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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Burton Island (AG-88) / (AGB-1)
USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283)


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Victor - Kilo
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Navy Unit Commendation - National Defense Service Medal - Antarctic Service Medal
Burton Island Class Icebreaker:
  • Laid down, 15 March 1946, at Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Pedro, CA.
  • Launched, 30 April 1946
  • Commissioned Miscellaneous Auxiliary USS Burton Island (AG-88), 28 December 1946, CDR. G. Ketchum in command
  • Reclassified Icebreaker (AGB-1), 1 March 1949
  • Decommissioned, 15 December 1966 and transferred to the US Coast Guard
  • Commissioned USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283), 15 December 1966
  • Decommissioned by the Coast Guard, 9 May 1978
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 August 1980, for $261,000, to Leven Metals Corp, San Jose, CA.,
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    As Built - 3,575 t.(lt) 6,515 t.(fl)
    Coast Guard 1967 - 3,052 t.(lt) 6,481 t.(fl)
    Length 269'
    Beam 63' 9"
    Draft 25' 9"
    Speed
    Max Sustained 13.4 kts, 30,929-mi radius (1967)
    Economic 11.6 kts, 32,485-mi radius (1967)
    Complement
    Navy 353
    Coast Guard 204
    Armament
    Navy - one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    Coast Guard - none
    Aircraft two helicopters
    Propulsion 6 Fairbanks Morse 10-cylinder diesels driving 6 Westinghouse DC generators which in turn drove 2 electric motors; two propellers, 5,000 SHP each
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Burton Island (AG-88 / AGB-1)
    Burton Island 28k Burton Island (AG-88) circa 1946-March 1949 The Burton Island Association
    Burton Island 55k Burton Island (AG-88) in the Arctic during "Exercise Barex-48", early 1948. Dan Guinn, USS LST-1110.org web site courtesy the H.A. Taylor Collection
    LST-1146 112k Burton Island (AG-88) and LST-1146 underway in Arctic waters during "Exercise Barex-48" early 1948.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1948.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Burton Island 98k Burton Island (AG-88) pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1948    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Burton Island 55k Burton Island (AG-88) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Note the Helicopter Utility Squadron (HU-1) Bell HTL "Sioux" (Bell model 47), H-13 helicopter approaching the ship. Harvey Golden
    Burton Island 78k Burton Island (AGB-1) at anchor off St. Lawrence Island in the middle of the Bering Sea, circa 1950.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 7252-10-50 taken by the ship's photographer PHSN W. L. Anderson. Burton Island was at Mare Island from 29 September to 4 December 1959.    		 Darryl Baker
    Burton Island/Atka/Glacier 98k From left to right, Burton Island (AGB-1), Atka (AGB-3) and Glacier (AGB-4) pushing an iceberg out of the channel near McMurdo Station, Antarctica, 29 December 1965.
    US Navy photo from DANFS.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Burton Island 262k Burton Island (AGB-1) circa March 1949-December 1966 The Burton Island Association
    Burton Island 34k Burton Island (AGB-1) circa March 1949-December 1966 The Burton Island Association
    USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283)
    Burton Island 20k USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283), during Operation Deep Freeze 1978 breaking out the channel to McMurdo Station. Photo by Keith Kuczka taken from the deck of USCGC Glacier
    Burton Island 41k USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283) post December 1966 The Burton Island Association
    View the Burton Island (AGB-1)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The Burton Island Association
    The CG History Center
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - Burton Island
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    Icebreaker (AGB) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 25 May 2007