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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Pocono (LCC-16)
ex
 USS Pocono (AGC-16) (1945 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Delta - Whiskey
 NWDW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (6-Cuba) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon, 1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic)
Adirondack Class Amphibious Force Flagship:
  • Laid down, 30 November 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC 1707) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 25 January 1945
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 15 February 1945
  • Towed to Boston for completion as an Amphibious Force Flagship
  • Commissioned USS Pocono (AGC-16), 29 December 1945, CAPT H. A. Sailor, in command
  • Decommissioned, 19 June 1949, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Towed to Bayonne, N.J. for lay up in the Bayonne Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 18 August 1951
  • Reclassified Amphibious Command Ship (LCC-16), 16 November 1968
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1976
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for non transportation use to Union Medals and Alloys, 9 December 1981 (PD-X-1043 dated 26 October 1981) for $145,000.00, delivered to buyer, 21 January 1982, presumed scrapped
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,240 t (lt), 12,750 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 16.4 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 54
    Enlisted 579
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO - 20,300 Bbls
    Diesel - 710 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    Ships Service Generators
    three turbo-drive 500Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Pocono (AGC-16)
    Pocono
    10011629    		 62k
    Namesake
    Pocono - The Pocono Mountains are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. The name Pocono is derived from the Munsee word Pokawachne, which means "Creek Between Two Hills". (Wikipedia)
    Photo - Scenic view of Tank Hollow in the Pocono Mountians. Photo by Jim Thorpe
    Map Pennsylvania Geological Survey of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Physiographic Provinces of Pennsylvania.
    Sevon, W. D., compiler, 2000, Physiographic provinces of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Map 13, scale 1:2,000,000." (Wikipedia)    		 Tommy Trampp
    Pocono
    10011630    		 2644k
    Pocono
    10011628    		 49k Pocono (AGC-16) launching party, 25 Janaury 1945, at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, N.C. Left to right are: Mrs. Burgess Lawson, matron of honor: Master R. S. Holloway, of Messick, Va., Mrs. Charlene Ward, matron of honor, of Messick; K. b. Holloway, uncle of the sponsor, and leading assistant foreman of the Yard’s Fitters Dept.; Miss Mary Virginia Carmines, sponsor, of Messick, Va.; Burgess Lawson, Mrs Bloxton W S McMahon, assistant to the vice president and general manager of the company, and Mrs Katherine Holloway of Messick, Va. The U. S. S. Pocono, named for a range of mountains in Pennsylvania, was the 198th ship to go down the ways of the yard.
    The Wilimigton Morning Star, Wilmington, N.C., 26 January 1945, page three    		 Michael Mohl
    Pocono 95k USS Pocono (AGC-16) underway, 18 March 1946, location unknown. Pocono eliminated some of the merchant ship features of the earlier AGCs; she had only a pole mast aft, and her two forward kingposts were made considerably lighter. The port kingpost carries radar direction finders. She also has a much-reduced boat outfit.
    US navy photo, and text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    Pocono 92k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored pierside, location unknown, 1953. Mel Nelson YN3, USN
    Member Admiral Jonas Ingram's
    staff during WWII
    Pocono
    10011631    		 97k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored pierside at Naval Station Norfolk, VA., 16 September 1953. The repair ship USS Amphion (AR-13) is partly visible on the left.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Siboney (CVE-112) 1953 cruise book.
    BB-44 California 138k Reserve Fleet Basin, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania. Photographed on 19 May 1955 with numerous cruisers, escort carriers, and auxiliaries in reserve. The nearest ship is the never-completed
    Hawaii (CB-3), which lacks her previously-installed three 12" gun turrets.
    The cruisers outboard of Hawaii are (in unknown order)
    Honolulu (CL-48),
    Columbia (CL-56),
    Denver (CL-58),
    Galveston (CL-93), and
    Portsmouth (CL-102).
    To their left are
    Tranquility (AH-14),
    Sanctuary (AH-17), and
    Pocono (AGC-16).
    Behind Hawaii (from left to right) are
    Montpelier (CL-57),
    Houston (CL-81),
    Huntington (CL-107),
    Savannah (CL-42),
    Cleveland (CL-55), and
    Wilkes-Barre (CL-103).
    Beyond them (from left to right) are
    Wichita (CA-45),
    Oregon City (CA-122),
    Chester (CA-27), and
    New Orleans (CA-32).
    The cruisers on the left side of the basin (from front to rear) are
    Minneapolis (CA-36),
    Tuscaloosa (CA-37),
    San Francisco (CA-38),
    Augusta (CA-31),
    Louisville (CA-28), and
    Portland (CA-33).
    Among the other ships in reserve in the basin are
    Fomalhaut (AE-20),
    Webster (ARV-2),
    Albemarle (AV-5),
    Tangier (AV-8),
    Pocomoke (AV-9),
    Chandeleur (AV-10),
    Abatan (AW-4),
    Mission San Carlos (AO-120),
    Prince William (CVE-31),
    Anzio (CVE-57),
    Block Island (CVE-106),
    Palau (CVE-122), and
    San Carlos (AVP-51).
    Moored in the shipyard at the extreme left are
    Tennessee (BB-43),
    California (BB-44), and
    Cabot (CVL-28).
    US Navy Photo # 80-G-668655, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Taconic 594k USS Taconic (AGC-17), USS Pocono (AGC-16), USS Valley Forge (CVS-45) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59) moored at Naval Station Norfolk, circa March 1956.
