USS Arethusa (IX-135) began life as Gargoyle—a tanker built in 1921 at Oakland, Calif., by the Moore Shipbuilding Co. and was renamed Arethusa by the Navy and designated IX-135 on 3 November 1943; acquired by the Navy on 23 March 1944 from the War Shipping Administration on a bareboat basis for use as a mobile floating storage tanker; and placed in commission on that same day at Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.
USS Alameda, was a United States Navy tanker in commission from 1919 to 1922. She was built as the civilian tanker SS Alameda, but transferred to the U.S. Navy after completion in 1919. She was sold for commercial service and operated under the names SS Olean and SS Sweep before she was transferred to the Navy again in World War II as USS Silver Cloud (IX-143).
USS Trinity (AO-13) was a Patoka-class replenishment oiler of the United States Navy.
USS Nanticoke (AOG-66), was a type T1 Klickitat-class gasoline tanker built for the US Navy during World War II. She was named after the Nanticoke River, in Delaware and Maryland.
USS Platte (AO-24) was a Cimarron-class oiler serving with the United States Navy, named for the 1836 Platte Purchase that included the Platte Rivers in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. Her memorial in Platte County, Missouri honors all four rivers that share the name recorded by Lewis and Clark in 1803.
The second USS Raccoon (IX-127), an Armadillo-class tanker designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the raccoon. She was built as the Liberty ship J. C. W. Becham by the Maritime Commission and renamed Raccoon by the Navy on 27 October 1943. Her keel was laid down on 7 November 1943 by the Delta Shipbuilding Company, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was launched on 23 December 1943 sponsored by Mrs. J. C. W. Becham, accepted from the War Shipping Administration under bareboat basis on 31 January 1944, and commissioned on 1 February 1944.
USS Caribou (IX-114), an Armadillo-class tanker designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the caribou. Her keel was laid down by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, in Wilmington, California, as Nathaniel B. Palmer under a Maritime Commission contract. She was launched on 2 November 1943 sponsored by Mrs. T. A. Gregory, acquired by the Navy on 25 November 1943 and commissioned the same day and reported to the Pacific Fleet.
USS Armadillo (IX-111), the lead ship of her class of tanker was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the armadillo, an insect-eating mammal which has an armorlike shell encasing its back and head.
USS Mink (IX-123), an Armadillo-class tanker designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the mink, a mammal found in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, valued for its lustrous fur. Her keel was laid down as Judah Touro 20 October 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by Delta S. B. Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, Louisiana. She was launched on 4 December 1943 sponsored by Mrs. E. S. Lazarus, renamed Mink 27 October 1943, acquired by the Navy 8 January 1944, and commissioned on 9 January 1944.
USS Leopard (IX-122), an Armadillo-class tanker designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was a United States Navy ship named for the leopard, a large and ferocious spotted cat of southern Asia and Africa. Her keel was laid down as William B. Bankhead on 5 October 1943 by Delta Shipbuilding Company, in New Orleans, Louisiana, under a Maritime Commission contract. She was renamed Leopard on 27 October 1943, launched on 15 November 1943 sponsored by Mrs. William B. Bankhead, acquired by the Navy 24 December 1943, and commissioned on 26 December 1943.
USS Flambeau (IX-192), was the tanker S. B. Hunt, built for Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. Her keel was laid down in 1919 by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, in Chester, Pennsylvania with completion August 1919.
USS Saugatuck (AO-75) was a Suamico-class replenishment oiler of the United States Navy.
USS Nausett (IX–190) was a tanker serving as an auxiliary ship in the United States Navy during World War II. Built as W. M. Irish the ship was a commercial tanker until taken by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) during World War II. WSA first allocated the ship to the Army and then as lend lease to the Soviet Union where the ship was renamed Moskva. On return the ship was renamed Nausett and allocated to the Navy which first accepted the vessel and then found it too expensive to make suitable. The ship was returned to WSA, placed in reserve and sold for scrap the next year.
USS Chikaskia (AO-54) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Ocean Theatre of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For her very dangerous work under combat conditions, she was awarded six battle stars for World War II and one for the Korean War.
USS Anacostia (AO-94) was a Escambia-class replenishment oiler acquired by the United States Navy for use during World War II. She had the dangerous but necessary task of providing fuel to vessels in combat and non-combat areas. She served in the Pacific Ocean Theater of operations late in the war, and returned home with one battle star.
USS Kanawha (AOG-31) was a T1-M-A2 Mettawee-class 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 Standard Arrow (ID-1532) was a United States Navy tanker in commission from 1917 to 1919. She was built as SS Standard Arrow for the Standard Oil Company. In World War II, she was again acquired by the U.S. Navy from Standard Oil and commissioned as USS Signal (IX-142) a station tanker in the Pacific from 1944 to 1946.
USS Klickitat (AOG-64), was the lead ship of the type T1 Klickitat-class gasoline tanker built for the US Navy during World War II. She was named after the Klickitat River, in Washington.
USS Michigamme (AOG-64), was a type T1 Klickitat-class gasoline tanker built for the US Navy during World War II. She was named after the Michigamme River, in Michigan.
United States
