USNS Provo

History
United States
Name	1945 Drew Victory 1962 USS Provo
Namesake	Provo, a city in north central Utah, population 115,919, settled by Mormons in 1849.
Builder	Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon
Laid down	28 April 1945, as Drew Victory, MCV-691
Launched	17 June 1945
Sponsored by	Miss Anna P. Burkhalter
Completed	as Drew Victory, 14 July 1945
Acquired	by the Navy on 2 March 1963
In service	20 November 1962 as USNS Provo (T-AG-173)
Out of service	c. 1970
Renamed	Provo, 20 November 1962
Stricken	15 June 1973
Homeport	Subic Bay, Philippines
Fate	Sold, 31 August 1973 and scrapped
General characteristics
Type	Phoenix-class miscellaneous auxiliary
Displacement	6,700 ton light 15,900 tons full load
Length	455' 3"
Beam	62'
Draft	28' 1" (max.)
Propulsion	steam turbine, single shaft, 8,500hp
Speed	17 knots
Complement	50 officers and enlisted

USNS Provo (T-AG-173) was a Phoenix-class miscellaneous auxiliary acquired by the United States Navy in 1962, crewed by a civilian crew from the Military Sea Transportation Service, and sent to the Philippines to serve as a delivery ship of parts and supplies to other Navy ships and stations in the Asian area. Provo remained in the Philippines, issuing parts and other supplies, until the early 1970s, being struck by the Navy in 1973. She was built as a Victory ship for World War II as the SS Drew Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for the War Shipping Administration.

Victory ship built in Oregon

Provo, a special projects ship, was laid down 28 April 1945; launched 17 June 1945 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Miss Anna P. Burkhalter; and delivered as SS Drew Victory 14 July 1945 and operated by the Weyerhaeuser Steamship Company. While in merchant marine service, she was subsequently renamed California and Utah.

Assigned to the U.S. Navy

On 2 March 1963, she was acquired by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) from the U.S. Maritime Administration, and renamed Provo, 20 November 1962, with the designation of Special Project Ship (AG–173).

In July 1963, she and two other MSTS ships, Cheyenne and Phoenix, were stationed at Subic Bay, Philippines, as Forward Floating Depots. This mission concept involved the use of depot ships for floating storage and issuance of vital military materials in meeting contingencies. The operational application of the concept was tested in 1964 in operation “Quick Release.”

The ship acted as a point to point cargo carrier, delivering military supplies to Okinawa and Viet Nam from stocking points in Japan and Subic Bay.

Inactivation

Provo was transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission, and was sold 31 August 1973 for scrapping.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - T-AG-173 Provo

This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 20:35