USNS Cumberland (T-AO-153)

Last updated
USNS Cumberland (T-AO-153)
History
Flag of the United States.svg United States
NameUSNS Cumberland (T-AO-153)
Namesake Cumberland, Maryland
Owner United States Navy
Operator Military Sealift Command
Launched9 May 1944
CompletedMay 1944
FateScrapped 1972
General characteristics
Class and typeType T2-SE-A1 tanker
Displacement5,782 tons(light) 21,880 tons (full)
Length523 ft 6 in (159.56 m)
Beam68 ft (21 m)
Draft30 ft (9.1 m)
PropulsionTurbo-electric, single screw propeller. 8,000hp
Speed15.5 knots
Capacity140,000 barrels
Complement251

The SS Fort Cumberland was one of the nearly 500 Type T2-SE-A1 tankers ordered by the Maritime Commission during World War II. She was named for the city of Cumberland, Maryland while her predecessors were named for the river. After the war she was sold to Standard Oil of New Jersey and sailed under the name Esso Cumberland.

In 1956 with the Suez crisis Esso Cumberland was acquired by the Navy and assigned to the Military Sealift Command as USNS Cumberland (T-AO-153).

In 1966, Cumberland was converted by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company to a floating electric power supply ship for use in South Vietnam by the United States Army. Stationed at Qui Nhon, South Vietnam her main machinery generated electricity which was transmitted, via power cables, ashore to sub-stations. Later she was moved to Cam Ranh Bay.

Cumberland was sold to Kaohsiung shipbreakers in February 1972.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Chemung</i> (AO-30) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Chemung (AO-30), a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler serving in the United States Navy, was the second ship named for the Chemung River in New York State.

USS <i>Guadalupe</i> (AO-32) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Guadalupe (AO-32), a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler that served in the United States Navy, it was named for the Guadalupe River in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T2 tanker</span> Ship type

The T2 tanker, or T2, was a class of oil tanker constructed and produced in large quantities in the United States during World War II. Only the T3 tankers were larger "navy oilers" of the period. Some 533 T2s were built between 1940 and the end of 1945. They were used to transport fuel oil, diesel fuel, gasoline and sometimes black oil-crude oil. Post war many T2s remained in use; like other hastily built World War II ships pressed into peacetime service, there were safety concerns. As was found during the war, the United States Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation in 1952 stated that in cold weather the ships were prone to metal fatigue cracking, so were "belted" with steel straps. This occurred after two T2s, Pendleton and Fort Mercer, split in two off Cape Cod within hours of each other. Pendleton's sinking is memorialized in The Finest Hours. Engineering inquiries into the problem suggested the cause was poor welding techniques. It was found the steel was not well suited for the new wartime welding construction. The high sulfur content made the steel brittle and prone to metal fatigue at lower temperatures.

USS <i>Salamonie</i> (AO-26) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Salamonie (AO-26) was a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler, named for the Salamonie River in Indiana.

USS <i>Sabine</i> (AO-25) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Sabine (AO-25), a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler serving in the United States Navy, was the second ship named for the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana border.

SS Mission San Carlos was a Type T2-SE-A2 tanker built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. After the war she was acquired by the United States Navy as USS Mission San Carlos (AO-120). Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Mission San Carlos (T-AO-120). She was a Mission Buenaventura-class oiler and was one of two U.S. Navy vessels named for Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo, located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, the other being Mission Carmel.

USS <i>Mattaponi</i> (AO-41) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Mattaponi (AO-41) was a Kennebec-class oiler which served in the United States Navy during World War II, periodically during the 1950s, and in the Vietnam War. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the Mattaponi River in eastern Virginia.

USS <i>Tappahannock</i> (AO-43) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Tappahannock (AO-43) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy that served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She was sold for scrap in 1987.

SS Pedernales was a lake tanker of the World War II and post war eras. She was built in 1938 in Monfalcone, Italy, and sailed under the British flag. Pedernales was severely damaged in a torpedo attack on 16 February 1942 while anchored at Aruba.

USS <i>Chicopee</i> (AO-34) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Chicopee (AO-34) was the lead ship of her class of oilers for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the Chicopee River located in Massachusetts.

USS <i>Cacapon</i> (AO-52) Cimarron-class oiler

USS Cacapon (AO-52) was a T3 Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Ocean Theater of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For performing this dangerous task, she was awarded battle stars and citations during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

USS <i>Aroostook</i> (AOG-14)

USS Aroostook (AOG-14) was a gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.

USS <i>Mispillion</i> (AO-105) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Mispillion (AO-105) was an Ashtabula-class oiler that served in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1974. She was then transferred to the Military Sealift Command to continue in non-commissioned service as United States Naval Ship USNS Mispillion (T-AO-105), in which capacity she served until 1994. Thus far, Mispillion has been the only U.S. Navy ship to bear the name.

USS <i>Milwaukee</i> (AOR-2) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) was a Wichita-class replenishment oiler commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1969. She continued to support Navy requirements until 1994 when she was placed in the reserve fleet and later struck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T3 tanker</span>

The T3 tanker, or T3, are a class of seaworthy large tanker ships produced in the United States and used to transport fuel oil, gasoline or diesel before and during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The T3 tanker classification is still used today. The T3 tanker has a full load displacement of about 24,830 tons.

MV C.O. Stillman was an oil tanker that was built by a German shipyard in 1928 for a Canadian-based shipping company. A Panamanian subsidiary of Esso bought her at the end of 1936 and she was sunk by the German submarine U-68 in the Caribbean on June 4, 1942 about 41 nautical miles (76 km) southwest of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico.

SAS <i>Transvaal</i> Loch-class frigate in the South African Navy

SAS Transvaal was one of three Loch-class frigates in the South African Navy (SAN). She was built as HMS Loch Ard (K602) for the Royal Navy during World War II, but was transferred to the SAN in 1944 before completion and renamed as HMSAS Transvaal. The ship was completed shortly after the German surrender in May 1945 and did not participate in the war.

T1 tanker

The T1 tanker or T1 are a class of sea worthy small tanker ships used to transport fuel oil before and during World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. The T1 tanker classification is still in use today. T1 tankers are about 200 to 250 feet in length and are able to sustain a top speed of about 12 knots. The hull designation AO is used by the US Navy to denote the ship is a T1 oil tanker and AOG that the T1 is a gasoline tanker. The small size allows the T1 to enter just about any sea port or to anchor around a small island, this was very useful during the Pacific War. The T1 tanker can carry about 48,000 to 280,000 bbls. Some T1 tankers were used to transport goods other than oil, a few were used for black oil-crude oil, diesel, chemicals and rarely bulk cargo like grain. T1 tankers are also called liquid cargo carriers. The T1 tanker has about a 6,000 to 35,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) of cargo. The small size also gives the ships short turn around time for repair, cleaning, loading and unloading. A T1 tanker carrying dirty cargo, like crude oil needs a few weeks of labor to clean before carrying clean cargo. Most T1 ships during World War II were named after major oil fields.

References