View source for USS Pictor (AF-54)

{{short description|Cargo ship of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Pictor}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Pictor (AF-54) replenishing USS Yorktown (CVA-10) and USS Bausell (DD-845) in 1957.jpg
|Ship caption=''Pictor'' replenishing {{USS|Yorktown|CVA-10|2}} and {{USS|Bausell|DD-845|2|}}, 1957
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1943}}
|Ship name=
|Ship namesake=
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=*as ''SS Great Republic''
*C2-S-B1 hull, MC hull 187
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=18 March 1942
|Ship launched=4 June 1942
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=13 September 1950
|Ship commissioned=13 September 1950
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=December 1969
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=1 June 1976
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=Sold, 25 November 1981,  Scrapped, Kaohsiung 1986-1987
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=15,500 tons(fl)
|Ship length={{convert|459|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|63|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|28|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=cross-compound [[turbines]], single propeller
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed=16 kts.
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=292
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Pictor'' (AF-54)''' was an [[Alstede class stores ship|''Alstede''-class]] [[stores ship]] in service with the [[United States Navy]] from 1950 to 1969. She was scrapped in 1986.

==History==
''Pictor'' was laid down under a [[Maritime Commission]] contract as ''SS Great Republic'' (MC–187) 18 March 1942 by the [[Moore Dry Dock Company]], [[Oakland, California]]; She was launched 4 June 1942, sponsored by Mrs. William Craig, Jr.. During outfitting, refrigeration was added to all five holds and she was reclassified as a [[Type C2 ship|C2-S-B1(R)]] type ship and was delivered 29 June 1943.

=== Commercial service (1943-1950) ===

From 29 June 1943 until April 1950, she served as ''SS Great Republic'' for various private companies, including [[United Fruit]] Co., and [[Pacific Far East Lines]] of [[San Francisco, California]]. Great Republic was responsible for bringing 1,600 tons of turkey to the soldiers serving in France for Thanksgiving 1944.  In April 1950, she was returned to the [[Maritime Commission]] and was moored in an inactive status in [[Suisun Bay, California]].

=== U.S. Navy (1950-1981) ===

In September 1950, the Navy acquired this merchant ship from the Maritime Administration for conversion into a store ship. ''Pictor'' commissioned 13 September 1950, and reported for duty to the [[U.S. Pacific Fleet]].

During the [[Korean War]], she made tours of the [[Far East]] to supply perishable foods and dry stores to personnel in [[Korea]] and on the [[Taiwan]] patrol.

After the Korean War, she continued to store refrigerate, transport, and issue, underway and in port, perishable foods and dry stores for the [[U.S. 1st Fleet]] and the [[U.S. 7th Fleet]] off the [[U.S. West Coast]] and in the western [[Pacific Ocean]].

During the [[Vietnam War]], she supplied food and dry goods to the 7th Fleet on station off [[Vietnam]].

She decommissioned in December 1969 and was returned to [[MARAD]] in August 1970 for lay up in the [[National Defense Reserve Fleet]]. She was struck from the [[Naval Register]], 1 June 1976.  She was sold on 25 November 1981 to Levine Metals Corp., moored in Richmond, California (USA). The ship was finally sold to Shiong Yek Steel Corporation for scrapping in Taiwan on 29 September 1986 with ex-{{USS|Procyon|AF-61}} and {{USS|Zelima|AF-49}}. All three ships were scrapped at Kaohsiung between December 1986 and 16 June 1987.

== Military awards and honors ==
''Pictor'' received one battle star during the [[Korean War]]:
* Korea, Summer-Fall 1953 Campaign
She received eight [[campaign stars]] during the [[Vietnam War]]:
* Vietnam Defense
* Vietnamese Counteroffensive
* Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
* Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
* Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
* Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
* Tet/69 Counteroffensive
* Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
Her crew was eligible for the following medals:
* [[National Defense Service Medal]]
* [[Korean Service Medal]] (1)
* [[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]] (six- 1-Taiwan Straits, 1-Quemoy-Matsu, 4-Vietnam)
* [[Vietnam Service Medal]] (8)
* [[United Nations Service Medal]]
* [[Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal]]
* [[Republic of Korea War Service Medal]] (retroactive)

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite news |url=https://taskandpurpose.com/history/wwii-europe-thanksgiving-ship/ |title=One ship delivered Thanksgiving dinner for soldiers in Europe in 1944 |newspaper=Task & Purpose |date=2022-11-24 |last1=Hauptman |first1=Max }}
{{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pictor-i.html}}

== External links ==
* {{navsource|09/06/0654|Pictor}}

{{Alstede class stores ship}}
{{Type C2-S-B1 ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pictor (AF-54)}}
[[Category:Type C2-S-B1 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Oakland, California]]
[[Category:1942 ships]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Alstede-class stores ships]]
[[Category:Type C2-S-B1 ships of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Korean War auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Vietnam War auxiliary ships of the United States]]