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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Towner (AKA-77)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - India - Zulu
NHIZ

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
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, CDR. Robert Park Erdman in command

During World War II USS Towner was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransRon Nineteen, COMO C. D. Edgar USN (12);
TransDiv Fifty-Five

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

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
6 to 14 September 1945	16 November to 2 December 1945
10 to 19 October 1945
25 October to 15 November 1945	28 October to 15 November 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Withdrawn from the National Defense Reserve Fleet in early 1947 and towed to Bath, ME.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

Merchant Service
Sold to Pacific Far East Lines Inc, 19 September 1947, renamed SS Philippine Bear
Sold to Trans-Pacific Co. March 1957
Renamed SS Kaimana, 13 November 1958
Sold to Darama Inc., 23 June 1959
Sold to Long Island Tankers Corp., 3 May 1960
Renamed SS Guam Bear, 13 July 1960
Sold to Pacific Far East Lines Inc., 7 September 1961

Final Disposition, declared a constructive total loss in March 1967, abandoned 3 July 1967

Specifications:
Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 14,160 t.(fl)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4"
Speed 16.5 kts.
Complement

Officers - 62

Enlisted - 333

Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Boats

fourteen LCVPs

eight LCMs

Cargo Capacity 5,275DWT

non-refrigerated 380,000 Cu ft.

Fuel Capacities

NSFO - 10,425 Bbls

Diesel - 805 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric geared turbine

two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gear

three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ships's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Towner (AKA-77)
	54k	*USS Towner* (AKA-77)** underway, circa 1944-45, location unknown. US Navy photo # NH 80011, courtesy of James Russell	US Naval Historical Center
Merchant Service Pacific Far East Lines
	344k	Ex-*USS Towner* (AKA-77)** in merchant service as the Pacific Far East Liner SS Guam Bear, circa 1960, location unknown, Photo copyrighted by A. Duncan.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
100207703	98k	SS Guam Bear (Ex-*USS Towner* (AKA-77)*) sinking in Apra Harbor, Guam after collison with the 19,291-ton Humble Oil tanker SS Esso Seattle* around 6:30AM, 14 January 1967, local time and date. *Guam Bear* was too seriously injured for further service and was abandoned and scuttled 3 July 1967.	John Spivey

USS Towner (AKA-77)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

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Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 15 December 2023