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 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 (1)
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 (Click here to see full list of AV-8 Commanding Officers)
  • 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 Luzon operation
    3rd Fleet supporting operations, 27 January to 7 March 1945
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai Landings, 21 September to 1 December 1944     		.

  • 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)
    Tangier 55k USS Tangier (AV-8) at anchor, circa 1941, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 37k USS Tangier (AV-8) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Haze Gray & Underway
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 81k Aft plan view of USS Tangier (AV-8) berthed at San Francisco, 15 February 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1070.    		 Darryl Baker
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 98k Bow on view of USS Tangier (AV-8) off San Francisco, 17 February 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1053.    		 Darryl Baker
    Tangier 87k Stern view of USS Tangier (AV-8) off San Francisco, 17 February 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1055.    		 Darryl Baker
    Tangier 77k Broadside view of USS Tangier (AV-8) off San Francisco, 17 February 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1056.    		 Darryl Baker
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 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
    Tangier 317k SS Detroit berthed at Bremerhaven, Germany, July 1971 Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
    Tangier 338k SS Detroit berthed at Bremerhaven, Germany, July 1971 Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
    View the USS Tangier (AV-8)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Pearl Harbor Action Report
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Seaplane Tender (AV) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 11 September 2009

    Commanding Officers

    No. Name Dates
    01Sprague, Clifton Albert Frederick, CDR (20):VADM08.07.1940 to 00.00.1942
    02Switzer, Wendell Gray (Windy), CDR (21-A):VADM00.00.1942 to 00.08.1943
    03Young, Howard Leyland, CAPT (23)00.08.1943 to 01.04.1944
    04Oliver, Richard Maxey, CAPT (23)01.04.1944 to 04.01.1945
    05DeBaun, George Harbord, CDR (21-A):RADM04.01.1945 to 00.07.1945
    06Quackenbush Jr., Robert Stewart, CAPT (27):RADM00.07.1945 to 00.01.1946