USS Atka (AGB 3) Class: Photographs

USCGC Westwind (CR 99)

Shown in January 1945 after completion to the original design for the class. The stability of the design permitted a very heavy armament of two twin 5"/38 gun mounts, three 40mm quad mounts, six single 20mm guns, plus ASW weapons and a Grumman J2F Duck utility seaplane carried on the superstructure amidships.

Photo No. Unknown
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)

USCGC Northwind (CR 96)

Photographed by her builder on 10 February 1944 after being modified during completion for transfer to the Soviet Union under Lend Lease. All three Lend Lease ships had their armament reduced as here to four single 3"/30 Army guns, eight 40mm singles, and six 20mm singles plus depth charges.

Photo No. Unknown
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)

Soviet Severnyy Polyus (ex USCGC Westwind)

In Soviet service after World War II with guns removed and with mercantile markings. Note the large balloon on her stern.

Photo No. None
Source: S. S. Berezhnoy, Flot SSSR, Korabli i suda lendliza, Spravochnik, St. Petersburg, 1994, page 358

USS Northwind (AGB 5)

Approaching a pier, probably in December 1951 at Bremerhaven, Germany, without armament, flying the U.S. flag, and with a small "5" on the bow. Her sister Westwind (AGB 6) is pierside on the right with her flag and her name on the stern.

Photo No. Unknown
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)

USS Atka (AGB 3)

Photographed on 24 February 1952 soon after being reconfigured after her Lend Lease service to resemble her sisters of the Burton Island (AGB 1) class with a single 5"/38 gun mount forward and a helicopter deck aft. The two Coast Guard ships of this type instead retained their forward twin 5"/38 mounts, Eastwind losing hers soon after a 1949 collision and Northwind (ii) retaining hers until around 1964.

Photo No. USN 441390
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)

USS Atka (AGB 3)

Shown in a photo backstamped 31 August 1956 breaking a passage through the ice north of Point Barrow, Alaska, for returning ships of the DEW Line resupply task group. Between 1952 and 1956 she had some plating added to her side bulwarks amidships, which became a recognition feature unique to her.

Photo No. Unknown
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)

USS Atka (AGB 3)

Photographed by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 12 June 1957. The additional plating on her bulwarks did not prevent her from carrying two stacked LCVPs as in the comparable photo of Staten Island, below.

Photo No. Unknown (Puget Sound NSH 1713)
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA 156a)

USS Staten Island (AGB 5)

Photographed by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 18 June 1957. At around this time both she and Atka received an AN/SPS-6 air search radar with its antenna over the bridge just forward of the mast.

Photo No. Unknown (Puget Sound NSH 1775)
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA 156a)

USS Staten Island (AGB 5)

Photographed circa the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Photo No. Unknown
Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA 283)

USS Atka (AGB 3)

Atka with USS Burton Island (AGB 1) to port and USS Glacier (AGB 4) out of the frame to starboard pushing together to move a huge iceberg from the channel to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on New Year's Eve (31 December) 1965 during that year's Operation Deep Freeze. Significant modifications to the two older ships included large helicopter hangars and climate-controlled ship control and lookout stations just under their AN/SPS-6 radar antennas. Atka had received a helo hangar at NSY Boston around March 1965 but did not get the control station until later.

Photo No. USN 827218
Source: NHHC (www.history.navy.mil)

USS Atka (AGB 3)

Returning home on 22 April 1966 to the South Boston Annex, Boston Naval Shipyard, with families of sailors waiting on the pier. Note the large helicopter hangar and the climate-controlled ship control and lookout station, both added in 1965. The Welin davit for the stacked LCVPs, on the port side only, was probably also added in 1965 because the new hangar displaced the boats. The automobiles are a Chevrolet Corvair with a rear-mounted engine and on the left a Buick LeSabre, both from the early 1960s. Photo by Leo Renahan

Photo No. 50959/5138kt928
Source: ark.digitalcommonwealth.org (Boston Public Library)

USCGC Westwind (WAGB 281)

Shown after being modernized and re-engined with Enterprise diesels in 1973-74. The telescoping helo hangar is in its forward position. The Coast Guard's Northwind (ii) was similarly modified, and the two ships lasted to 1988-89.

