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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Eldorado (LCC-11)
ex
USS Eldorado (AGC-11) (1944 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Delta - Bravo NWDB
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Delegate

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Fourth Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (8) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 2-Vietnam)
Fifth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (10) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (13) - United Nations Service Medal
Sixth Row - Philippines Liberation Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Mount McKinley Class Amphibious Force Command Ship:

Laid down, date unknown, as SS Monsoon, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1352) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. Wilmington, N.C.

Launched, 26 October 1943

Acquired by the Navy, 1 February 1944

Converted to an Amphibious Force Command Ship at Bethlehem Steel Corp. Brooklyn, N.Y.

Commissioned USS Eldorado (AGC-11), 26 August 1944, CAPT. J. R. Wallace in command

During World War II USS Eldorado (AGC-11) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 9 March 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Invasion and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 18 May 1945

Following World War II and the Korean War USS Eldorado was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
25 to 29 August 1947	1 April to 24 August 1947
2 to 15 June 1949	26 January to 31 May 1949
	19 to 22 June 1949
	4 May to 4 June 1955

During the Korean War USS Eldorado (AGC-11) participated in following campaigns

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
North Korean Aggression 14 to 15 September 1950 18 September to 2 November 1950	Communist China Spring Offensive 22 April to 30 May 1951 20 to 24 June 1951 27 June to 8 July 1951
Communist China Aggression 3 November 1950 to 13 January 1951	UN Summer-Fall Offensive 9 to 28 July 1951
Inchon Landing 16 to 17 September 1950	Third Korean Winter 23 February to 5 March 1953 25 to 30 April 1953
First UN Counter Offensive 15 February to 21 April 1951	Korea, Summer-Fall 1953 1 to 5 May 1953 10 to 19 June 1953 24 to 26 June 1953 25 to 27 July 1953

During the Vietnam War USS Eldorado (AGC-11 / LCC) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 26 November to 6 December 1965	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI 8 November to 17 December 1968 27 December 1968 to 3 January 1969 8 to 27 January 1969
Vietnam Counteroffensive 26 March to 6-April 1966	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 8 to 14 March 1970 3 to 7 April 1970
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 14 to 21 February 1967 5 to 13 March 1967 19 to 25 March 1967 17 April to 2 May 1967 17 to 31 May 1967	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 20 May to 5 June 1970
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 25 June 1967 2 to 31 July 1967	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII 16 to 25 July 1970 30 August to 1 September 1971 8 to 13-September 1971 30 October to 6 November 1971
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V 6 to 21 August 1968 28 August to 15 September 1968 3 to 18 October 1968	Consolidation II 9 to 11 December 1971 17 to 20 January 1972 24 to 27 January 1972

Redesignated Amphibious Command Ship (LCC-11), 1 January 1969

Decommissioned, 8 November 1972

Struck from the Naval Register, 16 November 1972

Transferred to MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Final Disposition, permanent title transferred to MARAD an sold the same day, 10 August 1973, to George Wang, shipbroker of San Francisco, CA for $155,140.00 on PD-X-961 from NISNF San Diego. Resold to David Purcell Export License # 73007 on 25 April 1974 so he could move ship to Taiwan to be used as a storage facility. Removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 5 September 1974 by MV Sea Giant enroute Taiwan.

USS Eldorado received two battle stars for World War II service, eight battle stars for Korean War service, and ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 7,500 t.(lt), 12,7500 t.(lim)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 28' 2"
Speed 16.4 kts. (trial speed)
Complement

officers 54

enlisted 579
Largest boom capacity 10 t.
Armament

two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

ten twin 20mm AA gun mounts
Ship's Service Generators

three turbo-drive 300Kw 120/240V D.C.

one diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
Fuel Capacities

NFSO 22,650 Bbls.

