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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Alpha - Echo
NTAE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)


Appalachian Class Amphibious Force Command Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 December 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 201) at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched, 7 March 1943
  • Transferred to the US Navy, 15 March 1943
  • Commissioned USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2), 27 September 1943, LCDR. L. R. McDowell in command
  • During World War II USS Blue Ridge was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 to 30 October 1944
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 14 January 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    23 September 1945 to 24 February 194623 September 1945 to 24 February 1946

  • USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.3.3 Transportation Group (Observation Units) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 14 March 1947
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 January 1960
  • USS Blue Ridge earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Title transferred to the Maritime Administration, 26 August 1960
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 August 1960, to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR. (PD-X-583 dated 22 July 1960) for $91,138.83, withdrawn from the US Naval Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group, 26 August 1960
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,431 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 3"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 16.4 kts.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Complement
    36 Officers
    442 Enlisted
    Staff Accommodations
    Officers 128
    Enlisted 334
    Largest Boom Capacity 15 t.
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 23,499 Bbls
    Diesel 665 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared steam turbine
    two Combustion Engineering boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Ship's Service Generators
    four turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Blue Ridge
    10010230
    70k
    Namesake
    Blue Ridge - Blue Ridge mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Clouds breaking up after a rainy morning in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Photo taken from the Deep Gap overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, 2 July 2007, by Ken Thomas. (Wikipedia)
    Tommy Trampp
    Blue Ridge 62k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Robert Hurst.
    Blue Ridge 62k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) underway, October 1943, location unknown.  
    Blue Ridge 78k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) underway, 6 October 1943, location unknown. To gain the necessary internal space, her hull was built up one deck between her two goalpost masts. Note the two whaleboats in davits; in service such ships carried only standard landing craft. Note also the freighter booms retained even though the hatches they served (fore and aft of the forward kingposts and forward of the after kingposts) had been plated over.
    US Navy Bureau of Ships photo and text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.
    Robert Hurst
    Blue Ridge
    10010232
    82k Aerial port view of USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) underway, 16 December 1943. The lattice mast amidships supports a powerful SK air search radar antenna. Other electronics are mounted on the goalpost masts fore and aft. Note the single 5"/38 guns on the bow and stern. Two twin 40mm Bofors AA guns are mounted above the aft 5" gun and two single 20mm AA guns can be seen abreast of each goalpost mast.
    Naval Historical Collection, Australia War Memorial
    John Spivey.
    Blue Ridge
    Summons
    548k This group of photographs records the visit of Neptunus Rex and Davey Jones paid to USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2), 17 November 1943, while the ship was underway in the Pacific. Appropriate ceremonies were conducted to initiated all Polliwogs making them Shellbacks. Something they will remember all of their life. Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick, RT/3c USS Blue Ridge 1943-1945
    Blue Ridge
    CAPT, McDowell and BMC Rogers
    400k
    Blue Ridge
    BMC Rogers
    356k
    Blue Ridge
    Ready Aim Fire
    356k
    Blue Ridge
    Before King Neptune
    555k
    Blue Ridge
    The nipple not the finger
    314k
    Blue Ridge
    A shot of meds from the Doc.
    303k
    Blue Ridge
    Oooh! That awful stuff
    372k
    Blue Ridge
    A shot of xxx dam stuff
    426k
    Blue Ridge
    Some of Worlds best barbers!
    332k
    Blue Ridge
    Through the tunnel of whacks
    490k
    Blue Ridge
    Whack him again!
    351k
    Blue Ridge
    I finally made it!
    451k
    Blue Ridge
    Certificate - Domain of Neptunus Rex
    625k
    Blue Ridge 110k USS Russell (DD-414) and USS Blue Ridge(AGC-2) during a refueling evolution in San Pedro Bay, Philippines. Russell approaches Blue Ridge on her starboard side and ties up on Blue Ridges port side to take on fuel.
    Direct quotes for USS Blue Ridge log:
    "Monday 23 October 1944 0000 – 0400 Anchored in berth E2, San Pedro Bay, Leyte Island, Philippines, in 10 fathoms of water, with 30 fathoms of chain out to port anchor.
    1200 – 1600 1238 U.S.S. Russell moored alongside to port for fuel.
    1252 Commenced fueling U.S.S. Russell.
    1600 – 1800 Anchored as before. 1600 Completed fueling U.S.S. Russell, having received 46000 gallons of fuel oil. 1750 U.S.S. Russell cast off and got underway.”
    Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick, RT3/c, USS Blue Ridge 1943 to 1945 and
    Edwin H. Klump Jr., LTjg, USS Russell
    Blue Ridge 155k
    Blue Ridge 215k
    Blue Ridge 246k
    Blue Ridge 143k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) at anchor, date and location unknown. Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick, RT3/c USS Blue Ridge 1943 to 1945.
    Blue Ridge 76k
    Blue Ridge 359k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) at anchor, circa 1943-45, location unknown. Looking forward from the superstructure. Note the two boats cradled on the main deck. Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick RT/3c, USS Blue Ridge 1943-1945.
    Blue Ridge 422k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) at anchor, circa 1943-45, location unknown. Looking forward with a view of the two empty v-shaped boat cradles on the main deck. Note the winches on deck and the 20mm AA gun mounts port and starboard and the bow mounted 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount. Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick RT/3c, USS Blue Ridge 1943-1945.
    Blue Ridge 330k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) mainmast and signal bridge. Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick RT/3c, USS Blue Ridge 1943-1945.
    Blue Ridge 92k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) boats in the water. LCVP #4 along with several of the ship's other boats alongside an unidentified PT boat, date and location unknown. Michael Patrick for his father John J. Patrick RT/3c, USS Blue Ridge 1943-1945.
    Blue Ridge 274k
    Blue Ridge
    10010231
    582k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) in a convoy enroute to Leyte, Philippine Islands, 1 January 1945, for the M-1 operation.
    US National Archives Identifier 80662621 - US Army Signal Corps photo # 265243
    David Upton
    Blue Ridge 168k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) at anchor on the Whangpoo River at Shanghai, China, circa January-February 1946. Daniel A. Guntin MMOM3/c USS Wasatch USS LCI(L)-970
    Mount Olympus 64k USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) moored astern of USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8) at anchor in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, China, 14 January 1946. Greg Hook for his uncle Wilson J. Hill RM3/c USS Olympus
    USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Mc Dowell, Lewis Richard :RADM (USNA NG)27 September 1943 - 12 December 1944
    02CAPT. Brumbaugh, Heber Byron USN (USNA 1921-A)12 December 1944 - 2 March 1945
    03CAPT. Criddle, Clement Robert USN (USNA 1925)2 March 1945 - 1 October 1946
    04LT. Bryan, John Irvin USN (USNA 1944)1 October 1946 - 14 March 1947
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 13 May 2022