Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Watchman (AGR-16)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Victor - Delta
 NZVD
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Revlon (M)ike - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 January 1945, as SS Vernon S. Wood, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2343), at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL.
  • Launched, 20 February 1945
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 7 March 1945, to be operated by Overlakes Freight Co. under a Maritime Commission contract
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission in 1947 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Acquired by the US Navy in 1958 and converted to a Radar Picket Ship at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Commissioned, USS Watchman (AGR-16), 5 January 1959, LCDR Irvin Boaz in command
  • Decommissioned, 7 July 1965
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1965
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 3 October 1974 to American Ship Dismantlers
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,365 t.(fl)
    Length 441'
    Beam 59'
    Draft 22'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement 13 officers, 138 enlisted
    Armament two 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    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
    Filer & Stowell Co., of Milwaukee, WI. three cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine,
    Single 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller
    Shaft Horsepower, 2,500
    Two electric generators
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By
    Watchman 83k USS Watchman (AGR-16), entering San Francisco Bay, date unknown. Frank McNamara
    USS Watchman (AGR-16) Web Site
    Watchman 13k USS Watchman (AGR-16) underway, date and location unknown. Bill Bossert USS Tracer
    Watchman 67k USS Watchman (AGR-16) underway, circa 1960, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy W.H. Davis.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Watchman (AGR-16)
    DANFS history entry located on the USS Watchman (AGR-16) web site
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Boaz, Irvin5 January 1959 - 23 February 1960
    02LCDR. Tuttle, John Sherwood23 February 1960 - 2 April 1962
    03LCDR. Lawson, Dent Winfred2 April 1962 - 1 June 1963
    04LCDR. Cheatham, A. B.1 June 1963 - 7 July 1965
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    USS Watchman Additional Ships Patches
    Watchman
    Contributed by Frank McNamara    		 Watchman
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    USS Watchman (AGR-16)
    YAGR's (Radar Picket Ships) Association
    Online Air Defense Radar Museum
    Back To The Main Photo Index 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 25 April 2014