Diesel 700 Bbls.
Propulsion

one General Electric geared turbine

two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 450psi, 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gear

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	634k	Forward plan view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11) at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 20 November 1944. Eldorado** was in overhaul at Mare Island from 1 October to 22 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7052-44.	Darryl Baker and Ed Zajkowski
	481k	Aft plan view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 20 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7053-44.	Darryl Baker and Ed Zajkowski
	718k	Plan view amidships looking aft of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 20 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7051-44.	Ed Zajkowski
	670k	Plan view amidships looking forward of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 20 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7054-44.	Ed Zajkowski
	75k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** as she emerges from Mare Island after her overhaul, 22 November 1944. Improvements included addition of a height-finding SP radar (with surface search SG alongside) on the forward goalposts. The framework atop the after goalpost is an aircraft homing beacon. US Navy photos, and text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
	427k	Port broad side view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** departing Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 22 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo.	Robert Hurst and Ed Zajkowski
	477k	Stern quarter view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** departing Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 22 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7120-44.	Robert Hurst and Ed Zajkowski
	78k	Bows on view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** departing Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 22 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7116-44.	Darryl Baker
	309k	Stern view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** departing Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 22 November 1944. Navy Yard Mare Island photo.	Ed Zajkowski
	70k	Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal and operation leaders watch invasion activities from on board *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** off Iwo Jima, 20 February 1945. Those present are, from left to right: Secretary of the Navy Forrestal; Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith, USMC, Commander Expeditionary Troops; Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner, USN (largely hidden behind Smith), Commander Joint Expeditionary Force; and Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill, USN, Commander Attack Force. US National Archives photo # 80-G-312260, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Tracy White
	63k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** moored outboard of an unknown ship at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, circa late 1945. The bow of an LCI (possibly 1060 through 1069) is visible in the foreground. Photo by M.V. Moon USS LSM-463	Stephen Lansing for his father M.V. Moon USS LSM-463
	263k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11) moored to the right of USS Blower (SS-325) docked in ARD-32 at Mare Island, 1 August 1946. Yard Derrick YD-33 is aft of ARD-32** Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2786-46	Darryl Baker
	52k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** moored pierside at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 2 July 1948, while undergoing an inclining experiment. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle NARA Record Group 181.	Tracy White
	75k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Cliff Coffey
	98k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** top side view from port side looking forward while at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 2 July 1948 at the time of the inclining experiment. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle NARA Record Group 181.	Tracy White
	103k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** top side view forward of the bridge while at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 2 July 1948 at the time of the inclining experiment. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle NARA Record Group 181.	Tracy White
	95k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** top side view while at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 2 July 1948 at the time of the inclining experiment. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle NARA Record Group 181.	Tracy White
	425k	Aerial view of the south end of Mare Island Naval Ship, between 12 and 19 September 1946. Ships present include: *USS Oklahoma City* (CL-91) USS Safeguard (ARS-25) USS Avery Island (AG-76) USS Quapaw (ATF-110) USS Eldorado (AGC-11) USS Barricade (ACM-3) USS Fieberling (DE-640) AFD-6 USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752)** and Endicott (YM-12) *Safeguard* and *Avery Island* were at the yard for decontamination from the Bikini Island tests. *Oklahoma City* is about to be decommissioned; *Barricade* is about to be turned over to Coast Guard; *Endicott* dredging berth 18 and the others are in for repairs. US Navy photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
