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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Centaurus (AKA-17)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Oscar - Juliet
NXOJ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS Centaurus (AKA-17) was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II

Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship:

Laid done as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 206) at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.

Assigned to the US Navy as AK-66

Launched, 3 September 1943

Commissioned USS Centaurus (AKA-17), 21 October 1943, CAPT. George Evans McCabe, USCG, in command

During WWII USS Centaurus was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
TransRon Thirteen, COMO. M. O. Carlson USN (16);
TransDiv Thirty-Eight, CAPT. P. P. Welsh USN (18) and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 5 February 1944	Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 27 July 1944
Bismarck Archipelago operation Admiralty Island landings, 5 to 9 April 44	Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands - Peleliu, 6 September to 14 October 1944
Hollandia operation Aitape, Humboldt Bay, Tanahmerah Bay, 21 to 27 April and 1 to 5 May 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 14 June 1945

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

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
26 to 29 December 1945	11 to 17 October 1945
	1 to 25 December 1945

Decommissioned, 30 April 1946, at New York City, N.Y.

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS Centaurus received six battle stars for World War II service

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 September 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, Jones Point, N.Y.

Merchant Service

Pending sale to US Lines, 28 May 1947, renamed SS Pioneer Bay

Renamed SS American Gunner in October 1956

Title transferred to US Lines, 7 September 1969

Deactivated, 21 September 1962, at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, Jones Point, N.Y.

Final Disposition, sold 1 July 1970, to Aguilar Y. Peris S.L. for scrapping at Valencia, Spain, delivered 11 July 1970

Specifications:
Displacement 6,556 t.(lt), 14,200 t.(lt)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4"
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 44

Enlisted 360

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 4,895 DWT

non-refrigerated 420,000 Cu. ft.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3'?50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Boats

eight LCMs

one LCP(L)

fifteen LCVPs

Fuel Capacity NSFO 11,010

Propulsion

one De Laval steam turbine

two Combustion Engineering D-type boilers, 465psi 765°

double De Laval Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single shaft, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Centaurus (AKA-17)
1016024103	112k	USS LST-241 beached, 23 April 1944 at Aitape, Hollandia, New Guinea in the background as an LCVP from *USS Centaurus* (AKA-17)** brings General MacArthur, Colone Lehbras and staff ashore. US Army Signal Corps Archives photo # 190564	John Spivey
100201705	572k	*USS Centaurus* (AKA-17)** showing alteration made during her 25 October to 22 December 1944 overhaul at the U.S. Navy Drydock Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., 9 December 1944. U.S. Navy Drydock Hunters Point photos	Nicholas Tiberio
100201706	715k		Nicholas Tiberio
	92k	*USS Centaurus* (AKA-17)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Risa Bear for her father, Thomas Eugene Smith CBM USS Centaurus
	343k	*USS Centaurus* (AKA-17)** underway, date and location unknown. US Coast Guard photo	Coast Guard Historian web site
100201704	298k	*USS Centaurus* (AKA-17)** unloads trucks and other supplies at Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Island Group into waiting LCVPs, date unknown. National Archives Identifier 205585588, Local Identifier 26-G-2155, U.S. Coast Guard photo # 2155.	David Upton
Merchant Service
	459k	Ex-*USS Centaurus* (AKA-17)** underway while in merchant as the US Lines SS American Gunner, date and location unknown. Original copyright belonged to the late British ship photo dealer Alex Duncan.	Gerhard Muller-Debus

USS Centaurus (AKA-17)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. McCabe George Evans USCG :RADM	20 October 1943 - 28 October 1944
02	CDR. Gray, John Paul USCG	28 October 1944 - June 1945
03	CAPT. Maley, Kenneth Paul USCG :RADM	21 July 1945 - 10 January 1946
04	CAPT. Paden, Clarence. C. USCG	10 January 1946 - 30 April 1946


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 Data Base

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 25 October 2025