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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)

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 Squires, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 3171) 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, 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
    Capacities
    Fuel Oil, 443,646 gals.
    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,
    Shaft Horsepower 2,500
    Electric Generators 2
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By /
    Source
    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) underway, 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) underway, circa 1959-60, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Rodney Zehfus USS Guardian
    USS Guardian (YAGR-1 / AGR-1)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Euliss, Robert E.1 February 1955 - 6 January 1956YAGR-1
    02LCDR. Patterson Jr., Thomas John6 January 1956 - 9 March 1956YAGR-1
    03LCDR. Dyer, Donald P.9 March 1956 - 2 August 1958YAGR-1
    04LCDR. Rogers, Harry Melville2 August 1958 - 1 August 1960 YAGR/AGR-1
    05LCDR. Ellis, Joseph H.1 August 1960 - 9 July 1963AGR-1
    06LCDR. Krantzman, Harry Morris9 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
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 April 2012