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

USS Comet (AP-166)

/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Whiskey - Papa
NKWP
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 15 June 1944, Saipan)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)


La Salle Class Transport:
  • Laid down as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 293) at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.
  • Launched, 21 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS Comet (AP-166), 15 February 1944, CDR. Vard F. Stieglitz, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Comet was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 22 June 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 23 to 29 July 1944
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 11 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 22 October 1944
     

  • Decommissioned, 14 August 1946, at Seattle, WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal, date unknown
  • Commercial Service
  • Sold in 1948 for commercial service by the Maritime Administration to American Pioneer Lines, renamed SS Pioneer Reef
  • Sold in 1965 and renamed SS Australian Reef
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in May 1970
  • USS Comet received three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 23' (lim)
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 24
    Enlisted 252
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 75
    Enlisted 1,500
    Cargo Capacity 2,100 DWT
    refrigerated 10,321 Cu ft
    non-refrigerated 135,935 Cu ft
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 10,300 Bbls
    Diesel 880 bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Foster Wheeler D-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three 250Kw 240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000hp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Comet (AP-166)
    Comet 95k USS Comet (AP-166) underway, date and location unknown Donated by the family of Frank Malinoski S1/c USS Comet
    Commercial Service
    Comet 145k Ex-Comet (AP-166) in commercial service as the American Pioneer Lines SS Pioneer Reef, berthed at the Wooloomooloo Docks, Sydney, Australia, late-1950s. Note she is in U.S Lines colors. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Comet 307k SS Pioneer Reef approaching Adelaide, South Australia in the early Sixties. This photograph was originally copyrighted by British ship photo dealer Alex Duncan, from whom I had bought this copy. Gerhard Mueller-Debus

    USS Comet (AP-166)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Stieglitz, Vard F. USNR15 February 1944 - 9 July 1944
    02LCDR. Fonda, Theodore C.9 July 1944 - 23 December 1944
    03LT. Blee, James B.23 December 1944 - 6 February 1945
    04LCDR. Fonda, Theodore C.6 February 1945 - ?
    05CDR. Flanagan, William Patrickno dates
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Transport (AP) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 March 2013