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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AKA-77 Towner

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship
  • Laid down, 8 April 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1383), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 18 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS Towner (AKA-77), 3 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 10 June 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 13 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946
  • Withdrawn from the National Defense Reserve Fleet in early 1947 and towed to Bath, ME. for reconversion to commercial service.
  • Subsequently renamed SS Philippine Bear, SS Kaimana and SS Guam Bear, she was employed commercially until abandoned as a constructive total loss in March 1967
  • Final Disposition, abandoned as a constructive total loss in March 1967.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement Officers 62 Enlisted 333
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVPs
    eight LCMs
    Cargo Capacity 380,000 cu ft, (5,275 t.)
    Propulsion GE geared turbine drive, single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Towner 54k Towner (AKA-77) underway, circa 1944-45, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # NH 80011, courtesy of James Russell     		US Naval Historical Center
    View the Towner (AKA-77)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 15 December 2006