Photo No. 200327-G-G0000-1002
Source: history.uscg.mil (assets, water)

USCGC Westwind (CR 99) Shown in January 1945 after completion to the original design for the class. The stability of the design permitted a very heavy armament of two twin 5"/38 gun mounts, three 40mm quad mounts, six single 20mm guns, plus ASW weapons and a Grumman J2F Duck utility seaplane carried on the superstructure amidships. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USCGC Northwind (CR 96) Photographed by her builder on 10 February 1944 after being modified during completion for transfer to the Soviet Union under Lend Lease. All three Lend Lease ships had their armament reduced as here to four single 3"/30 Army guns, eight 40mm singles, and six 20mm singles plus depth charges. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
*Soviet Severnyy Polyus* (ex USCGC Westwind)** In Soviet service after World War II with guns removed and with mercantile markings. Note the large balloon on her stern. Photo No. None Source: S. S. Berezhnoy, Flot SSSR, Korabli i suda lendliza, Spravochnik, St. Petersburg, 1994, page 358
USS Northwind (AGB 5) Approaching a pier, probably in December 1951 at Bremerhaven, Germany, without armament, flying the U.S. flag, and with a small "5" on the bow. Her sister Westwind (AGB 6) is pierside on the right with her flag and her name on the stern. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Atka (AGB 3) Photographed on 24 February 1952 soon after being reconfigured after her Lend Lease service to resemble her sisters of the Burton Island (AGB 1) class with a single 5"/38 gun mount forward and a helicopter deck aft. The two Coast Guard ships of this type instead retained their forward twin 5"/38 mounts, Eastwind losing hers soon after a 1949 collision and Northwind (ii) retaining hers until around 1964. Photo No. USN 441390 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Atka (AGB 3) Shown in a photo backstamped 31 August 1956 breaking a passage through the ice north of Point Barrow, Alaska, for returning ships of the DEW Line resupply task group. Between 1952 and 1956 she had some plating added to her side bulwarks amidships, which became a recognition feature unique to her. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file)
USS Atka (AGB 3) Photographed by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 12 June 1957. The additional plating on her bulwarks did not prevent her from carrying two stacked LCVPs as in the comparable photo of Staten Island, below. Photo No. Unknown (Puget Sound NSH 1713) Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA 156a)
USS Staten Island (AGB 5) Photographed by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 18 June 1957. At around this time both she and Atka received an AN/SPS-6 air search radar with its antenna over the bridge just forward of the mast. Photo No. Unknown (Puget Sound NSH 1775) Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA 156a)
USS Staten Island (AGB 5) Photographed circa the late 1950s or early 1960s. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (UA 283)
USS Atka (AGB 3) Atka with USS Burton Island (AGB 1) to port and USS Glacier (AGB 4) out of the frame to starboard pushing together to move a huge iceberg from the channel to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on New Year's Eve (31 December) 1965 during that year's Operation Deep Freeze. Significant modifications to the two older ships included large helicopter hangars and climate-controlled ship control and lookout stations just under their AN/SPS-6 radar antennas. Atka had received a helo hangar at NSY Boston around March 1965 but did not get the control station until later. Photo No. USN 827218 Source: NHHC (www.history.navy.mil)
USS Atka (AGB 3) Returning home on 22 April 1966 to the South Boston Annex, Boston Naval Shipyard, with families of sailors waiting on the pier. Note the large helicopter hangar and the climate-controlled ship control and lookout station, both added in 1965. The Welin davit for the stacked LCVPs, on the port side only, was probably also added in 1965 because the new hangar displaced the boats. The automobiles are a Chevrolet Corvair with a rear-mounted engine and on the left a Buick LeSabre, both from the early 1960s. Photo by Leo Renahan Photo No. 50959/5138kt928 Source: ark.digitalcommonwealth.org (Boston Public Library)
USCGC Westwind (WAGB 281) Shown after being modernized and re-engined with Enterprise diesels in 1973-74. The telescoping helo hangar is in its forward position. The Coast Guard's Northwind (ii) was similarly modified, and the two ships lasted to 1988-89. Photo No. 200327-G-G0000-1002 Source: history.uscg.mil (assets, water)