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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Coastal Crusader (AGS-36)
ex
 USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16)
 USAFS Coastal Crusader (ORV-16)
 USAT PVT. Joe R. Hastings


USNS Coastal Crusader was first acquired by the US Army, later the US Air Force and finally the US Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal
Coastal Crusader Missile Range Instrumentation Ship:
  • Projected by the Navy as Wexford (AK-220), 25 February 1945
  • Laid down (date unknown) as MV Wexford, a Maritime Commission type (C1-M-AV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2174) at Letham D. Smith Shipbuilders, Sturgeon Bay, WI.
  • Contract canceled in August 1945 due to cessation of hostilities
  • Renamed MV Coastal Crusader by the Maritime Commission, date unknown
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission in July 1945
  • Acquired by the US Army, date unknown, and placed in service by the US Army Transportation Service as USAT Pvt. Joe R. Hastings
  • Acquired by the US Air Force for conversion to a missile tracking ship, date unknown
  • Placed in service as Ocean Range Vessel USAFS Coastal Crusader (ORV-16) to be operated in support of the Air Force Eastern Test Range
  • Acquired by the US Navy in 1964 and placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation Service as a Special Mission Ship on the Eastern Test Range, USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16)
  • Placed out of service, date unknown
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Reclassified Survey Ship (AGS-36) in 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 30 April 1976
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by MARAD sale, 12 April 1977, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,366 t.(lt) 6,090 t.(fl)
    Length 338' 9"
    Beam 50' 4"
    Draft 17' 7"
    Speed 11.5 kts.
    Complement unknown
    Armament none
    Propulsion Diesel, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USAF Coastal Crusader (ORV-16)
    Coastal Crusader 54k USAFS Coastal Crusader (ORV-16) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGS-16)
    Coastal Crusader 25k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) under way, date and location unknown. Gunter Krebs
    Coastal Crusader 200k Coastal Crusader(T-AGM-16) under way, date and place unknown.
    Photo by C. M. Neale Route 3 Box 106 Charleston, SC    		 William Zarkas, Retired MSC Boatswain
    President, MSC Retiree Association
    Coastal Crusader 85k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) entering San Juan, passing Moro Castle, circa 1967 Bill McQueen
    Coastal Crusader 93k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) pierside, Port Canaveral, FL., date unknown. Photo by James W. Holloway, Jr. (deceased), submitted by Jim Holloway
    Coastal Crusader 88k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) pierside, Port Canaveral, FL., date unknown. Photo by James W. Holloway, Jr. (deceased), submitted by Jim Holloway
    Coastal Crusader 96k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) pierside, Port Canaveral, FL., view of foredeck, date unknown. Photo by James W. Holloway, Jr. (deceased), submitted by Jim Holloway
    Coastal Crusader 86k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) moored portside to and Sword Knot (T-AGM-13) moored starboard side to at Naval Facility Trinidad, circa 1967 Anonymous
    Coastal Crusader 110k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) moored pierside at Naval Facility Trinidad, circa 1967 Anonymous
    Coastal Crusader 55k Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) moored pierside at Naval Facility Trinidad, circa 1967 Anonymous
    Sword Knot 64k Sword Knot (T-AGM-13) moored starboard side to and Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) moored port side to at Naval Facility Trinidad, circa 1967 Anonymous
    ARD-18
    US Navy photo # 1572-005-075    		 374k USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) at Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp. shipyard, circa 1967-68. ARD-18 (center) was undergoing conversion to Medium Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock Endurance (ARDM-3).
    US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Ron Reeves
    ARD-18
    US Navy photo # 1572-002-039    		 364k
    USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Navy Survey Ships (AGS) Designator Listing
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To the Missile Range Instrumentation Ship (AGM)Photo Index Back To the Survey Ship (AGS) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 17 April 2015