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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Bluebird (ASR-19)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Oscar - Bravo
 NJOB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal

USS Bluebird was transferred to Turkey, renamed TCG Kurtaran (A584)
Penguin Class Submarine Rescue Ship:
  • Laid down as Fleet Ocean Tug, Yurok (AT-164) at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Reclassified, Submarine Rescue Ship, ASR-19 7 November 1945
  • Renamed Bluebird and Launched, 3 December 1945
  • Commissioned USS Bluebird (ASR-19), 28 May 1946, LCDR. Paul R. Hodgson in command
  • Between 1947 and 1950 USS Bluebird (ASR-19) was assigned to Occupation service and China service for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    10 to 11 May 194714 May to 12 October 1947
    17 to 21 October 19471 to 4 August 1949
    8 to 27 August 194926 to 29 November 1949
    11 to 30 October 1949 
    20 June 1949 to 15 July 1950 

  • Decommissioned, 15 August 1950 and simultaneously transferred to the Turkish Navy, renamed TCG Kurtaran (A584)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 26 September 1950
  • Current Disposition, active Turkish Navy
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,740 t.
    Length 205'
    Beam39' 3"
    Draft 15' 6"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 6
    Enlisted 199
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 20mm AA gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 2,310 Bbls
    Propulsion
    four General Motors Diesel 12-278A main engines driving four General Electric generators
    three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller, 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Bluebird (ASR-19)
    Bluebird 412k USS Bluebird (ASR-19) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photos.    		 Scott Koen
    Bluebird 411k
    Bluebird 220k
    Bluebird 89k USS Bluebird (ASR-19) underway, location unknown, circa 1946.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-95805, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Bluebird 75k USS Bluebird (ASR-19) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Bluebird 56k USS Bluebird (ASR-19) underway at Tsingtao, China, 1947. Henry Wristen USS Bluebird
    Bluebird 133k USS Bluebird (ASR-19) underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst

    Contributed by Yucel M. Umar GMC Turkish Navy Retired

    TCG Kurtaran (A584)
    Bluebird
    09321938    		 423k TCG Kurtaran (A584) underway in Valletta Harbor, Malta, circa 1961.
    Photo by A. & J. Pavia     		Jacques Druel and Robert Hurst
    Bluebird 45k TCG Kurtaran (A584) moored to a buoy circa 1966. Robert Hurst
    Bluebird 94k TCG Kurtaran (A584) underway, date and location unknown. Yucel M. Umar GMC Turkish Navy Retired and Cüneyt Demir
    Bluebird 151k TCG Kurtaran (A584) underway, date and location unknown. Cüneyt Demir
    Bluebird 227k TCG Kurtaran (A584) moored, date and location unknown. Cüneyt Demir
    Bluebird 81k Drawings of TCG Kurtaran (A584) unknown by Cüneyt Demir.  
    Bluebird 50k
    Bluebird 71k TCG Kurtaran (A584) in the harbor at Valletta Harbor, Malta, circa 1971.
    Photo by A. & J. Pavia, from "Jane's Fighting Ships" 1971-22 edition.    		 Robert Hurst

    For more photos and information about USS Bluebird, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • Photo Collection of Yucel M. Umar GMC Turkish Navy Retired
    • Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Hodgson, Paul Russell28 May 1946 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF) Photo Index Back To The Submarine Rescue Ship (ASR) 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 27 October 2023