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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

T-AO-126 Mission San Juan

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Papa - Zulu

T-AGM-21 Flagstaff / T-AGM-21 Mercury

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

National Defense Service Medal

Mission Buenaventura Class Fleet Oiler / Vanguard Class Missile Range Instrumentation Ship:

Laid down, 30 July 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC 1280) at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA.

Launched, 14 October 1943

Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 31 January 1944 upon completion, for charter to Deconhill Shipping Co.

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 9 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL.

Acquired by the US Navy, 21 November 1947

Designated Mission San Juan (AO-126), and assigned to the Naval Transportation Service (NTS)

Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and placed in service as USNS Mission San Juan (T-AO-126)

Placed out of service, struck from the Naval Register, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX. 12 February 1958

Reacquired by the Navy, 28 October 1964, for conversion at General Dynamics Shipyard, Quincy, MA., to a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship

Renamed USNS Flagstaff (T-AGM-21), 8 April 1965

Renamed USNS Mercury (T-AGM-21), 1 September 1965

Accepted by (MSTS) for service, 16 September 1965

Placed out of service and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, 29 October 1969

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Sold, 23 June 1970, to Matson Navigation Co. for conversion to a bulk-carrier at Willamette Iron & Steel,,Portland, OR., renamed SS Kopaa

Sold in February 1981 to California & Hawaii Sugar Co.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping at Taiwan in October 1984

Specifications:
Displacement

(AO) 5,532 t.(lt) 23,350 t.(fl)

(AGM) 13,882 t.(lt) 24,761 t.(fl)
Length

(AO) 523' 6"

(AGM) 595'
Beam

(AO) 68'

(AGM) 75'
Draft 30' (max)
Speed 14 kts.
Complement

(AO) 42 mariners, 17 Navy Armed Guard

(AGM) 49 mariners, 18 scientific staff
Armament

(AO) one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts, four twin 40mm AA gun mounts, 4 twin 20mm AA gun mounts

(AGM) none
Propulsion Turbo-electric, two boilers, eight Westinghouse turbo-generators, single screw, 10,000hp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
USNS Mercury (T-AGM-21)
	63k	Mercury (T-AGM-21) while berthing at Sidney Harbour, Australia, in 1969. *Mercury* was part of the command and control network for the Apollo 9 and 10 missions while in Sydney.	Photo from the collection of CAPT. William Strain, USNR-R, Chief Engineer USNS Mercury late 1960s. Submitted by his son-in-law CAPT Joe A. Baker USN (Ret).
	70k	Mercury (T-AGM-21) moored pierside at Port Canaveral, circa 1967/68. US Navy photo.	Robert Hurst
Commercial Service
	83k	Ex-Mercury (T-AGM-21) underway as the Matson Navigation Co.'s SS Kopaa, date and location unknown. ©Ackroyd.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	439k	SS Kopaa dry docked at Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., September 1978.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus

View the Mission San Juan (T-AO-126) / Mercury (T-AGM-21)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
No Information Available

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Last Updated 17 August 2007