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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Tangier (AV-8)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Xray - Foxtrot NAXF

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - 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

Tangier Class Seaplane Tender:

Laid down, 18 March 1939, as SS Sea Arrow under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 51) at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.

Launched, 15 September 1939

Delivered to the US Navy, 8 July 1940

Commissioned in ordinary, 8 July 1940, CDR. Clifton A. F. Sprague in command

Placed in full Commission after conversion as USS Tangier (AV-8), 25 August 1941

During World War II USS Tangier was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following actions/campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941	Western New Guinea operations Supporting and consolidating operations designated by Com 7th Flt, 1 August to 17 September 1944 Morotai landings, 14 September 1944
Bismarck Archipelago operations Admiralty Islands landings, 31 March to 17 April 1944

Following World War II USS Tangier was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East and China service for the following periods;

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
9 October to 23 November 1945	7 December 1945 to 6 February 1946
9 February to 23 March 1946

Decommissioned, circa January 1947 at Philadelphia, PA.

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia Group

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1961

Sold for scrapping, 17 November 1961, to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp.

Resold by Union Minerals and Alloys Corp. to Sea-Land Service in 1962, renamed SS Detroit, converted to a car carrier/container ship

Final Disposition, scrapped at Valencia, Spain in December 1974

USS Tangier earned three battle stars during World War II

Specifications:
Displacement 11,760 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(fl)
Length 492' 1"
Beam 69' 6"
Draft 23' 9"
Speed 18.7kts. (trial)
Complement

Officers - 120

Enlisted - 955
Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
Propulsion

one De Laval geared turbine

two Foster & Wheeler D-type boilers, 465psi 765°

double De Laval Main Reduction Gear

Ships Service Generators

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.

two Diesel-drive 500Kw 120V/240V D.C.

single propeller, 8,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Tangier (AV-8)
	55k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** at anchor, circa 1941, location unknown. US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
	552k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** at anchor off San Francisco on September 2, 1942. File name: AV 8 5301-9-42, Navy Photo, 9/2/42	Darryl Baker
	528k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** at anchor off San Francisco on September 2, 1942. File name: AV 8 5302-9-42, Navy Photo, 9/2/42	Darryl Baker
	37k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Haze Gray & Underway
	84k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8) off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA, circa August 1941. Tangier** was in overhaul at Mare Island from 29 August to 16 September 1941. US Navy photo # NH 50131, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	107k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** anchored off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA, circa August 1941. US National Archives photo # 19-N-25362, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	76k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** anchored off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA, circa August 1941. Note OS2U seaplanes on deck, aft. US National Archives photo # 19-N-25360, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	81k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** anchored at Noumea, New Caledonia, 14 April 1942. Note PBY-5 and an OS2U-2 on the seaplane deck, aft. US Navy photo # NH 97470, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	114k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** at anchor, circa 1943. The radar tower over the bridge and the small funnel extension were probably fitted during a refit at Oakland, California, in July to September 1942. US National Archives photo # 19-N-40106, RG-19 LCM, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Robert Hurst
	81k	Aft plan view of *USS Tangier* (AV-8)** berthed at San Francisco, 15 February 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1070.	Darryl Baker
	110k	Amidships looking forward plan view of *USS Tangier* (AV-8)** berthed at San Francisco, 15 February 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1072.	Darryl Baker
	98k	Bow on view of *USS Tangier* (AV-8)** off San Francisco, 17 February 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1053.	Darryl Baker
	87k	Stern view of *USS Tangier* (AV-8)** off San Francisco, 17 February 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1055.	Darryl Baker
	77k	Broadside view of *USS Tangier* (AV-8)** off San Francisco, 17 February 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1056.	Darryl Baker
	170k	A *USS Tangier* (AV-8)** liberty party on Los Negros Island, Admiralties, 14 June 1944. Their ship is anchored in the right distance. Note beer drinkers in the foreground, swimmers beyond and motor launch delivering more men to the pier, where they are collecting two bottles of beer apiece as they come ashore. A PBY seaplane is moored in the left center distance. US National Archives photo # 80-G-237133, a US Navy photo, now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Scott at LBS Products
	86k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** in the south Pacific area, July 1944. US Navy photo # NH 50132, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	118k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8)** anchored in the south Pacific area, July 1944. Note PBY patrol seaplane flying past, beyond her bow. US Navy photo # NH 97471, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	184k	*USS Currituck* (AV-7) (upper), and USS Tangier (AV-8) (lower) moored at Morotai October 1944, while supporting seaplane operations in connection with the Leyte invasion. Note aircraft rescue boats tied up alongside Tangier*, and OS2U float planes on both ships' seaplane decks. US National Archives photo # 80-G-1022364*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives	US Naval Historical Center
	96k	*USS Tangier* (AV-8) (center), and USS Coos Bay (AVP-25) (left), seen from USS Chandeleur (AV-10) as Tangier** steams out of Ominato, Japan, 16 October 1945. US National Archives photo # 80-G-266022, a US Navy photo, now in the collections of the National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
Commercial Service
	99k	Ex-USSTangier (AV-8) in commercial service as SS Detroit berthed at Bremerhaven, Germany the first time she called at that port, 4 May 1963.	Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
	317k	SS Detroit berthed at Bremerhaven, Germany, July 1971	Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
	338k	SS Detroit berthed at Bremerhaven, Germany, July 1971	Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus

USS Tangier (AV-8)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Sprague, Clifton Albert Frederick (21) :VADM	8 July 1940 to 1942
02	CDR. Switzer, Wendell Gray (Windy) (21-A) :VADM	1942 to August 1943
03	Young, Howard Leyland, CAPT (23)	August 1943 to 1 April 1944
04	Oliver, Richard Maxey, CAPT (23)	1 April 1944 to 4 January 1945
05	DeBaun, George Harbord, CDR (21-A):RADM	4 January 1945 to July1945
06	CAPT. Quackenbush Jr., Robert Stewart (27) :RADM	July 1945 to January 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
Pearl Harbor Action Report

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 22 July 2011