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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by George Mc Leer

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Amphion (AR-13)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Yankee - November
NUYN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Dominican Republic, 1-Lebanon)



USS Amphion was transferred to Iran and renamed Chah Bahar (A 441)
Amphion Class Repair Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 September 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C3) hull, under a Maritime Commission contract, at Tampa Bay Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, FL.
  • Launched, 15 May 1945
  • Commissioned USS Amphion (AR-13), 30 January 1946, CAPT. Noble W. Abrahams USN in command
  • Decommissioned, 2 October 1971 and turned over to Iran the same day, renamed Chah Bahar (A 441)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1977 and sold outright to Iran, 1 March 1977
  • Final Disposition, sunk at her berth in Bandar Abbas, Iran, date unknown, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,826 t.(lt) 16,900 t.(lim)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 6"
    Draft 27' 6"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 67
    Enlisted 854
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 16,205 Bbls
    Diesel 3,575 Bbls
    Propulsion
    on Westinghouse Curtiss design steam turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 435psi 740°
    double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    four turbo-drive 750Kw 450V A.C.
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 8,500shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS Amphion (AR-13)
    Amphion
    09251311
    60k
    Namesake
    Amphion Builds Walls of Thebes - Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770)
    Amphion was a legendary king of Thebes in Greek mythology. A son of Zeus, Amphion would initially rule Thebes alongside his twin brother Zethus, but more famously, Amphion was married to Niobe, and was thus father of the Niobids
    Tommy Trampp
    Amphion 119k Amphion (AR-13) fitting out at Tampa Bay Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, FL., 4 January 1946, about two weeks before commissioning on 20 January 1946.
    US National Archives. Photo # unknown, RG-19-LCM, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Robert Hurst
    Amphion 89k Amphion (AR-13) under way during builder's trials near Tampa, FL., 15 January 1946, five days prior to commissioning on 20 January 1946.
    US National Archives. Photo # 80-G-36143, RG-19-LCM, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Robert Hurst
    Amphion
    09251314
    528k USS Amphion (AR-13) underway, circa 1950s, location unknown. Note the vehicle topside aft.
    Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum
    Darryl Baker
    Amphion 107k USS Amphion (AR-13) underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by Jim Young for
    Sam Waddington, MR2, USS Amphion 1959-1962
    Amphion
    09251313
    99k USS Amphion (AR-13) underway, circa 1960s, location unknown.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107755
    Robert Hurst
    Amphion 29k USS Amphion (AR-13) riding at anchor in the harbor at Kingston, Jamaica, February 1964.
    US Navy photo # NH 96656 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
    US Naval Historical Center
    Amphion 105k USS Amphion (AR-13) moored pierside at the "Army Piers" (Norfolk International Terminal), Norfolk, VA. in February 1966. George Mc Leer USS Amphion 1966 - 68, R-4 Div Electronics Repair Shop
    Amphion 127k USS Amphion (AR-13) underway off Hampton Roads, VA., 7 November 1969. The ship has lost her forward 5"/38 gun, and the small deckhouse near the bow has been greatly enlarged.
    US Navy photo # K-79354 from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.
    Robert Hurst
    Amphion 85k USS Amphion (AR-13) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Amphion
    09251312
    286k USS Amphion (AR-13) underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith
    Nicholas Tiberio

    Additional Ships Patches and Plaques
    Amphion
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski and
    Bob Roske
    USS Amphion 1968
    Amphion
    Contributed by George Mc Leer
    USS Amphion 1966-68
    R-4 Div Electronic Repair

    USS Amphion (AR-13)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Abrahams, Nobel Wayne, USN (USNA 1924)30 January 1946 - August 1947
    02CAPT. O'Brien, William John, USN (USNA 1925)August 1947 - September 1948
    03CAPT. Mackerracher, Robert Archibald, USN (USNA 1923)September 1948 - June 1949
    04CAPT. Kime, Frederick Donald, USN (USNA 1921A)June 1949 - July 1950
    05CAPT. McMillian, Douthey Gear, USN (USNA 1926)July 1950 - October 1951
    06CAPT. Johnson, Francis Joseph, USN (USNA 1929)October 1951 - July 1952
    07CAPT. Peters Jr., Francis Marion, USN (USNA 1931)July 1952 - August 1953
    08CAPT. Blaisdell, Norman Earl (Toots), USN (USNA 1932)August 1953 - July 1954
    09CAPT. Esslinger, Robert John, USN (USNA 1930)July 1954 - January 1956
    10CAPT. Lucas, Albert Davis, USN (USNA 1929)January 1956 - 30 January 1957
    11CAPT. Morland, John Benjamin, USN (USNA 1934)30 January 1957 - April 1958
    12CAPT. Philips, Robert Alonzo, USN (USNA 1935)April 1958 - June 1959
    13CAPT. Miller, Herman Edward, USN (USNA 1938)June 1959 - July 1960
    14CAPT. Rommel, Jr., Herbert Fox, USNJuly 1960 - August 1961
    15CAPT. Richardson, George Floyd, USN (USNA 1938)August 1961 - April 1962
    16CAPT. Crawford, Jr., John William, USNApril 1962 - 15 July 1963
    17CAPT. Reed, Dale Calvin, USN (USNA 1942)15 July 1963 - August 1964
    18CAPT. Shaw, Claude Bufford, USN (USNA 1942)August 1964 - June 1965
    19CAPT. Hydinger, Marlin Claude, USN June 1965 - 15 July 1966
    20CAPT. Wilson, Walter Kenneth, USN (USNA 1943)15 July 1966 - 25 May 1968
    21CAPT. Thompson, Bruce Robert, USN25 May 1968 - September 1969
    22CAPT. Thomson, Alexander Dingwall, USN (USNA 1949)September 1969 - 7 June 1971
    23CDR. Rivers, John Bentley, USN 7 June 1971 - 2 October 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    Last Updated 9 February 2024