USS Virgo, a 13,910-ton Andromeda class attack cargo ship, was built at Kearney, New Jersey. Commissioned in July 1943, she went to the Pacific combat zone later in the year and took part in the Tarawa landings in November. During 1944, Virgo participated in amphibious operations targeting Kwajalein, New Guinea, Saipan, Guam, and Peleliu. Following a west coast overhaul, she returned to the western Pacific, where she served as a logistics support ship, transporting cargo and replenishing other ships at sea. This duty lasted for the rest of World War II and extended into the Post-War years.
Virgo operated in the Pacific to the end of the 1940s. In the Spring of 1950, she briefly visited the Atlantic area, but had returned to the U.S. west coast when the Korean War began in June 1950. During that conflict, she made four combat tours in Asiatic waters, carrying passengers, supplies and ammunition to keep the operating forces in action. After the July 1953 Korean Armistice, Virgo continued her trans-Pacific logistics tasks for nearly five more years, until she decommissioned in April 1958. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration in July 1961.
In September 1965, the needs of the Vietnam conflict caused the Navy to recall Virgo to active duty. Redesignated AE-30, she was converted to an ammunition ship over the next year and recommissioned in August 1966. She made annual deployments to the western Pacific in 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970. Following the last of these, Virgo decommissioned in February 1971. She was sold for scrapping in November 1973.
This page features all our views of USS Virgo.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Virgo, taken during the 1940s and 1950s, when she was designated AKA-20. The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Virgo (AKA-20) in harbor, 1 August 1943. Starboard bow aerial view. USS Virgo (AKA-20) in harbor, 1 August 1943. Starboard stern aerial view. USS Virgo (AKA-20) in harbor, 1 August 1943. Starboard broadside aerial view.
USS Virgo (AKA-20) anchored off Yokosuka, Japan, 15 December 1953. Starboard broadside surface view, taken from somewhat toward the stern. USS Virgo (AKA-20) anchored off Yokosuka, Japan, 15 December 1953. Starboard bow surface view.
USS Virgo (AKA-20) in a harbor, May 1957. Port stern surface view. USS Virgo (AKA-20) in a harbor, May 1957. Port broadside surface view. USS Virgo (AKA-20) in a harbor, May 1957. Port bow surface view.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
30 June 2000