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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AF-11 Polaris

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Charlie - Bravo
 NBCB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (6) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Aldebaran Class Stores Ship:
  • Laid down, 23 July 1938, as MV Donald McKay, a Maritime Commission type (C-2 Cargo) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 18) at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA., for Moore-McCormack Lines
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 27 January 1941
  • Commissioned USS Polaris (AF-11), 4 April 1941
  • During World War II Polaris was assigned to both the European and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters
  • Decommissioned, 18 January 1946, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 7 February 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Reacquired from the Maritime Commission and reinstated on the Naval Register, 6 October 1948
  • Recommissioned, 1 July 1948
  • During the Korean War Polaris participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    12 February to 22 March 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    3 to 6, 11 to 12, 20 to 21 and 29 to 31 December 1951
    3 to-6 and 13 to 14 January 1952
    24 to 30 March 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    30 April to 6 May 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    2 to 3 June 1962
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    9 to 10 and 24 to 25 July 1951
    8 to 12 September 1951
    20 to 23 September 1951
    10 to 15 and 24 to 27 October 1951     		Korea, Summer-Fall 1953
    24 to 26 May 1953
    3 to 6 June 1953

  • Decommissioned, 12 January 1957
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 10 October 1957
  • Final Disposition fate unknown
  • Polaris received one battle star for World War II service and six battle stars for Korean War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,700 t.(lt) 13,876 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 1"
    Beam 63' 0"
    Draft 25' 10" (limiting)
    Speed 16.kts,
    Complement 253
    Cargo Capacity 5,443 DWT
    Armament
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion one 2-stroke, 4 cylinder single-acting Doxford Diesel, single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Polaris 37k Polaris (AF-11) underway, circa 1941, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    PC-802 148k Polaris (AF-11) in the background at Mare Island Naval Shipyard with PCC-802 in the foreground, in South Korean service, as ROKS Sam Kak San (PC-703), 16 June 1950.
    US Navy photo # NH 85485 now in the collections of the Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    CV-36 Antietam 85k Polaris (AF-11) with Antietam (CV-36) and Hopewell (DD-681) alongside.
    These photos were likely taken during Antietam's only combat tour, to WestPac and Korea, 8 September 1951 to 2 May 1952.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    CV-36 Antietam 139k
    View the Polaris (AF-11)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 1 February 2008