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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Aldebaran (AF-10)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Charlie - Golf NBCG

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 (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal(2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon, 2-Vietnam, 1-Cuba)

Aldebaran Class Stores Ship:

Laid down, 28 November 1938, as SS Stag Hound, a Maritime Commission type (C2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 27) at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.

Launched, 21 June 1939

Delivered to Grace Lines, 4 December 1939

Purchased by the Navy from Grace Lines, 22 December 1940 and converted for naval service

Commissioned USS Aldebaran (AF-10), 10 January 1941, CDR. Royal Abbott in command

During World War II USS Aldebaran was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaign**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June 1945	3rd Fleet operations against Japan July and August 1945

Decommissioned, 28 June 1968, at Norfolk, VA.

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA. in October 1968

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1973

Permanent custody assigned to MARAD, 30 June 1969, for disposal

Final Disposition, sold by MARAD, 14 November 1974 to Andy International, Brownsville, TX., for scrapping

USS Aldebaran earned two battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 13,860 t.
Length 459' 3"
Beam 63' 0"
Draft 25' 10" (limiting)
Speed 16.4 kts,
Complement

Officers 17

Enlisted 270
Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
Cargo Capacity 5,715 DWT

non-refrigerated 191,820 Cu ft.

refrigerated 116,930 Cu. ft.
Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
Fuel Capacities

NSFO 9,000 bbls

Diesel1,780 Bbls
Propulsion

one Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbine

two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double Westinghouse Maine Reduction gears

Ship's Service Generators

two turbo-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C.

one turbo-drive300Kw 120V/240V D.C.

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
19-N-35605	74k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** near Mare Island Navy Yard, 28 September 1942. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo #s 19-N-35605 & 19-N-35607, US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Robert Hurst
19-N-35607	103k		Robert Hurst
	113k	Aft plan view of *USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** at San Francisco, CA., 3 October 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6899-43.	Darryl Baker
	59k	Bow on view of *USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** in San Francisco Bay, 3 October 1943. The unidentified tug alongside appears to be steam powered based on the height of her stack. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6891-43.	Darryl Baker
	86k	Broadside view of *USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** in San Francisco Bay, 3 October 1943. U.S. National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-54290, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Darryl Baker and Robert Hurst
	62k	Stern view of *USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** in San Francisco Bay, 3 October 1943. The unidentified tug alongside appears to be steam powered based on height of stack and is likely to be a commercial tug from Crowley Marine's Red Stack Tugs Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6895-43.	Darryl Baker
	104k	Amidships looking forward plan view of *USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** at San Francisco, 3 October 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6897-43.	Darryl Baker
	60k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** underway at 2 knots (bow on view) off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 22 April 1946. US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.	Tracy White
	54k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** underway at 2 knots (broad on port bow view) off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 22 April 1946. US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.	Tracy White
	58k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** underway at 2 knots (broad on port beam view) off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 22 April 1946. US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.	Tracy White
	51k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** underway at 2 knots (port stern quarter view) off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 22 April 1946. US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.	Tracy White
	59k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** underway at 2 knots (dead astern view) off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 22 April 1946. US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.	Tracy White
	55k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10)** underway, 8 September 1955. Note the superstructure extension added forward of the bridge. US Navy photo # USN 683231 from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.	Robert Hurst
	136k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10) preparing to come alongside USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42)**, 4 June 1963 to conduct an underway replenishment. US Navy photo # USN 10746659, from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.	Robert Hurst
	99k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10) inboard of USS Fremont (APA-44) at NOB Norfolk, VA., Pier 4, 26 August 1964. Fremont is being assisted into her berth alongside Aldebaran** with the assistance of Okmulgee (YTB-765), forward, and Wapakoneta (YTB-766), aft, 26 August 1964. Photo taken from *USS Multiphen* (AKA-61)** at berth 301	© Richard Leonhardt
	89k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10) and USS Sylvania (AFS-2)** conducting underway replenishment exercises at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 25 September 1964, their shakedown cruises. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1965.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	52k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10) and USS Fort Mandan (LPD-21) underway, circa 1967 in the Caribbean Sea preparing to commence an UNREP. This photo was taken by Bruce Johnson from an unidentified LPH, possibly USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)**.	Pete Harlem, Courtesy Bruce Johnson USMC HMM-261
	43k	*USS Aldebaran* (AF-10) and USS Fort Mandan (LPD-21) underway, circa 1967 in the Caribbean Sea preparing to commence an UNREP. This photo was taken by Bruce Johnson from an unidentified LPH, possibly USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)**.	Pete Harlem, Courtesy Bruce Johnson USMC HMM-261

View series of photos of USS Aldebaran undergoing Inclining Experiments at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 30 March 1946

View the USS Aldebaran (AF-10)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Abbott, Royal William	26 December 1940 - 8 December 1942
02	CAPT. Wyatt, James Louis	8 December 1942 - ?
03	CDR. Burgess, Elwood Eclair	1944 - 1945
04	CDR. Cole, S. L. M.	1945 - August 1946
05	CDR. Hodgson Jr., James T.	August 1946 - August 1947
	CDR. Klinker, Roy Craig	? - December 1952
	CDR. Fey Jr., William Louis	December 1952 - ?
	CDR. Keenan, Joseph Ingram	no dates
	CAPT. Whidden, Wynn Victor	no dates
	CAPT. Davis, Richard J.	1962 - 1963


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
No Information Available

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Last Updated 22 January 2010