For other ships with the same name, see USS Banner.
The USS Banner (AKL-25, then AGER-1) was originally U.S. Army FS-345 serving in the Southwest Pacific during the closing days of World War II as one of the Army's United States Coast Guard crewed ships. In 1950 the ship was acquired by the Navy and converted into a light auxiliary cargo (AKL). In 1967 the ship was converted for electronic intelligence and reclassified as Auxiliary General Environmental Research (AGER).
U.S. Army FS-345 was Coast Guard manned during World War II, commissioning at Kewaunee 26 July 1944.[3][note 2] The vessel was assigned to the Southwest Pacific Area operating there and moving north with Allied advances to Guam and finally Manila, being anchored there 1 July 1945 – 31 August 1945.[3]
The ship was acquired by the Navy on 1 July 1950 and placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service and sometime before 20 August 1952 designated as T-AKL-25.[2] On 5 September 1952 T-AKL-25 was renamed Banner and then, on 24 November 1952, at Pearl Harbor, T.H. commissioned as USS Banner (AKL-25).[2] The ship was assigned to Service Division (ServDiv) 51, Service Force, Pacific Fleet, supplying advanced Pacific bases until assigned regular duty in the Mariana Islands supplying bases in those islands as well as at Chichijima and Hahajima from Guam with occasional trips to Japan or Hong Kong.[2]
On 25 July 1965 Banner departed Guam for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where from August to October 1965 she was converted to an "environmental research ship."[2] In reality, the ship was converted to a SIGINT platform.[4]Banner returned to Japan in 1966 operating out of Yokosuka where she was redesignated AGER-1 on 1 June 1967.[2]
Banner operated with USS Pueblo (AGER-2) and USS Palm Beach (AGER-3) gathering signals intelligence for the remainder of her career.[4] In mid-1969 Banner was found unfit for further service and decommissioned at Yokosuka, Japan, on 14 November 1969 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day.[2] The ship was sold for scrapping on 5 June 1970 to Mitsui & Co., Tadotsu, Japan.[2]
^The DANFS statement the ship was built as Captain William Galt is doubtful. The Army did not tend to name these vessels until 1945 or later. No other references, including the Coast Guard wartime synopsis mentions a name during this period.
^The Army did not "commission" its ships. Those manned by Coast Guard crews underwent a commissioning in Coast Guard tradition.
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Banner (AKL-25).
Coast Guard Historian's Office (17 November 2014). "World War II Coast Guard-Manned U.S. Army Freight and Supply Ship Histories". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
Colton, T. (28 November 2012). "U.S. Army Coastal Freighters (F, FS)". Shipbuilding History. T. Colton. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
Naval History And Heritage Command. "Banner II (AKL-25)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
USS Pueblo Veteran's Association. "US Navy AGER Program". USS Pueblo Veteran's Association. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
April 28, 2024
banner, other, ships, with, same, name, banner, banner, then, ager, originally, army, serving, southwest, pacific, during, closing, days, world, army, united, states, coast, guard, crewed, ships, 1950, ship, acquired, navy, converted, into, light, auxiliary, c. For other ships with the same name see USS Banner The USS Banner AKL 25 then AGER 1 was originally U S Army FS 345 serving in the Southwest Pacific during the closing days of World War II as one of the Army s United States Coast Guard crewed ships In 1950 the ship was acquired by the Navy and converted into a light auxiliary cargo AKL In 1967 the ship was converted for electronic intelligence and reclassified as Auxiliary General Environmental Research AGER USS Banner AKL 25 USS Banner AKL 25 at Hong Kong 1959History United States NameFS 345 Banner BuilderKewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Laid down1944 Commissioned24 November 1952 Decommissioned14 November 1969 FateScrapped General characteristics Displacement550 tons light 895 tons full 345 tons dead Length177 ft 54 m Beam32 ft 9 8 m Draft9 ft 2 7 m Propulsiontwin diesel Speed12 7 knots 23 5 km h Complement6 officers 70 men Armament2 M2 Browning 50 caliber machine guns Contents 1 Construction 2 History 3 Former seamen 4 Footnotes 5 References 6 BibliographyConstruction editBanner was built as a Design 381 coastal freighter for the United States Army as U S Army FS 345 at Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Corporation Kewaunee Wisconsin United States 1 2 note 1 History editU S Army FS 345 was Coast Guard manned during World War II commissioning at Kewaunee 26 July 1944 3 note 2 The vessel was assigned to the Southwest Pacific Area operating there and moving north with Allied advances to Guam and finally Manila being anchored there 1 July 1945 31 August 1945 3 The ship was acquired by the Navy on 1 July 1950 and placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service and sometime before 20 August 1952 designated as T AKL 25 2 On 5 September 1952 T AKL 25 was renamed Banner and then on 24 November 1952 at Pearl Harbor T H commissioned as USS Banner AKL 25 2 The ship was assigned to Service Division ServDiv 51 Service Force Pacific Fleet supplying advanced Pacific bases until assigned regular duty in the Mariana Islands supplying bases in those islands as well as at Chichijima and Hahajima from Guam with occasional trips to Japan or Hong Kong 2 On 25 July 1965 Banner departed Guam for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where from August to October 1965 she was converted to an environmental research ship 2 In reality the ship was converted to a SIGINT platform 4 Banner returned to Japan in 1966 operating out of Yokosuka where she was redesignated AGER 1 on 1 June 1967 2 Banner operated with USS Pueblo AGER 2 and USS Palm Beach AGER 3 gathering signals intelligence for the remainder of her career 4 In mid 1969 Banner was found unfit for further service and decommissioned at Yokosuka Japan on 14 November 1969 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day 2 The ship was sold for scrapping on 5 June 1970 to Mitsui amp Co Tadotsu Japan 2 Former seamen editNathaniel M Gorton federal judgeFootnotes edit The DANFS statement the ship was built as Captain William Galt is doubtful The Army did not tend to name these vessels until 1945 or later No other references including the Coast Guard wartime synopsis mentions a name during this period The Army did not commission its ships Those manned by Coast Guard crews underwent a commissioning in Coast Guard tradition References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Banner AKL 25 Colton U S Army Coastal Freighters a b c d e f g h Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Banner a b Coast Guard Historian s Office FS 345 a b US Navy AGER Program Bibliography editCoast Guard Historian s Office 17 November 2014 World War II Coast Guard Manned U S Army Freight and Supply Ship Histories United States Coast Guard Retrieved 30 June 2015 Colton T 28 November 2012 U S Army Coastal Freighters F FS Shipbuilding History T Colton Retrieved 30 June 2015 Naval History And Heritage Command Banner II AKL 25 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Naval History And Heritage Command Retrieved 30 June 2015 USS Pueblo Veteran s Association US Navy AGER Program USS Pueblo Veteran s Association Retrieved 30 June 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USS Banner AKL 25 amp oldid 1122607249, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
