Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, patch at right by Tommy Trampp

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USNS Butte (T-AE-27)
ex
 USS Butte (AE-27) (1970 - 1998)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Uniform - Oscar
NWUO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (4)
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon, Op. Restore Hope, Somalia) - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Armed Forces Service Medal
Kilauea Class Ammunition Ship:
  • Laid down, 21 July 1966, at General Dynamics Shipyard, Quincy MA.
  • Launched, 9 August 1967
  • Commissioned, USS Butte (AE-27), 14 December 1968, Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA., CAPT. Wallace M. Riggs in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Butte (AE-27) participated in the following campaign:

    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign
    6 and 8 to 14 February 1973
    22 February to 3 March 1973
    28 March 1973

  • Decommissioned, 3 June 1996, and placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Butte (T-AE-27)
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 24 May 24, 2004
  • USS Butte earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, disposed of as a target in support of fleet training exercises, 30 June 2006
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,340 t.(lt) 19,940 t.(fl)
    Length 564'
    Beam 81'
    Draft 29'
    Speed 20 kts.
    Complement
    MSC 125 -133 Civilian Mariners
    Naval Detachment 30
    Cargo Capacity 6,000 DWT
    non-refrigerated 60,000 cu ft
    Armament
    USS - four twin 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    USNS - none
    Aircraft
    two MH60S Seahawk helicopters
    Propulsion
    one General Electric turbine
    three Foster-Wheeler 600psi boilers
    single six blade fixed propeller, 22,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Butte 190k Butte (AE-27) while under construction at General Dynamics, Quincy MA. Note: Riggers lowering bow section Butte into place.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine September 1968.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Kilauea 326k Butte (AE-27), background, and Kilauea (AE 26), foreground, christening ceremonies, 9 August 1967, at General Dynamics, Quincy, MA. S. Dale Hargrave
    Butte 87k Butte (AE-27) underway probably during builders trials, circa 1968.
    Photo courtesy General Dynamics (Quincy).    		 Robert Hurst
    Butte 79k USS Butte (AE-27) underway during sea trials in 1968.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine March 1970.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Butte 265k USS Butte (AE-27) underway in 1970 in the Atlantic Ocean off Norfolk, VA.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Smolinski
    Butte 95k USS Butte (AE-27) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine October 1970.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Butte 753k USS Butte (AE-27) at anchor at San Remo, Italy, 23 April 1972 Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Butte 727k USS Butte (AE-27) at anchor off Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines, circa summer 1973. Photo by CDR Michael Cosgrove USN Ret. USS Conquest
    Butte 96k USS Butte (AE-27) underway in 1979 while conducting a vertrep replenishment at sea, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Butte 49k USS Butte (AE-27) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Butte 77k USS Butte (AE-27) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Butte 50k USS Butte (AE-27) underway, date and location unknown.
    ©Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA.     		Mike Smolinski
    Butte 261k USS Butte (AE-27) underway, 1 December 1983, location unknown.
    US DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SC-84-04815    		 Robert Hurst
    Butte
    09052724    		 856k A CH-46 Sea Knight prepares to lift a pallet of 16 inch powder canisters from USS Butte (AE-27) for delivery to USS Iowa (BB-61) during an underway replenishment (VERTREP), 5 January 1984. In the background is USS America (CV-66)
    US National Archives Local Identifier DN-SC-86-04786 a US Navy photo by PHAA Elliott    		 Robert Canchola
    Butte
    09052720
    NARA Identifier: 6404551    		 368k USS Butte (AE-27) conducting an underway replenishment with USS Iowa (BB-61), 1 May 1984. Iowa had just been recommissioned four days earlier on the 27th of April.
    US National Archives Identifiers: 6404551, 6396454, 6409068 and 6409033, US Navy photos by PH1 Hilton.    		 Robert Canchola
    Butte
    09052721
    NARA Identifier: 6396454    		 365k
    Butte
    09052722
    NARA Identifier: 6409068    		 363k
    Butte
    09052723
    NARA Identifier: 6409033    		 379k
    Butte 61k USS Butte (AE-27) underway in the Ionian Sea in 1993. CDR. Dave Wood USN Ret. ex-CO USS Butte
    Butte 99k USS Butte (AE-27) underway while operating with other fleet units, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Butte
    09052725    		 49k USNS Butte (AE-27) underway, date and location unknown. Greg Stevens
    Butte 78k USNS Butte (AE-27) and USS Charleston (LKA-113) laid up at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., September 2004 Photo by Jon White STG-3, USS Luce, 1985-87
    Butte 77k USNS Butte (AE-27) and USS El Paso (LKA-117), USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) and USS John Hancock (DD 981) laid up at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., September 2004 Photo by Jon White STG-3, USS Luce, 1985-87
    Butte 51k Ex-USNS Butte (AE-27) with her back broken and sinking during SINKEX, 30 June 2006. Photo by Paul Shepard TJ Tropea
    Butte 44k Ex-USNS Butte (AE-27) with her back broken and sinking during SINKEX, 30 June 2006. Photo by Paul Shepard TJ Tropea
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Riggs, Wallace Marshall USN (USNA 1946)14 December 1968 - 7 May 1970
    02CAPT. Gregory Jr., Grover King7 May 1970 - 3 August 1971
    03CAPT. Rigot, William Laswell, USN (USNA 1948-A)3 August 1971 - 24 August 1972
    04CAPT. Scott, James Hernandez :RADM24 August 1972 - 12 October 1973
    05CDR. Young, Leonard Raymond12 October 1973 - 10 October 1975
    06CDR. Gustafson, Kenneth P. 10 October 1975 - 15 August 1976
    07CAPT. Gatje, George Carlisle15 August 1976 - 8 September 1976
    08CDR. McEntyre, Harry K.08 September 1976 - 4 May 1979
    09CDR. Black, Eugene Henry4 May 1979 - 27 June 1981
    10CDR. Rosson, Vernon Lee27 June 1981 - 8 June 1983
    11CDR. Madison, William Ross 8 June 1983 - 7 August 1985
    12CDR. Davis, Joseph Warren, USN7 August 1985 - 22 April 1988
    13CDR. Lynch, Michael J., USN (USNA 1971)22 April 1988 - 21 May 1989
    14CDR. Hall, Gary R.21 May 1989 - 7 May 1991
    15CDR. Martin, Christopher Bruce7 May 1991 - 8 January 1993
    16CDR. Wood, David W.8 January 1993 - 10 November 1994
    17CDR. Smith, David P.10 November 1994 - 3 June 1996
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Ammunition Ship (AE) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 18 April 2025