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
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AF-62 Bellatrix

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Quemoy-Matsu, 7-Vietnam)
Bottom Row - Vietnam Service Medal (5) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Alstede Class Stores Ship:
  • Laid down, 16 October 1944, as SS Fleetwood a Maritime Commission, type (R2-S-BV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1207) at Moore Drydock Co. Oakland, CA.
  • Launched, 4 December 1944
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 21 June 1945, for operation by United Fruit Co.
  • Transferred in October 1946 to Pacific Far East Lines for operation
  • Assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) in April 1958, operated by Pacific Far East Lines
  • Transferred to the Navy, 22 August 1961, converted for Naval Service at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
  • Renamed and designated Bellatrix (AF-62), 13 October 1961
  • Commissioned, 18 November 1961 as USS Bellatrix (AF-62) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., Cdr. Nathan E. Dozier in command
  • During the Vietnam War Bellatrix participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    29 November to 7 December 1965
    20 to 23 December 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    3 to 22 November 1967
    11 to 26 December 1967
    3 to 9 January 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    24 December 1965 to 2 January 1966
    14 to 25 May 1966
    3 to 10 June 1966
    22 to 30 June 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    7 to 16 May 1968
    28 May to 7 June 1968
    19 to 29 June 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    6 to 28 February 1967
    31 March to 10 April 1967     		.

  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1968, at Naval Shipyard Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1968
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1969
  • Bellatrix earned five campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 14,180 t.(fl)
    Length 460'
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26'
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 292
    Armament two .50 cal machine guns
    Propulsion cross-compound turbines, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Bellatrix 89k Bellatrix (AF-62) underway in the Tonkin Gulf, 5 June 1966 © Richard Leonhardt
    Bellatrix 142k Bellatrix (AF-62) conducting underway replenishment with Coral Sea (CVA-43) and Duncan (DDR-874) in Western Pacific waters. Photograph was released by Coral Sea under date of 16 April 1962.
    US Navy photo # NH 97649 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    View the Bellatrix (AF-62)
    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 7 April 2006