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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Guardian (AGR-1)
ex
 USS Guardian (YAGR-1) (1955 - 1958)


JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Culpeper (S)ierra - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (2-Cuba) - National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 March 1945, as SS James G. Squires, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 3137) at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL.
  • Launched, 8 May 1945
  • Delivered, 31 May 1945, to Waterman Steamship Co.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 5 October 1945, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Acquired by the Navy in 1954
  • Converted to a Radar Picket Ship at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Commissioned, USS Guardian (YAGR-1), 1 February 1955, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA., LCDR. Robert E. Euliss in command
  • Redesignated (AGR-1), 28 September 1958
  • Decommissioned, 28 July 1965
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping (PD-X-888) dated 23 November 1970, to Revalarizacion de Materiales, S. A. c/o Boston Metals Co. contract MA-6163, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet, 21 December 1970. scrapped in September 1971 at Bilbao, Spain
    Specifications:
    Displacement 10,760 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 24'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement
    13 officers
    138 enlisted
    Armament two 3"/50 guns
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO, 8.066 Bbls.
    Diesel, 68,267 gals.
    Fresh Water, 15,082 gals.
    Ballast, 1,326,657 gals fresh water
    Propulsion
    two 220 PSI boilers
    one 3 cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine,
    one 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller, 2,500shp
    two Ship's Service Generators
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By /
    Source
    USS Guardian (YAGR-1)
    Guardian
    09620106    		 67k Especially designed for the transport of Tanks and Boxed Airplanes the Z-EC-S-C5 type had the same hull-form as the EC2-S-C1 type but with large hatches and heavier loading gear. Typical for this type is the arrangement of two pairs of kingposts each on the forecastle and poop contrary to the two single kingposts on the forecastle and one kingpost on the poop with the EC2-S-C1 basic design. All vessels remained under US Flag and Registry after WWII and were laid up.
    United States Maritime Commission 1936 thru 1950    		 John Spivey
    Guardian 124k Aerial view of USS Guardian (YAGR-1) under way, 4 March 1955, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # USN 664547.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    USS Guardian (AGR-1)
    Guardian 123k USS Guardian (AGR-1) moored pierside, Boston, July 1960. © Richard Leonhardt
    Guardian 104k USS Guardian (AGR-1) moored pierside, date and location unknown
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, April 1955.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Guardian 35k USS Guardian (AGR-1) under way, date and location unknown
    US Navy photo from "Jane's Fighting Ships" 1958-59 Edition.    		 Robert Hurst
    Guardian 218k Aerial view of USS Guardian (AGR-1) under way, circa 1959-60, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Rodney Zehfus USS Guardian
    USS Guardian (YAGR-1 / AGR-1)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Euliss, Robert Eastman USN1 February 1955 - 6 January 1956YAGR-1
    02LCDR. Patterson Jr., Thomas John USN6 January 1956 - 9 March 1956YAGR-1
    03LCDR. Dyer, Donald Penfield USN9 March 1956 - 2 August 1958YAGR-1
    04LCDR. Rogers, Harry Melville (Mel) USN2 August 1958 - 1 August 1960 YAGR/AGR-1
    05LCDR. Ellis, Joseph H. USN1 August 1960 - 9 July 1963AGR-1
    06LCDR. Krantzman, Harry Morris, USN (USNA 1959)9 July 1963 - 28 July 1965AGR-1
    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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    YAGR's (Radar Picket Ships) Association
    Online Air Defense Radar Museum
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Radar Picket Ship (AGR) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 13 October 2023