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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Calamares (AF-18)
ex
 USS Calamares (ID-3662) (1918 - 1919)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Victor - Xray
 NEVX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - World War I Victory Medal (with Armed Guard and Transport clasps)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Pastores Class Stores Ship:
  • Built in 1913 at Workman, Clark and Co., Belfast Northern Ireland
  • Acquired by the US Army from United Fruit Co.
  • Transferred to the Navy, 1 April 1918
  • Converted for Naval service as a Transport at New York
  • Commissioned USS Calamares 10 April 1918, CDR. C. L. Arnold in command
  • Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS), 11 October 1918 and converted to a refrigerator ship
  • Decommissioned, 18 September 1919
  • Reacquired by the US Navy, 12 December 1941, from the United Fruit Co.
  • Converted to a Provisions Stores Ship at Alameda, CA.
  • Recommissioned, USS Calamares (AF-18), 10 April 1943, LCDR. D. R. Phoebus, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Calamares was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 25 April 1946, at Baltimore, MD.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 6 May 1946, for disposal at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 December 1946, to Patapsco Scrap Corp.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,750 t.(fl)
    Length 486' 6"
    Beam 55'
    Draft 27' 4"
    Speed 14 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 225
    Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.
    Cargo Capacity 3,660 DWT
    refrigerated 172,108 Cu ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 11,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Workman & Clark 3,250ihp vertical quadruple-expansion reciprocating steam engines
    Boilers
    three Scotch single ended boilers, 215psi, Sat.
    one Scotch double ended boiler, 215psi, Sat.
    four recip-drive 65Kw 110V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin propellers, 6,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Calamares (ID-3662)
    Calamares 226k USS Calamares (ID-3662) at the New York Navy Yard, 28 June 1918, showing her pattern camouflage scheme. The tug Socony 4 is at right.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 911    		 Robert Hurst
    Calamares 113k USS Calamares (ID-3662) leaving Pauillac, France, 29 November 1918, "with first load of Sailors to come back since Armistice was signed". The original photograph is printed on post card ("AZO") stock bearing the mark of the Modern Photo Shop, 46 Sands Street, Brooklyn, New York. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 105869    		 Robert Hurst
    Calamares 138k A Navy Band, Plays on the dock of a French port, as a group of Sailors stand in formation upon arrival for World War I overseas service, 1919. USS Calamares (ID # 3662), is in the background. Courtesy of Paul H. Silverstone, 1983.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 95001    		 Robert Hurst
    Calamares 77k USS Calamares (ID-3662) in port, probably New York, circa 1918-19.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-1506 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Calamares 146k USS Calamares (ID-3662) leaving St. Nazaire, France in 1919, transporting homeward bound men of the 18th Division. Photo from the collection of Robert H. Helm, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Helm, 2008.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 106347    		 Robert Hurst
    Calamares 4,912k Panoramic view of USS Calamares (ID-3662) in Boston harbor, 13 June 1919, with returning US Army troops of the 301 Engineers and the 301 Sanitary Train from Europe.
    Photo by Commercial Photo Shop Lowell, MA. (Note: Date on photo of 1918 is incorrect. 1919 is the correct date according to the Passenger List submitted by Ed Klein, PhD whose grandfather, Nicholas G. Klein, returned to the US with his Army unit aboard Calamares on this sailing.)
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Item # 2016.21 of the Mark Kulikowski Collection.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Calamares 332k Images from a panoramic photo of USS Calamares (ID-3662) arriving at New York in 1919. The number of troops on board would indicate that this voyage was bring troops home from Europe. David Wright
    Calamares 303k
    Calamares 292k
    Calamares 301k
    Calamares 302k
    USS Calamares (AF-18)
    Calamares 94k Forward plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) moored pierside at Alameda, CA., 11 April 1943, one day after commissioning. The 20mm guns circled were added during her conversion for naval service.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2517-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 84k Aft plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) moored pierside at Alameda, CA., 11 April 1943. Note the 3" and 5" guns which were added during her conversion for naval service.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2518-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 128k Amidships plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) moored pierside at Alameda, CA., 11 April 1943. Note the motor whale boat which was added during her conversion for naval service as indicated by circles and the liberty ship building ways in the background.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2520-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 123k Bow on view of USS Calamares (AF-18) underway off Alameda, CA. 23 April 1943. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is in the background.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 99748    		 Robert Hurst
    Calamares 62k Stern view of USS Calamares (AF-18) departing Alameda, CA., 23 April 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2987-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 89k Aft plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) moored pierside at San Francisco, 21 August 1943. Note crates of provisions atop the after end of Calamaress' midships superstructure, railway car float in the left background, and open lighter YC-882 partially visible in the right background.
    US Navy photo # NH 99764 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 112k Amidships plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) moored pierside at San Francisco, 21 August 1943. USS Ganymede (AK-104) is in the left distance and open lighter YC-881 is partially visible in the right background.
    US Navy photo # NH 99762 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Calamares 92k Aft plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) moored pierside at San Francisco, 21 August 1943. Note 5"/51 gun on Calamares' stern, with two 3"/50 guns mounted on elevated platforms further forward. Open Lighter YC-883 is in the left center background.
    US Navy photo # NH 99765 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Calamares 49k USS Calamares (AF-18) (bow on view) underway in San Francisco Bay, 21 August 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6037-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 47k USS Calamares (AF-18) (stern view) underway in San Francisco Bay, 21 August 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6038-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 25k USS Calamares (AF-18) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Calamares
    NH 9947    		 87k USS Calamares (AF-18) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 21 August 1943.
    US Navy photo #'s NH 9947, NH 99758 and NH 99759 from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Calamares
    NH 99758    		 56k
    Calamares
    NH 99759    		 84k
    Calamares 83k Aft plan view of USS Calamares (AF-18) at San Francisco, 22 November 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7710-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 71k Stern view of USS Calamares (AF-18) off San Francisco, 24 November 1943. Note the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge in the background.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7785-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 65k Bow on view of USS Calamares (AF-18) off San Francisco, 24 November 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7786-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 82k Broadside view of USS Calamares (AF-18) off San Francisco, 24 November 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7789-43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Calamares 115k USS Calamares (AF-18) underway in San Francisco Bay, 24 November 1943. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 83223    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Calamares (AF-18)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Arnold, Clarence, Lamont10 April 1918 - ?
     Decommissioned18 September 1919 - 10 April 1943
    02LCDR. Phoebus, David Russell10 April 1943 - ?
    03LCDR. Kengle, Lansford Franklin18 August 1944 - ?
    04LCDR. Myers, Albert Raymond18 November 1944 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The ID & SP Ships Photo Index Back To The Stores Ship (AF) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 26 February 2021