Service
    Glacier 76k Ex-USS Glacier (AF-4) moored pierside, date and location unknown, courtesy Shipscribe.com. Mike Green
    USS Glacier (AF-4)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Briggs, John Bradford, USN (USNA 1869)15 June 1897 - 26 May 1898
    02LT. Seccombe, William S.26 May 1898 - 5 July 1898
    03CDR. Merrill, John Porter, USN (USNA 1867)5 July 1898 - 5 March 1899
     Decommissioned5 March 1899 - 31 March 1899
    04LT. Seccombe, William S.31 March 1899 - 30 November 1900
    05LCDR. Mertz, Albert, USN (USNA 1872)30 November 1900 - 15 February 1901
    06CDR. Gilmore, Fernando Padilla, USN15 February 1901 - 19 July 1901
    07LCDR. Dunn, Herbert Omar, USN (USNA 1877) :RADM19 July 1901 - 2 September 1901
    08LCDR. Speyers, Arthur Bayard, USN (USNA 1868)2 September 1901 - 1 August 1903
     Decommissioned1 August 1903 - 15 December 1903
    09LCDR. Oliver, James Harrison, USN (USNA 1877) :RADM15 December 1903 - 30 July 1904
     Decommissioned30 July 1904 - 15 September 1904
    10LCDR. Oliver, James Harrison, USN (USNA 1877)15 September 1904 - 11 December 1905
    11CDR. Hosly, Hardy Hibbard, USN (USNA 1875)11 December 1905 - 10 July 1906
    12CDR. Bennett, Frank Marion, USN (USNA 1879)10 July 1906 - 21 November 1907
    13CDR. Hogg, William Stetson21 November 1907 - 8 May 1909
    14CDR. Lopez, Robert Files, USN (USNA 1879)8 May 1909 - 4 September 1909
    15CDR. Brand, Charles Augustine, USN (USNA 1889)4 September 1909 - 10 January 1912
    16LCDR. Douglas, Richard Spencer, USN (USNA 1893)10 January 1912 - 14 July 1913
    17LCDR. Tozer, Charles Maxon, USN (USNA 1896)14 July 1913 - 10 December 1914
    18LCDR. Kautz, Austin, USN (USNA 1896)10 December 1914 - 16 March 1915
    19LT. Freyer, Frank Barrows, USN (USNA 1902)16 March 1915 - 14 June 1916
    20CDR. Theleen, David Elias, USN (USNA 1897)14 June 1916 - 15 September 1917
    21LCDR. Gadeberg, Peter Michael, USNRF15 September 1917 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 18 December 2020