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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 1945	15 November-3 December 1945
Asia 2 March - 30 April 1946	2 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
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
	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
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
	73k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
	38k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	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
	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
	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
	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
	43k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	171k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway in October 1959, location unknown. US Navy photo	Mike Smolinski
	94k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28) and USS Leyte (CV-32)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Robert Carey
	85k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy Ing. Augusti Nani.	Robert Hurst
	194k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, off Norfolk, VA., date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. and Mike Smolinski
	58k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown.
	107k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway opposite Pier 3 NOB Norfolk, VA, July 1964 with assistance of two tugs.	© Richard Leonhardt
	90k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28) replenishing USS Worcester (CL-144)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from DANFS	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	70k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	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.
	125k		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	215k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway with a tug alongside, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	92k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** entering the port of Naples, Italy, with tugs alongside, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	56k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
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
	110k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** underway, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	104k	*USS Hyades* (AF-28)** plaque	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

USS Hyades (AF-28)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
	CDR. Schultz, Charles David, USNR (Ferry Crew # 7) (OinC)	27 September 1943 - 30 September 1943
01	CDR. Schultz, Charles David, USNR	30 September 1943 - 1 August 1944
02	CDR. Wheyland, Morgan Chisholm, USNR (USNA 1920)	1 August 1944 - 20 September 1944
03	LCDR. Doherty, Fred B., USNR	20 September 1944 - November 1945
04	CDR/CAPT. Carlson, William Edward, USNR	November 1945 - June 1946
05	CDR. Bailey, Max Harrison, USN (USNA 1925)	June 1946 - 1947
06	CAPT. Grant, James Donald Livingston, USN (USNA 1930)	1947 - 1948
07	CDR. CDR. Smith Jr., Julius Elbridge, USN	1948 - ?
08	CDR. Wilson, Francis Edmond, USN, USNA 1930)	1950 - September 1951
09	CDR. Morgan, John Chapman, USN (USNA 1933)	September 1951 - September 1952
10	CDR. Dunstan, Thomas Kempshall, USN	September 1952 - 1954
11	CDR. Merrill, David Abbot, USN, USNA 1941)	1954 - 1955
12	CDR. Griffin, Walter BRuce, USN	1955 - 20 June 1956
13	CDR. Bidwell, James Collins, USN (USNA 1939)	20 June 1956 - 26 March 1958
14	CDR. Cushman, Charles Witacre, USN (USNA 1939)	26 March 1958 - 6 May 1959
15	CDR. Tobin, Louis Joseph, USN	6 May 1959 - 6 October 1960
16	CDR. Mueller, Henry Vincent, USNR	6 October 1960 - 9 January 1961
17	*CAPT. Rommel Jr., Herbert Fox, USN - temporary, concurrently CO of Amphion* (AR-13)**	9 January 1961 - 8 March 1961
18	CAPT. Smith, Robert Hayes, USN (USNA 1939)	8 March 1961 - 16 March 1962
19	CAPT. Hagerman, George Mellotte, USN (USNA 1941)	16 March 1962 - 22 March 1963
20	CAPT. Smith, Joseph Grant, USN	22 March 1963 - 4 December 1963
21	CAPT. Lockett Jr., Lawrence Stephen, USN (USNA 1940)	4 December 1963 - 10 January 1964
22	CAPT. Miller, Ward Scott USN (USNA 1942) :RADM	10 January 1964 - 11 December 1964
23	CAPT. Webster Jr., Harvey O'Neill, USN	11 December 1964 - 26 March 1965
24	*CAPT. Fair, John Warren, USN -temporary, concurrently CO Arcturus* (AF-52)**	26 March 1965 - 26 April 1965
25	CAPT. Fruin, Jack Leslie, USN (Pappy)	26 April 1965 - 17 June 1966
26	CAPT. Allen, Charles Vernon, USNR	17 June 1966 - August 1967
27	CAPT. King, David Anthony, USN	August 1967 - 29 August 1968
28	CAPT. Brown, Keith Floyd, USN	- 29 August 1968 - 8 January 1969
29	LCDR. 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
MARAD Vessel History Database

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 8 August 2025