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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Don McGrogan BMCS, USN (Ret.) - Popular Patch

USS Pyro (AE-1)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Lima - Kilo
NELK

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 7 December 1941) - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal

Pyro Class Ammunition Ship:

Laid down, 9 August 1918, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.

Launched, 16 December 1919

Commissioned USS Pyro (AE-1), 10 August 1920, CDR. J. S. Graham in command

Decommissioned, 10 September 1924, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.

Recommissioned, 1 July 1939, CDR. R.S. Haggart in command

During World War II USS Pyro was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and was at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941

Decommissioned, 12 June 1946, at Seattle, WA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946

USS Pyro earned one battle star for World War II service

Transferred, 17 July 1946, to the Maritime Commission for layup in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 August 1948, to Welding Shipyards, Tacoma, WA. for $135,555,00 on PD-X-462. Removed 13 October 1948

Specifications:
Displacement 11,000 t.(lt) 14,110 t.(fl)
Length 483' 10"
Beam 60' 10"
Draft 26' 7"
Speed 16 kts.

Complement

Officers 51

Enlisted 268

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Cargo Capacity 3,250 DWT

non-refrigerated 170,000 Cu ft

Armament

two single 5"/51 cal surface gun mounts

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose guns mounts

two twin 40mm AA gun Mounts

four .50 cal. machine guns

Fuel Capacity

NSFO 10,250 Bbls

Diesel 260 Bbls

Propulsion

one Navy Yard Puget Sound turbine

two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 200psi Sat°

single Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 100Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 5,300shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	240k	Pyro (AE-1) keel laying at Puget Sound Navy Yard, 9 August 1918. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 70482	Mike Green
	350k	Pyro (AE-1) under construction in dry-dock at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, 13 August 1919. Her sister, Nitro (AE-2), is building astern to starboard in the same dock. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 42574	Mike Green
NH 42575	219k	Pyro (AE-1) under construction in dry-dock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, circa August 1919. Her sister, Nitro (AE-2), is building astern to starboard in the same dock. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #'s NH 42575 and NH 42576. by Jacobs, Seattle.	Mike Green
NH 42576	189k		Mike Green
	214k	Pyro (AE-1) ready for launching in the construction dry-dock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, 16 December 1919. Her sister, Nitro (AE-2), is building astern to starboard in the same dock. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 70483	Mike Green
	302k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1) (closest to camera) and USS Nitro (AE-2)** during launching ceremonies, 16 December 1919, at Puget Sound Navy Yard. Puget Sound Navy Yard Museum	Mike Green
	46k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1)** anchored off Puget Sound Navy Yard, 17 September 1920, soon after commissioning. Compared to the 1916 preliminary design the bridge has been moved aft and the number of ammunition handling rigs reduced. Note the two large boat davits on each side of the searchlight platform near the stern and the two 5"/51 guns in shields on the fantail. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 2762, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
	188k	Starboard side view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1)** at anchor near Navy Yard, Puget Sound WA. 17 September 1920. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 1264	Mike Green
	163k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1)** at anchor, circa 1920, location unknown. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	138k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1) soon before decommissioning in 1924. The large boat davits have been moved forward to positions on each side of the smokestack and reduced in size, a modification not made on her sister ship USS Nitro (AE-2). The gun shields seen here were no longer in use when Pyro** recommissioned in 1939. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 74663, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
	130k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1)** circa 1941 after the addition of splinter protection (low bulkheads) around her two 5-inch and four 3-inch guns and the addition of positions for four .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine guns, two on the bridge and two next to the after searchlight platform. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo # 19-N-26070 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
	294k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1)** November 1941 crew photo at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, T. H. Photo by Tai Sing Loo Official photographer Pearl Harbor Navy Yard.	Ron Reeves
	75k	Broadside view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1) off Navy Yard Mare Island, 12 January 1942. Pyro** was under repair at Mare Island from 21 December 1941 to 12 January 1942. US Navy photo	Darryl Baker
	39k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1)** underway, 1943, location unknown. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	75k	Stern plan view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1)** moored pierside at San Francisco, CA., 29 October 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7377-43	Darryl Baker
	77k	Bow plan view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1)** moored pierside at San Francisco, CA., 29 October 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7378-43	Darryl Baker
	46k	Stern view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1)** off San Francisco, CA., 3 November 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7445-43	Darryl Baker
	87k	Broadside view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1)** off San Francisco, CA., 3 November 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7447-43	Darryl Baker
	60k	Bow on view of *USS Pyro* (AE-1)** off San Francisco, CA., 3 November 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7445-43	Darryl Baker
	95k	*USS Pyro* (AE-1)** ship's bell. he bell is located at the Naval Museum at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.	Larry Lee

USS Pyro (AE-1)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Graham, John Sisson, USN (USNA 1898)	10 August 1920 - 19 June 1922
02	CDR. Naile, Frederick Raymonde, USN (USNA 1900)	19 June 1922 - 26 August 1923
03	LCDR. Hunter, Lunsford Lomas, USN (USNA 1912) (OinC)	26 August 1923 - 10 September 1924
	Decommissioned	10 September 1924 - 1 July 1939
04	CDR. Haggart, Robert Stevenson, USN (USNA 1912) :COMO	1 July 1939 - 11 July 1940
05	CDR. Early Jr., Alexander Rieman, USN (USNA 1914) :RADM	11 July 1940 - 1940
06	CDR. Burnett, Henry Poynter, USN (USNA 1915)	5 March 1941 - 15 June 1941
07	CDR. Vytlacil, Nicholas, USN (USNA 1917)	15 June 1941 - 5 December 1942
08	CAPT. Boller, Robert Leon, USN (USNA 1918)	5 December 1942 - 14 February 1944
09	CDR. Dickie, Arthur Bigelow, USN (USNA 1924)	14 February 1944 - 17 November 1944
10	CDR. Reiffel, Stanley J., USNR	17 November 1944 - November 1945


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database
Launch Program
USS Pyro AE-1 / AE-24
AE/AOE Sailors Association
Pearl Harbor Action Report

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 3 May 2019