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Williamsburg (AGC-369)
ex-PG-56



Call sign:
November - Alpha - Sierra - Mike

Williamsburg served both the U. S. Navy and the National Science Foundation.

Patrol Gunboat: Laid down 19 March 1930 as Aras II at Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, ME; Launched, 8 December 1930; Acquired by the Navy, 24 April 1941 and renamed Williamsburg; Classified as a Patrol Gunboat, PG-56, 23 June 1941 and converted for Naval service at the Brewer Drydock and Repair Co., Brooklyn, NY; Commissioned USS Williamsburg (PG-56), 7 October 1941 at New York Navy Yard; Redesignated as a General Communications Vessel, AGC-369, 10 November 1945 and designated as the Presidential Yacht; Decommissioned, 30 June 1953 at the Washington Navy Yard; Struck from the Navy Register 1 April 1962; Transferred to the National Science Foundation for oceanographic service and renamed Anton Bruun; Damaged beyond economical repair in 1968 in a drydock sinking; Sold at auction later in 1968 and renamed Williamsburg; Offered for sale by the Maritime Administration and acquired by a commercial concern for use as a combination hotel-restaurant-museum; Ownership transferred to the Presidential Yacht Trust; Transferred to the USS Williamsburg Corp. 15 April 1993; Scrapped at La Spezia, Italy.

Specifications: Displacement 1,820 t.(fl); Length 224'; Beam 36'; Draft 16'; Speed 16 kts.; Complement 81; Armament two 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts, six .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. Lewis machine guns, two dct, one "Y" gun, 16 rifles, and 10 pistols; Propulsion two 2,200bhp Winton diesel engines, two shafts.

Click on thumbnail
for full size image		 Size Image Description Source
Yacht Aras II
Williamsburg 80k c. 1931
The yacht Aras II
U.S. Navy photo from the June 2005 edition of Naval History magazine		 Joe Radigan
USS Williamsburg (PG 56)
Williamsburg 137k c. May 1945
Wearing Navy gray, the Williamsburg steams near the end of her tour as flagship for Commander, Fleet Operational Training Command, Atlantic Fleet, by which time her displacement had risen to 2,102 tons
full load
U.S. Navy photo from the June 2005 edition of Naval History magazine		 Joe Radigan
USS Williamsburg (AGC 369)
Williamsburg 112k Seen here as Presidential Yacht Williamsburg (AGC 369) on the Potomac sometime after WW II
U.S. Navy photo		 Haze Gray & Underway web site
Williamsburg 48k U.S. Navy photo Robert Hurst
Williamsburg 144k President Truman boarding Williamsburg (AGC-369) in 1946
U.S. Navy photo		 Haze Gray & Underway web site
Williamsburg 62k c. February 1948
San Juan, Puerto Rico
U.S. Navy photo from the June 2005 edition of Naval History magazine		 Joe Radigan
Williamsburg 215k U.S. Navy photo from the July 1950 edition of All Hands magazine Joe Radigan
Williamsburg 117k c. 1948/1951
Key West, FL
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 105k c. 1948/1951
Key West, FL
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 146k Crew's mess
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 113k BMC Roy Driver and ENC Ralph Hamilton
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 326k c. 1947/48/49
Part of the crew in the Mess Hall at Camp Shangri-la (now Camp David)
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 337k c. 1948
Cover of Christmas menu and crew list
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 330k c. 1948
Crew list
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 124k c. 1948
Christmas menu
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 193k President Truman (far right on the 01 level) observing the crew at "Swim Call" in the Potomac River
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 210k President Truman (leaning on rail, no shirt) observing the crew at "Swim Call" in the Potomac River
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 171k President Truman coming aboard
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 198k President Truman coming aboard
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 178k 15 June 1950
Key West, FL
President Truman inspecting Marine Corps MPs
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 102k President Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill aboard Williamsburg
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 237k President Truman and Winston Churchill aboard Williamsburg
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 90k British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson, President Truman and Winston Churchill aboard Williamsburg
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 332k c. 1950
Cover of Christmas menu and crew list
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 385k c. 1950
Crew list
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 157k c. 1950
Christmas menu
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Anton Bruun
Anton Bruun 56k Seen here as the Anton Bruun. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Anton Bruun 70k Seen here as the Anton Bruun. Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy
Williamsburg
Williamsburg 249k Article from the 19 October 1984 edition of the Washington Post
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 227k Continuation of Washington Post article from the 19 October 1984 edition of the Washington Post
From the collection of LT Peter Stamer courtesy of his daughter Linda Whealton		 Robert Hall
Williamsburg 70k c. 1990s
Moored behind the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, DC
U.S. Navy photo from the June 2005 edition of Naval History magazine		 Joe Radigan
Williamsburg 122k c. June 1998
La Spezia Italy		 Haze Gray & Underway web site
Williamsburg 118k c. 1998
ex-Williamsburg had deteriorated to this sad state, gutted and awaiting scrapping, at La Spezia, Italy		 Haze Gray & Underway web site
View the Williamsburg (PG-56)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway web site
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