USS Taconic (AGC-17)

History of the USS Taconic (AGC-17)

The USS Taconic was an Adirondack-class amphibious assault command ship that served throughout the U.S. Navy's sailing career. Ordered and laid during the battles of World War II (1939-1945), it was only completed and acquired through service long after the battle.

Her hull was laid by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in Wilmington, North Carolina on December 19, 1944, and put to sea on February 10, 1945. The Navy commissioned her on March 6, 1945, and the ship was officially commissioned on January 17, 1946.

The refit of her amphibious force flagship is being carried out by the Atlantic Basin Steel Works in Brooklyn, New York. During her time at sea, Taconic fought under the nickname "Mighty T". Their official name comes from the Taconic Mountains in the Appalachian Mountains of upstate New York.

Amphibious force command ships differ from more common warships in that they are equipped with additional communications equipment, workshops and berths for fleet commanders and associated personnel. These shipsessentially mobile command and control platforms (C2s)operate within existing fleets, providing coordination of ships at sea.

There were only three Adirondack-class ships built between 1944-1945 and in service until 1969. The named ships of this class are USS Adirondack (AGC-15), USS Pocono (AGC-16) and USS Taconic (AGC-17). All serve long enough to be scrapped after they are used up.

The boat has a traditional silhouette and most of her structural weight is concentrated amidships. The masts are located at the front, middle and rear of the design. The light-load displacement of the warship is 7,356 tons, and the full-load displacement is 14,133 tons. On board is a supplement to the 633.

Dimensions include an overall length of 459.1 feet, a beam of 63 feet and a draft of 24 feet. Power comes from a geared steam turbine that develops 6,000 horsepower to a single shaft aft.

The armament is purely defensive, led by 2 x 5"/38 deck guns, supported by 3 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft (AA) guns and 6 x 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns and 6 x 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.

Taconic's first job was with the Atlantic Fleet as the West was preparing for an ongoing "Cold War" with the Soviet Union in the post-World War II world. During this time, she performed various exercises and was refitted at her home port, Norfolk Naval Base, in June 1949.

In 1951 it was used in the movie "Frogman". Further exercises followed, which were conducted in collaboration with other NATO units. She served in the Lebanese crisis in 1958, and was stationed in the Caribbean near Haiti and the Dominican Republic during local unrest in 1963 and 1965.

In January 1969, her hull was reclassified from the original "AGC-17" to the new "LCC-17" (sister ship USS Pocono (AGC-16) became the LCC-16. Under this camouflage , she only served a year longer because she was placed on standby after her military career was withdrawn on December 17, 1969, and her retired hull was sold on April 6, 1982 as a Scrap, marking the official end of her 20-year sailing career.

The Adirondack sisters retired in February 1955 and scrapped in November 1972. Pocono was not abandoned until December 1981.

Specification

Basic

Year of Service

1945

Origins

United States

Status

stop service

Destroyed, scrapped.

supplement

633

staff

SHIPBUILDERS

North Carolina Shipbuilding Company - USA

Class information

Class

Adirondack Class

Class Size

3

ships

Class

USS Adirondack (AGC-15); USS Pocono (AGC-16); USS Taconic (AGC-17)

Carrier

United States

Rolling

Amphibious Assault

Shallow draft and other characteristics enable the ship to support nearshore amphibious assault operations.

Distinctive Features

Flatten

The hull of the vessel is designed to operate in coastal/shallow water environments.

Air Defense

Airborne systems warn and protect ships from airborne and low-altitude ballistic and/or missile threats.

Ship to shore

Airborne facilities allow the launch of air and/or land elements for land attack and penetration.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

459. 1 foot

139.93m

Ray

63. 0 feet

19.20m

Draft

24. 0 feet

7.32m

Shift

7,355 t

Power and Performance

Installed Power:

1 x geared turbo drives 6,000 shp on 1 x shaft.

Surface Velocity

section 16.5

(19.0 km/h)

Weapons

2 x 5"/38 caliber deck guns. 6 x 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft (AA) autocannons mounted on three dual gun mounts. 6 x 20mm Oerlikon AA autocannons mounted on a single - Shooting mounts.

Aircraft

None.