Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AF-13 Tarazed

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Medal (with Fleet clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Mizar Class Stores Ship:
  • Built as Chiriqui, for United Fruit Co., by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Delivered to United Fruit Co., 18 March 1932
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission on a bare-boat charter basis
  • Converted for Naval service at Brewer's Drydock Co., Staten Island, N,Y.
  • Commissioned USS Tarazed (AF-13), 14 June 1941, CDR. J.M. Connally in command
  • Decommissioned, 4 January 1946, at New Orleans, LA.
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission the same day for return to United Fruit Co., named reverted to SS Chiriqui
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 21 January 1946
  • Sold to Union-Partenreeders T/S, Bremen, Germany, renamed SS Blexen, re-flagged German
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1971
  • Tarazed received one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,983 t.(lt) 11,880 t.(fl)
    Length 447' 10"
    Beam 60'
    Draft 26'
    Speed 18 kts. (max)
    Cargo Capacity 2,615 DWT
    Complement 238
    Armament one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, four 3"/50 guns
    Propulsion Turbo-electric, twin screws, 11,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Tarazed (AF-13)
    Tarazed 45k Tarazed (AF-13) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Tarazed 65k Tarazed (AF-13) starboard broadside view underway off Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA, 19 November 1942
    US Navy Yard photo # 4183(42)    		 Capt Jerry Mason, USN
    Commercial Service
    Tarazed 61k ex-Tarazed (AF-13) in commercial service as SS Blexen moored pierside at Bremerhaven, Germany in February 1967. Photo Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    View the Tarazed (AF-13)
    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
    No Information Available
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Stores Ship (AF) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 17 June 2005