AGC 11 3628-46, Navy Photo, 10/18/46	185k	Bow view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11) at Mare Island Navy Yard on October 18, 1946. White circles indicate area modified during her overhaul at the yard. File name: AGC 11 3628-46, Navy Photo, 10/18/46 Midships looking aft view of USS Eldorado (AGC-11)** at Mare Island Navy Yard, 18 October 1946. File name: AGC 11 3630-46, Navy Photo, 10/18/46	Darryl Baker
AGC 11 3630-46, Navy Photo, 10/18/46	272k		Darryl Baker
AGC 11 3639-46, Navy Photo, 10/23/46	193k	Bow view of USS Eldorado (AGC 11) departing Mare Island Navy Yard on October 23, 1946. File name: AGC 11 3639-46, Navy Photo, 10/23/46 Board side view of USS Eldorado (AGC 11) departing Mare Island Navy Yard on October 23, 1946. File name: AGC 11 3641-46, Navy Photo, 10/23/46 Stern view of USS Eldorado (AGC 11) departing Mare Island Navy Yard on October 23, 1946. File name: AGC 11 3643-46, Navy Photo, 10/23/46	Darryl Baker
AGC 11 3641-46, Navy Photo, 10/23/46	291k
AGC 11 3643-46, Navy Photo, 10/23/46	177k
	87k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** top side aft, from port side, while at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 2 July 1948 at the time of the inclining experiment. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle NARA Record Group 181.	Tracy White
	81k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** top side view of stern, while at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 2 July 1948 at the time of the inclining experiment. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle NARA Record Group 181.	Tracy White
	84k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** off the invasion beaches at Inchon, Korea, September 1950. In the foreground is a Japanese manned LST unloading across the beach. US Navy photo # NH 97158 by Bumpus, one of Eldorado's photographers from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.	Robert Hurst
	71k	Aerial view of *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** date and location unknown.	Kathy Campbell for her son Charles Wayne Martin USS Eldorado
	484k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** "Church Call" summer 1952 while the ship was in Mare Island Naval Shipyard.	Kathy Campbell for her son Charles Wayne Martin USS Eldorado
	501k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** general mess galley crew, summer 1952 while the ship was in Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Group at left back to front; "Chief" Youngman, "Al" La Combe, Castro, Bill Garner, "Junior" Clark. Group at right back to front; unknown, unknown, unknown, Johnie Mewburn, unknown, Charles Wayne Martin, unknown.	Kathy Campbell for her son Charles Wayne Martin USS Eldorado
	140k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** Korean War service.	Russ Paten
	49k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Russ Padden
	132k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** underway, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	21k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)**, date and location unknown.	USS Cabildo (LSD-16) Association
	44k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Stanley C. Svec
	112k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1954	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	102k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** at anchor off the coast of South Korea. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, April 1957	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	52k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** at anchor off Taiwan, April 1960, during operation "Blue Star"	Photo by LT Erv Samuelson MC USN USS Wexford County
	66k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** moored alongside a decommissioned AGC at San Diego, September 1960	Lee Noland STGC USN Ret.
	99k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1962	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	91k	Damage to *USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)'s flight deck resulting from a collision with USS George Clymer (APA-27)** as both ships were getting underway to avoid a typhoon in July 1964. The photo was taken at Naval Ship Repair Facility Subic Bay, 31 July 1964.	Roger H. Shelton YN3 USS Eldorado
	64k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** moored pierside, South Korea, circa June 1963 to June 1965	Photo by Roger H. Shelton YN3 USS Eldorado June 63 to June 65
	127k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11) moored pierside, 32nd Street Naval Station San Diego, CA. with USS Bexar (APA-237) to starboard. Note the crew of Eldorado** in dress blues assembled on the helo deck for a ceremony, 1963.	Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USNR USS Renville
	28k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11) arriving at Subic Bay, P.I. to relieve USS Estes (AGC-12)** in November 1965.
	200k	*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** at anchor, circa 1969, location unknown. Photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History", by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
		*USS Eldorado* (AGC-11)** Decommissioning Program.	Ron Reeves

For more photos and information about USS Eldorado, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
USS Eldorado AGC-11
An Official History for USS Eldorado 1943 - 1954
USS Eldorado 1945 Cruise Book contributed by Hays Busch

Commanding Officers

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 8 February 2013

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Eldorado (LCC-11)ex USS Eldorado (AGC-11) (1944 - 1969)

USS Eldorado (LCC-11)
ex
USS Eldorado (AGC-11) (1944 - 1969)