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

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 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)
    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
    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
    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 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 1829k USS Pocono (AGC-16) moored at Pier 5 Naval Station Norfolk, VA., circa 1957-58. Gail Caster
    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 143k USS Pocono (AGC-16) underway, location unknown, 1965. .
    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
    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 (WTR-176) 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
  • USS Pocono Association
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Command Ship (AGC) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 22 March 2013