    US Navy from "All Hands" magazine, March 1956 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Pocono 322k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored pierside circa August 1956, Naval Station, Norfolk, VA.
    US National Archives Identifier #6929436 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		  
    Pocono
    6929437    		 204k USS Pocono (AGC-16) at anchor in Hampton Roads, 28 August 1956.
    US National Archives Identifiers
    6929437
    6929434
    6929434    , US Navy photos now in the collections of the US National Archives    		  
    Pocono
    6929433    		 213k
    Pocono
    6929434    		 223k
    Pocono 75k Starboard side view of USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored pierside at Naval Station, Norfolk, VA., in May 1957. Photo by Derick S. Hartshorn
    Pocono 77k Starboard aft quarter view of USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored pierside at Naval Station, Norfolk, VA., in May 1957. Photo by Derick S. Hartshorn
    Pocono 511k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored at Pier 5 Naval Station Norfolk, VA., circa 1957-58. Gail Caster
    Pocono
    10011627    		 279k USS Pocono (AGC-16) underway, circa late 1960s, location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collection of ENC James Center    		 Jason Post
    Pocono 156k USS Pocono (AGC-16) operating with an amphibious force circa the 1960s.
    Photo courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Mike Green
    Pocono 776k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored at Genoa, Italy, 20 April 1960. Note the Helicopter Utility Squadron Two (HU-2) Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever on the flight deck. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Pocono 46k USS Pocono (AGC-16) being assisted by the large harbor tug Oshkosh (YTB-757) at Naval Operating Base (NOB) Norfolk, VA., circa 1961.
    US Navy photo contributed to the National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors by Rolan Conoley.     		Robert Hurst
    Pocono 97k USS Pocono (AGC-16) underway off NOB Norfolk, VA, August 1964 © Richard Leonhardt
    Pocono 431k USS Pocono (AGC-16) underway, location unknown, 1965. Robert Hurst
    Pocono 106k USS Pocono (AGC-16) underway in October 1964 during Operation Steel Pike I Jim McCoy
    Pocono 695k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored aft of USS Taconic (AGC-17), probably on the breakwater at Naples, Italy, date unknown. Gail Caster
    Pocono 103k USS Pocono (AGC-16) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Pocono (LCC-16)
    Pocono 377k First day postal cover for USS Pocono's change of designation on 16 November 1968 from AGC-16 to LCC-16. Richard Hoffner
    Pocono 58k USS Pocono (LCC-16) moored pierside at San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1969.
    US Navy photo courtesy Lou Sanders.    		 Robert Hurst
    Pocono 69k USS Pocono (LCC-16) showing damage to her bow after colliding with USCGC Courier (WAGR-410) in June 1970. Chuck Grecco USS Pocono (AGC-16), 1970.
    Pocono 86k Overhead view of USS Pocono (LCC-16) underway off the coast of Lebanon during the Suez Canal crisis of 1958.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert M. Cieri

    For more photos and information about USS Pocono, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • USS Pocono Association
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Sailor, Hobart Andrew12 December 1945 - 3 September 1946
    02CAPT. Briggs, Harold Melvin, USN (USNA 1927) :RADM03 September 1946 - 13 November 1947
    03CAPT. Demarest, Harold Raymond13 November 1947 - 9 February 1949
    04CAPT. Pohl, Harold John9 February 1949 - 11 April 1949
    05CDR. Hollingsworth, Albert Francis11 April 1949 - 29 June 1949
     Decommissioned29 June 1949 - 18 August 1951
    06CAPT. Hull, Robert Vance18 August 1951 - 8 July 1952
    07CAPT. Johnson, Paul Fisher :RADM8 July 1952 - 7 August 1953
    08CAPT. Webster, John Alden7 August 1953 - 4 August 1954
    09CAPT. Steffen, E. C.4 August 1954 - 9 January 1955
    10CAPT. Small, Selden C.9 January 1955 - 9 June 1956
    11CAPT. Dropp, Anthony Henry9 June 1956 - 5 May 1957
    12CAPT. Smith, Charles Hubert :RADM5 May 1957 - 7 May 1958
    13CAPT. Thompson Jr., Raymond Webb7 May 1958 - 20 February 1959
    14CDR. Conner, Terrell Hoyt Woodward, USN (USNA 1937)1959 - 1959
    15CAPT. Loyall, Julius Arthur20 February 1959 - 26 March 1960
    16CAPT. Linehan, Joseph David26 March 1960 - 17 March 1961
    17CAPT. Reed, John W. (Jake)17 March 1961 - 17 February 1962
    18CAPT. Gentry, William Wayne17 February 1962 - 22 May 1963
    19CAPT. Carlson, Ralph Bager 22 May 1963 - 25 August 1964
    20CAPT. Lee, Florn Lamar25 August 1964 - 18 May 1965
    21CAPT. Vitucci, Vito Louis18 May 1965 - 1 August 1966
    22CAPT. Dyar Jr., Joseph E., USN (USNA 1944)1 August 1966 - 28 July 1967
    23CAPT. Barkley, Paul Henry, USN28 July 1967 - 10 January 1969
    24CAPT. Vaught, William J.10 January 1969 - 9 January 1970
    25CAPT. Rilley Jr., James Daniel. USN9 January 1970 - 16 January 1971
    26CAPT. Hancock, David Louis, USN (USNA 1947)16 January 1971 - 25 June 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 25 August 2023