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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Hyades (AF-28)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Tango - Bravo
NWTB
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Boundary (X)ray - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia and Europe clasps)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Lebanon) - Philippine Liberation Medal


Hyades Class Stores Ship:
  • Laid down, 12 October 1942, as SS Iberville, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-E1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC 481) at Gulf Shipbuilding Co., Chickasaw, AL.
  • Launched, 12 June 1943
  • Placed in partial Commission, 27 September 1943, for transit to her fitting out yard at Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore MD., CDR. Charles D. Schultz, USNR in command (Ferry Crew # 7)
  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1943
  • Completed as a Stores Ship and re-commissioned USS Hyades (AF-28), 1 August 1944, CDR. Morgan C. Wheyland in command
  • During World War II USS Hyades was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Hyades performed occupation duty in Europe and the Far East which included China service for the following periods:
     

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    Asia 9-20 September 194515 November-3 December 1945
    Asia 2 March - 30 April 19462 March - 30 April 1946
    Asia 5 December 1946 - 27 December 1947, 16 October-7 November 1952 
    Asia 17 June-4 July 1947, 5-8 July 1947 
    Europe 19 April-8 May, 10-28 July, 29 September-5 October 1949 
    Europe 16 April-9 May, 8-20 October 1951 
    Europe 8-20 October, 12 December 1951- 3 January 1952 
    Europe 2-12 July, 23 August-3 September 1952 
    Europe 3-17 February, 2-12 July, 14 August-12 November 1953 
    Europe 27 January - 6 February, 17 April-1 May, 10-21 June, 12 to 31 August 1954 
    Europe 14 March-18 April, 25 September-25 October 1955 

  • Decommissioned, 18 March 1969
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.,18 March 1969
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 1 September 1971
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1976
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by MARAD, 17 January 1984, exchange-trade-out scrap ship to Jacobson Metal Co., 13 October 1983
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,700 t.(lt) 15,300 t.(fl)
    Length 468' 8"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 28' (limiting)
    Speed 15.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 230
    Largest Boom Capacity 25 t.
    Cargo Capacity 5,950 DWT
    non-refrigerated 171,275 Cu ft.
    refrigerated 183,555 Cu ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 9,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boiler, 450psi, 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Hyades
    09062833
    177k Aerial view of SS Iberville off Baltimore, MD., 10 May 1943, just prior to conversion for use by the Navy. As seen here, she is a typical war standard C2-S-E1 cargo ship.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # 19-N-44367
    Robert Hurst
    Hyades 81k USS Hyades (AF-28) in Chesapeake Bay off the Bethlehem Fairfield shipyard, 9 August 1944 just after conversion. She is painted in camouflage scheme 32/6F.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N- 70670, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    Hyades
    09062834
    131k USS Hyades (AF-28) off Norfolk, VA., 10 September 1944. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 8F.
    U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics photo BuAer 248488
    Robert Hurst
    Hyades 73k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    Hyades 38k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Hyades 87k USS Hyades (AF-28) crew members, circa 1944-45, location unknown. Anthony M. Schulmeyer is the officer in the front row far right end. Wayne M. Schulmeyer for his father Anthony M. Schulmeyer USS Hyades
    Hyades 55k USS Hyades (AF-28) crew members, circa 1944-45, location unknown. Anthony M. Schulmeyer is the officer in the back row third from the left. Wayne M. Schulmeyer for his father Anthony M. Schulmeyer USS Hyades
    Hyades 62k Broadside view of USS Hyades (AF-28) moored pierside at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 6 May 1948 while undergoing Inclining Experiments.
    US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo # NY8-2241 now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.
    Additional photos of the 8 May 1948 Inclining Experiments can be found at USS Hyades (AF-28) Page Two
    Tracy White
    Hyades 63k USS Hyades (AF-28) off New York City in September 1959.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 66855, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    Hyades 43k USS Hyades (AF-28) at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Hyades 171k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway in October 1959, location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Mike Smolinski
    Hyades 94k USS Hyades (AF-28) and USS Leyte (CV-32) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Robert Carey
    Hyades 85k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Ing. Augusti Nani.
    Robert Hurst
    Hyades 194k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, off Norfolk, VA., date unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. and Mike Smolinski
    Hyades 58k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Hyades 107k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway opposite Pier 3 NOB Norfolk, VA, July 1964 with assistance of two tugs. © Richard Leonhardt
    Hyades 90k USS Hyades (AF-28) replenishing USS Worcester (CL-144), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from DANFS
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Hyades 70k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Hyades 110k USS Hyades (AF-28) conducting an underway replenishment with ships on both her port and starboard sides, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photos.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Hyades 125k
    Hyades 215k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway with a tug alongside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Hyades 92k USS Hyades (AF-28) entering the port of Naples, Italy, with tugs alongside, date unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Hyades 56k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Hyades
    09062835
    279k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway at sea, 23 May 1968.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # L45-131.07.01
    Robert Hurst
    Hyades 110k USS Hyades (AF-28) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Hyades 104k USS Hyades (AF-28) plaque Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

    USS Hyades (AF-28)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Schultz, Charles David, USNR (Ferry Crew # 7)27 September 1943 - 30 September 1943
     Decommissioned30 September 1943 - 1 August 1944
    02CDR. Wheyland, Morgan Chisholm, USNR (USNA 1920)1 August 1944 - 20 September 1944
    03LCDR. Doherty, Fred B., USNR20 September 1944 - November 1945
    04CDR. Carlson, William Edward, USNRNovember 1945 - June 1946
    05CDR. Bailey, Max Harrison, USN (USNA 1925), USNRJune 1946 - 1947
    06CAPT. Grant, James Donald Livingston, USN (USNA 1930)1947 - 1948
    07CDR. CDR. Smith Jr., Julius Elbridge, USN1948 - ?
    08CDR. Wilson, Francis Edmond, USN, USNA 1930)1950 - September 1951
    09CDR. Morgan, John Chapman, USN (USNA 1933)September 1951 - September 1952
    10CDR. Dunstan, Thomas Kempshall, USNSeptember 1952 - 1954
    11CDR. Merrill, David Abbot, USN, USNA 1941)1954 - 1955
    12CAPT. Smith, Robert Hayes, USNA 1939)1960 - April 1961
    13CAPT. Lockett Jr., Lawrence Stephen, USN (USNA 1940)April 1961 - January 1962
    14CAPT. Rommel Jr., Herbert Fox, USNJanuary 1962 - 1963
    15CAPT. Smith, Joseph Grant1963 - 1 March 1964
    16CAPT. Miller, Ward Scott USN (USNA 1942) :RADM1 March 1964 - 11 December 1964
    17CAPT. Webster Jr., Harvey O'Neill, USN11 December 1964 - 26 March 1965
    18CAPT. Fair, John Warren, USN (temporary) Also CO Arcturus (AF-52)26 March 1965 - 26 April 1965
    19CAPT. Fruin, Jack Leslie (Pappy)26 April 1965 - 1966
    20CAPT. Allen, Charles Vernon, USN1966 - 1967
    21CAPT. King, David Anthony, USN1967 - 29 August 1968
    22CAPT. Brown, Keith Floyd, USN - 29 August 1968 - 8 January 1969
    23LCDR. Dworsky, Alan James, USN (USNA 1954) - 8 January 1969 - 18 March 1969
    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
    USS Hyades (AF-28)
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Stores Ship (AF) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 31 March 2023