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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Karin (AF-33)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Alpha - Foxtrot NXAF

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (2) - United Nations Korean Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Adria Class Stores Ship:

Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (R1-M-AV3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2197) at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, TX.

Launched, 22 June 1944

Acquired by the Navy and commissioned USS Karin (AF-33), 3 February 1945, LT. Richard C. Mallon in command

During World War II USS Karin was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS Karin was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
6 October to 22 November 1945	14 to 25 October 1946
26 January to 7 November 1946	5 March to 19 April 1947
27 May to 23 June 1949	25 August to 1 September 1947
	17 May to 1 June 1948
	1 to 8 November 1948
	7 April to 24 May 1949
	12 to 18 September 1950
	10 to 16 October 1950
	23 November to 7 December 1950

During the Korean War USS Karin (AF-33) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
Communist China Aggression 22 to 31 December 1950	Third Korean Winter 21 to 24 May 1952 14 to 15 August 1952

Decommissioned, 15 December 1958

Transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA.

Struck from the Naval Register in September 1961

USS Karin earned two battle stars for Korean War service

Commercial Service

Sold by the Maritime Administration in 1969 to Strom Drilling Co., Corpus Christi, TX., converted to a drillship and renamed MVTyphoon

Resold in 1975 to Ocean Drilling & Exploration Co., New Orleans, LA., renamed MV Ocean Typhoon

Resold in 1976 to Canam Offshore, Ltd., Panama, renamed MV Ben Ocean Typhoon, reflagged Panama

Final Disposition, broken up Gadani Beach, Pakistan in 1987

Specifications:
Displacement 3,139 t.(lt) 7,435 t.(fl)
Length 338' 6"
Beam 50'
Draft 21' 1"
Speed 11.5 kts. (trial)

Complement

Officers 10

Enlisted 74

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Cargo Capacity 3,170 DWT

non-refrigerated 47,510 Cu ft

refrigerated 114,580 Cu ft

Armament

one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount

six single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacity Diesel 6,300 Bbls

Propulsion

one Nordberg Diesel TSM engine

three Diesel-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

one propeller, 1,700shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
USS Karin (AF-33)
	77k	*USS Karin* (AF-33)** underway probably near Galveston, TX., in February 1945 upon completion of her conversion for naval service. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-78305, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
	74k	*USS Karin* (AF-33)** underway probably in San Francisco Bay, CA., circa 1945-1946. US Navy photo # NH 82220 Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975.	US Naval Historical Center
	79k	Bow on view of *USS Karin* (AF-33) off Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 28 November 1949. Karin** was undergoing repairs at Mare Island from 30 September to 10 December 1949. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 4911-11-49, 11/28/49.	Darryl Baker
	69k	Broadside view of *USS Karin* (AF-33)** off Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 28 November 1949. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 4913-11-49, 11/28/49.	Darryl Baker
	83k	Stern view of *USS Karin* (AF-33)** off Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 28 November 1949. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 4915-11-49, 11/28/49.	Darryl Baker
	79k	USS Faribault (AK-179), left, and *USS Karin* (AF-33)*, right, at anchor in Along Bay, North Vietnam during operation "Passage to Freedom," while evacuating Catholics refugees from the North to South Vietnam in 1955. Photo courtesy Ernie Showalter USS Faribault*	Andre Pilon
	352k	*USS Karin* (AF-33)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	David Buell
	383k	*USS Karin* (AF-33)** passing under the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco, CA. while outbound to sea, date unknown. US Navy photo	David Buell
	62k	*USS Karin* (AF-33)** being towed into San Francisco Bay by Red Cloud YTB-268, date unknown.	Tommy Trampp
Commercial Service
	199k	Ex-*USS Karin* (AF-33) in commercial service as the Strom Drilling Co. drillship MVTyphoon**, circa 1969-75.	David Wright
09063310	546k	Ex-*USS Karin* (AF-33) in commercial service as the British Ben Line. drillship MVBen Ocean Typhoon*, circa 1978. ©World Ship Society*	Gerhard Muller-Debus

USS Karin (AF-33)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Mallon, Richard C.	3 February 1945 - 28 January 1946
02	LCDR. Dalby, Maxwell T.	28 January 1946 - August 1947
03	LCDR. Toran, William Paul, USN (NYSMA 1940) New York State Maritime Academy	August 1947 - December 1949
04	LCDR. Maddox, Berley Lee, USN	1950 - 16 February 1951
05	LCDR. Kuykendall, William Oliger, USN	16 February 1951 - 21 June 1952
06	LCDR. Eakin Jr., Sydney Lee, USN	21 June 1952 - ?


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 Data Base

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 10 June 2022