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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AKS-4 Pollux


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Tango - November
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (5)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (6-Taiwan Straits, 1-Quemoy-Matsu, 7-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Philippine Liberation Medal
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Castor Class General Stores Issue Ship:
  • Laid down, 2 October 1941, as SS Nancy Lykes, a Maritime Commission type (C2-Cargo) hull, under a Maritime Commission contract at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Hoboken, N.J.
  • Launched, 5 February 1942
  • Purchased by the Navy, 23 March 1942
  • Converted to a General Stores Issue Ship at Robbins Dry Dock and Repair Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Commissioned USS Pollux (AKS-4), 27 April 1942, CAPT. E. J. Kidder in command
  • Decommissioned, 3 April 1950
  • Recommissioned, 5 August 1950
  • During the Korean War Pollux (AKS-4) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    30 October to 2 November 1950
    		 Communist China Spring Offensive
    3 to 4 May 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    3 November to 3 December 1950
    		 UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    22 to 23 September 1951
    First UN Counter Offensive
    31 January to 4 February 1951
    1 to 3 March 1951
    9 to 12 April 1951
    		 .

  • During the Vietnam War Pollux (AKS-4) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    23 August to 8 September 1965
    1 to 10 November 1965
    18 to 25 November 1965
    30 November to 2 December 1965
    		 Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 1 February 1968
    10 to 25 March 1968
    1 April 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    4 January to 13 January 1966
    19 to 31 January 1966
    5 to 15 March 1966
    26 March to 7 April 1966
    26 May to 4 June 1966
    14 to 25 June 1966
    		 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 to 18 April 1968
    25 May to 10 June 1968
    17 to 24 June 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    9 August to 4 September 1966
    16 to 28 October 1966
    3 to 14 November 1966
    26 December 1966 to 10 January 1967
    17 to 23 January 1967
    7 to 26 March 1967
    		 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    31 July to 18 A8ugust 1968
    24 August to 3 September 1968
    5 to 22 October 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 to 17 June 1967
    4 to 19 August 1967
    29 August to 7 September 1967
    17 October to 3 November 1967
    9 to 16 November 1967
    31 December 1967 to 16 January 1968
    23 to 29 January 1968
    		 .

  • Decommissioned, 31 December 1968 at Yokosuka, Japan
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 January 1969
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 September 1969, to Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Japan
  • Pollux received five battle stars for Korean War service and seven campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,350 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 5"
    Speed 17 kts.
    Complement 315
    Armament
    one 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Propulsion steam turbine, single shaft, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Pollux 70k Pollux (AKS-4) underway off Boston Navy Yard, circa April 1942.
    A US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, College Park, MD., RG-80, Box 43, # 10260.    		 Dan Treadwell
    Pollux 32k Pollux (AKS-4) underway, 19 June 1943, location unknown.
    USN ONI photo.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Pollux 24k Pollux (AKS-4) underway, date and location unknown. Gunter Krebs
    Pollux 82k Forward port quarter view Pollux (AKS-4) while underway off Navy Supply Center Oakland, CA., 7 January 1952.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 11505-1-52, 1/7/52    		 Darryl Baker
    Pollux 91k Pollux (AKS-4) moored at Naval Station Subic Bay, P.I.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1959    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Pollux 97k Pollux (AKS-4) at anchor off the coast of Japan. The active volcano Mount Sakurajima is visitable off her starboard beam.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1964    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Castor 40k Pollux (AKS-4) moored pierside aft of Castor (AKS-1), date unknown and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1968 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Perkins 122k Pollux (AKS-4) during a replenishment at sea with Perkins (DDR-877) and Oriskany (CVA-34) off Okinawa in 1960. Doug Smith
    View the Pollux (AKS-4)
    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
    USS Pollux AKS-2 and AKS-4
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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 13 July 2007