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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Aludra (AF-55)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Papa - Victor
NJPV

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal
Second Row - Korean Service Medal (1) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Taiwan Straits, 1-Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Vietnam, 1-Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (5)
Third Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Alstede Class Stores Ship:

Laid down, 23 August 1944, as the Refrigerated Cargo Ship SS Matchless, a Maritime Commission type (R2-S-BV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC 1202), at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.

Launched, 14 October 1944

Delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for a bare boat charter to United States Line, 23 March 1945

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 1 August 1949 at Mobile, AL.

Transferred to the Waterman SS. Corp., 11 August 1949

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 18 August 1949 at Mobile, AL.

Acquired by the US Navy, 30 November 1950

Converted for Naval service at New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, N.J.

Commissioned USS Aludra (AF-55), 19 June 1952, CDR. Ralph H. Moureau in command

During the Korean War USS Aludra participated in the following campaign:

**Korean War Campaign**
Third Korean Winter Campaign 14 and 15 December 1952 10 and 11 and 18 to 19 February 1953 2 and 3, 14 and 15, and 28 to 39 March 1953 7 to 12 April 1953

During the Vietnam War USS Aludra participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 3 to 17 October 1965 24 October to 1 November 1965 15 to 21 November 1965	Tet Counteroffensive 1 to 4 February 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 7 to 20 August 1966 27 August to 2 September 1966 7 to 17 September 1966 20 April to 2 May 1967 22 to 31 May 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase V 14 to 29 September 1968 10 to 21 October 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase III 1 to 11 June 1967 29 November to 13 December 1967 28 December 1967 to 5 January 1968 14 to 20 January 1968 29 January 1968	.

Decommissioned, 2 September 1969, at Oakland, CA.

Returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 1 October 1969, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Final Disposition, withdrawn from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 19 January 1977 for stripping by the Navy prior to sale

Purchased from MARAD by Sea World Processors Inc., for non-transportation use, 16 November 1977

Delivered, 16 February 1978

Final Disposition, burned and scuttled in 1981

USS Aludra received one battle star for Korean War service and five campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 7,050 t.(lt)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 28'
Speed 16 kts.
Complement 292
Armament twelve 3"/50 guns
Propulsion

cross-compound turbine

single propeller

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
134k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) conducting an UNREP (Underway Replenishment) with the destroyer USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717) and attack aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CVA-45) in the Pacific, circa January to May 1953. with F9F Panther jets of VF-51 and VF-53** US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
75k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) underway at sea, 17 September 1954. Photographed from USS Yorktown (CVA-10)*. US Navy photo # NH 104028* from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
98k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) transferring supplies to USS Yorktown (CVA-10)** during underway replenishment operations, 17 September 1954. US Navy photo # NH 104029 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
85k	Starboard bow view of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. US Navy photo # NH 104030 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
78k	Broadside of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. US Navy photo # NH 104031 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
89k	Stern view-starboard of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. US Navy photo # NH 104032 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
75k	Stern view-port of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. US Navy photo # NH 104033 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
88k	Port bow view of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. US Navy photo # NH 104034 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
95k	Bow on view of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is in the background. US Navy photo # NH 104035 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
90k	Stern view of *USS Aludra* (AF-55) off San Francisco, CA. Aludra** was enroute to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco CA., 20 February 1956. US Navy photo # NH 104036 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
161k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55)** underway in San Francisco Bay, October 1957. Photo by ©Allied Photographers of San Francisco.	Robert M. Cier
177k	Outboard profile drawing (Bureau of Ships plan # S 0103 972649) of *USS Aludra* (AF-55)** showing the ship as she was during the 1960s, with a helicopter platform aft. Photo, courtesy of Commander Stephen S. Roberts, USNR, 1982. US Navy photo # NH 104040 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
120k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) at left, steams away from USS Ponchatoula (AO-148) after transferring stores. In the right distance USS Jupiter (AVS-8)** makes her approach to take on fuel. Photo taken from USS Ponchatoula, 23 August 1963, released with *Commander Service Squadron THREE* press release # 3-154. . US Navy photo # NH 104026 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
114k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) during underway replenishment with USS Coontz (DLG-9) and USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63)** during a WESTPAC deployment in 1964. US Navy photo	EMC(SW) Brian Kroenung
95k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) center, is approached by USS Cochrane (DDG-21), at left, and USS Midway (CVA-41)** for underway replenishment, during operations in the South China Sea. Photographed by USS Midway, 15 May 1965. US Navy photo # NH 104027 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
95k	*USS King* (DLG-10) approaching USS Aludra (AF-55)** in preparation for an underway replenishment, circa 1965	Photo by Chuck White USS King (DLG-10)
69k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) and USS King (DLG-10)** during an underway replenishment, circa 1965. Note that the shot lines are across between the ships.	Photo by Chuck White USS King (DLG-10)
82k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) alongside USS King (DLG-10)** during an underway replenishment, circa 1965.	Photo by Chuck White USS King (DLG-10)
92k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55) coming alongside to replenish USS Oriskany (CVA-34)** while the carrier conducts air operations off the coast of Vietnam, date unknown.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
515k	*USS Hopper* (DE-1026) replenishing from USS Aludra (AF-55) in the Sea of Japan in May 1967. The bow of the USS Evans (DE-1023)** is to the right.	Photo by Darryl Baker
69k	*USS Aludra* (AF-55)** underway, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

USS Aludra (AF-55)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Moureau, Ralph H. (26)	19 June 1952 - ?
	CAPT. Gowen, George Anthony	April 1961 - May 1962
	CAPT. Gray, Paul Nagle	May 1962 - June 1963
	CAPT. Miller, Robert Nicholas	12 March 1964 - 1965
	CAPT. Barrow Jr., William Ballard	June 1966 - 26 May 1967
	CAPT. Bondy Jr., Robert E.	26 May 1966 - ?
	CDR. Reifschneider, Jack Loren	1968 - ?


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 31 December 2010