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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Gerd Matthes

USS Wolverine (IX-64)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Mike - November NWMN

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

Training Aircraft Carrier:

SS Seeandbee a side-wheel excursion steamer built in 1913 at American Shipbuilding Co., Wyandotte, MI.

Acquired by the Navy, 12 March 1942

Converted to a training aircraft carrier

Commissioned USS Wolverine (IX-64), 12 August 1942, at Buffalo, N.Y., CDR. George R. Fairlamb in command

Decommissioned, 7 November 1945

Struck from the Naval Register 28 November 1945

Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 21 November 1947 at Cleveland, OH. to A. F. Wagner Iron Works

Specifications:
Displacement 7,200 t.
Length 500'
Beam 98'
Draft 15' 6"
Speed 28 kts.
Complement 270
Armament none

Propulsion

two compound reciprocating engines

twelve coal fired Scotch boilers
Ship's Service Generators
three recip-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
one recip-drive 100Kw 120V D.C.

two sidewheels, 8000hp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
Commercial Service
	115k	Advertisements for SS Seeandbee service between Cleveland and Buffalo on Lake Erie.	Tommy Trampp
	121k		Tommy Trampp
	30k	The side-wheel steamer SS Seeandbee underway on Lake Erie in 1913. Photo from the State Historical Society of Colorado.	Tommy Trampp
	174k	Post Card image of the side-wheel steamer SS Seeandbee prior to WWII	Tommy Trampp
	77k	Side-wheel steamer SS Seeandbee prior to WWII	Haze Gray & Underway
	230k	The Cleveland & Buffalo Link side-wheel steamer SS Seeandbee moored pierside, August 1919, location unknown. Photo courtesy Maritime History of the Great Lakes.	Robert Hurst
USS Wolverine (IX-64)
	114k	SS Seeandbee at Buffalo, New York, in mid-1942. The massive wooden superstructure has been removed, and all that is left about forecastle deck level is four boiler uptakes, a structure over the engine room, and the paddle boxes. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 81057	Mike Green
US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # 81058	143k	SS Seeandbee under conversion from an excursion steamer to a training aircraft carrier, circa mid-1942 to mid-1943.	Tommy Trampp
	58k		Tommy Trampp
	90k	Wolverine (IX-64) running official trials off Buffalo, N. Y., 11 August 1942. US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No Photo No. 1996.488.019.012	Mike Green
	316k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** as she completes her fitting out in the summer of 1943. At left is the excursion steamer SS Greater Buffalo: her superstructure will soon be razed and a flight deck added. US Navy photo. Photo and text from "Aircraft Carriers of The World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia" by Roger Chesneau.	Robert Hurst
	80k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** probably photographed soon after completion. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 45092	Mike Green
	351k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Chicago harbor, 22 August 1943. Credits: "Navy Yearbook", Ed. by Phillip Andrews and Leonard Engel; Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1944	Derick S. Hartshorn
	35k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** moored pierside at Chicago, 15 January 1943.	Gerd Matthes
	308k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** lying at anchor in Lake Michigan on 6 April 1943. The black structure on the port side does not belong to the ship. US Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo # 1996.488.019.009.	Robert Hurst
	60k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64) and USS Sable (IX-81)** moored at Chicago, IL. date unknown.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	81k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan, date unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine April 1960	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	43k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan, date unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine April 1960. The arrow points to the paddle wheel.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	43k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan, date unknown. US Navy	Robert Hurst
	29k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan, date unknown. US Navy	Robert Hurst
	149k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan, date unknown. Photo from the collection of Ralph Matteson.	David Briedis
	2027k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64) and USS Sable (IX-81)** newspaper articles.	Ron Reeves
	45k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan with Chicago skyline in background, date unknown. US Navy photo.	Gerd Matthes
	41k	*USS Wolverine* (IX-64)** underway in Lake Michigan during training flight operations, date unknown. US Navy photos.	Gerd Matthes
	52k		Gerd Matthes

USS Wolverine (IX-64)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Fairlamb Jr., George Richardson	12 August 1942 - 1943
02	CDR. Bowman, Roscoe Leroy :RADM	1943 - 1944
03	CDR. Rigg, James Francis	January 1944 - ?
04	CAPT. DeWolfe, Robert Rathbun	May 1944 - 7 November 1945

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Warbird Information Exchange - USS Sable and Wolverine

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 5 July 2013