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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AGC / LCC-12 Estes

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Delta - Echo

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom. left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (4-Vietnam)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - United Nations Service Medal - Philippine Liberation Medal
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (2) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

Mount McKinley Class Amphibious Force Command Ship:

Laid down as Morning Star, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1353) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. Wilmington, N.C.

Launched, 1 November 1943

Transferred to the Navy, 22 February 1944

Commissioned USS Estes (AGC-12), 9 October 1944, CDR. R. 0. Mathews in command

During World War II Estes (AGC-12) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima 16 to 19 February 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto operation 4 March to 24 April 1945

Decommissioned, 30 June 1949

Recommissioned, 31 January 1951

During the Korean War Estes (AGC-12) participated in the following campaigns:

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 25 July to 2August 1951 8 to 17 September 1951 21 to 23 October 1951 26 October to 1 November 1951	Second Korean Winter 3 to 7 December 1951 10 to 17 January 1952 27 January to 1 February 1952 to 9 March 1952

During the Vietnam War Estes (AGC-12 / LCC-12) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Defense Campaign 4 to 15 July 1965 17 to 23 August 1965 20 September to 3 October 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 3 to 14 April 1968 9 to 20 May 1968 28 May to 20 June 1968 28 to 30 June 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 30 August 1966 9 September 1966 18 to 20 October 1966 29 November to 1 December 1966 3 to 13 January 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 to 20 July 1968
Tet Counteroffensive 12 February to 1 March 1968 17 to 22 March 1968	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 26 August to 4 September 1969

Designation changed to (LCC-12), 1 January 1969

Decommissioned, 31 October 1969

Laid up in the Reserve Fleet

Struck from the Naval Register, 30 July 1976 and custody transferred to MARAD

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by MARAD, 1 December 1977

Estes received two battle stars for World War II service, two for Korean war service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 7,240 t.(lt) 12,750 t.(fl)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 24'
Speed 16 kts.
Armament

two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

ten twin 20mm AA gun mounts
Complement 54 Officers, 633 Enlisted
Propulsion geared turbine engine, single screw, 6,000shp

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
26k	Estes (AGC-12) at anchor in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island, Philippines, circa August 1945.	Photo by Bernard L. De Noma LCT 725
61k	Menu cover commemorating Estes (AGC-12) first anniversary of commissioned service, 9 October 1945	Richard C Preall, Chief Master Sergeant US Army Ret
50k	Estes (AGC-12), starboard broadside view, underway in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 28 July 1947. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo # NY8-1060 now in the collections of the Seattle Branch of the US National Archives.	Tracy White
51k	Estes (AGC-12), starboard bow view, underway with the assistance of a navy tug in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 28 July 1947. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo # NY8-1061 now in the collections of the Seattle Branch of the US National Archives.	Tracy White
47k	Estes (AGC-12), stern view, underway with the assistance of a navy tug in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 28 July 1947. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo # NY8-1062 now in the collections of the Seattle Branch of the US National Archives.	Tracy White
46k	Estes (AGC-12), head on view, underway with the assistance of a navy tug in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 28 July 1947. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo # NY8-1063 now in the collections of the Seattle Branch of the US National Archives.	Tracy White
41k	Estes (AGC-12), stern view, underway in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 28 July 1947. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo # NY8-1064 now in the collections of the Seattle Branch of the US National Archives.	Tracy White
62k	Estes (AGC-12) underway, date and location unknown.	.
72k	Estes (AGC-12) underway, date and location unknown.	.
64k	Estes (AGC-12) at anchor, date and location unknown.	Joe Fyke
101k	Estes (AGC-12) underway, date and location unknown.	.
128k	Estes (AGC-12) underway, date and location unknown.	.
72k	Estes (AGC-12) arrives at Seattle, WA. for the 1962 World's Fair. The 600-foot 'space needle' stands in the background. US Navy photo for All Hands magazine, August 1962.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.	.