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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Comet (AP-166)

/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Whiskey - Papa NKWP

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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)

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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

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

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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

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
USS Comet (AP-166)
	95k	USS Comet (AP-166) underway, date and location unknown		Donated by the family of Frank Malinoski S1/c USS Comet
Commercial Service
	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
	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

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USS Comet (AP-166)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

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Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Stieglitz, Vard F. USNR	15 February 1944 - 9 July 1944
02	LCDR. Fonda, Theodore C.	9 July 1944 - 23 December 1944
03	LT. Blee, James B.	23 December 1944 - 6 February 1945
04	LCDR. Fonda, Theodore C.	6 February 1945 - ?
05	CDR. Flanagan, William Patrick	no dates

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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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 15 March 2013