History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Kennebec |
Namesake | Kennebec River |
Ordered | 1 November 1939 |
Builder | Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard |
Laid down | 12 August 1940 |
Launched | 19 April 1941 |
Acquired | 13 January 1942 |
Commissioned | 4 February 1942 |
Decommissioned | 29 June 1970 |
Stricken | 15 July 1976 |
Motto | Service God, Country, Fleet |
Honors and awards |
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Fate | Scrapped, 1982 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Kennebec class oiler |
Type | MARAD T2 |
Tonnage | 15,910 DWT |
Displacement | 21,077 tons |
Length | 501 ft 8 in (152.91 m) |
Beam | 68 ft (21 m) |
Draft | 29 ft 8.5 in (9.055 m) |
Depth | 37 ft (11 m) |
Installed power | 12,000 shp (8,900 kW) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h) |
Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) |
Capacity | 130,000 bbl (~18,000 t) |
Complement | 214–247 |
Armament |
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USS Kennebec (AO-36) was originally the SS Corsicana, a Kennebec class T2 tanker that was built by Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard in Sparrows Point, Maryland. It was delivered to Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (later Mobil Oil) on 8 August 1941. It was purchased by the United States Navy on 13 January 1942 and renamed Kennebec.
The fleet oiler later had an eventful career, in so far as it was decommissioned four times and twice stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Kennebec was decommissioned on 4 September 1950 at San Diego, California, and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet for only four months. It was already recommissioned on 11 January 1951, at Oakland, California. On 25 September 1954 it was decommissioned, again at San Diego and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group. It was recommissioned on 14 December 1956, only to be decommissioned again on 31 October 1957. This time the ship was stricken from the Naval Register on 14 January 1959 and transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for laying up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. However, Kennebec was reacquired by the U.S. Navy and recommissioned on 16 December 1961. It served the Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam War up to 1970.
The ship decommissioned for the last time on 29 June 1970 at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Mare Island, Vallejo, California, and transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for laying up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Kennebec was again stricken from the Naval Register on 15 July 1976. On 6 April 1982 it was sold by MARAD to Levin Metals Corporation for $180,077.00, and subsequently scrapped.
Today, the ship's only propeller sits outside the Building 1503 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. It is a 19 ft 8 in (5.99 m) diameter prop with a 18 ft 10 in (5.74 m) pitch. It was made by Bethlehem Steel Co. at the Staten Island plant. The finish weight was 41,775 lb (18,949 kg).
Today, the ships bell sits inside the Naval Talent Acquisition Group Pacific Northwest HQ office in Seattle, WA.
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.
The third USS Merrimack (AO-37) (ex-Caddo) was one of five Kennebec-class fleet oilers built during World War II for service in the United States Navy. She also service in the Cold War. She was named after the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
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 Gabriel 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 Gabriel (AO-124). Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Mission San Gabriel (T-AO-124). She was a member of the Mission Buenaventura-class oiler and was named for the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
SS Mission San Diego 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 Diego (AO-121). Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Mission San Diego (T-AO-121). She was a member of the Mission Buenaventura-class oiler and was named for Mission San Diego de Alcalá.
SS Mission San Jose 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 Jose. Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Mission San Jose. She was a Mission Buenaventura-class oiler and was named for Mission San José, located in Fremont, California.
USNS Mission Santa Ana (T-AO-137) was a Mission Buenaventura-class oiler that served in the United States Navy. The ship was originally intended as USS Concho (AO-102) for the U.S. Navy but her acquisition was canceled. The ship, a Type T2-SE-A3 tanker, was completed as SS Mission Santa Ana and delivered after the end of World War II. The tanker was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1948 as USS Mission Santa Ana (AO-137), but was transferred to the Military Sea Transport Service upon its creation in 1949. The ship was named for the Santa Ana Estancia, she was the only U.S. Naval Vessel to bear the name.
USS Neosho (AO–48) was a Kennebec-class type T2 fleet oiler of the United States Navy. The ship was laid down on 8 July 1941, as SS Catawba, by the Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard Inc., Sparrows Point, Maryland. The purchase came under Maritime Commission contract number 145 for the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, later renamed Mobil Oil.
USS Kankakee (AO-39) was a Kennebec-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy. The ship was built as SS Colina by Bethlehem Steel Co., Sparrows Point, Maryland, launched on 24 January 1942, sponsored by Mrs. D. A. Little, acquired for the Navy on 31 March through the Maritime Commission from her owner, Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, New York City, and commissioned as Kankakee at Norfolk, Virginia, on 4 May.
USS Lackawanna (AO-40) was a Kennebec-class type T2 fleet oiler of the United States Navy. The ship was laid down 27 December 1941, as SS Conastoga, by the Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard Inc., Sparrows Point, Maryland, under Maritime Commission contract number 147. Launched on 16 May 1942, sponsored by Mrs. S. J. Dickey, acquired by the Navy on 20 June 1942, and commissioned on 10 July 1942 at Baltimore, Lt. Comdr. S. R. Sands, Jr., USCG, in command.
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.
The second USS Monongahela (AO-42) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy which saw service during World War II and the Korean War. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the Monongahela River in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
USS Saugatuck (AO-75) was a Suamico-class replenishment oiler of the United States Navy.
The TS Golden Bear is the training ship of the California State University Maritime Academy (CSUMA), a campus of the California State University. The first training ship of the then–California Nautical School was known as the Training Ship California State, then as the T.S. Golden State. Since then, there have been three ships to bear the name T.S. Golden Bear.
USS Luzon (ARG-2) was an internal combustion engine repair ship in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1960. She was the lead ship in a class of twelve ships and was scrapped in 1974.
The Chiwawa-class oilers were United States Navy T3 Tanker oilers of the T3-S-A1 design built during World War II at Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard of Sparrows Point, Maryland. The class consisted of five ships, all of which survived the war.
USS Delta (AK-29/AR-9) was the lead ship of her class of repair ships in the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally built as the merchant ship SS Hawaiian Packer before her requisition by the U.S. Navy in 1941. Before conversion to a repair ships, Delta briefly served as a U.S. Navy cargo ship.
USS Niobrara (AO-72) was a T3 Kennebec-class oiler constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the Niobrara River in Nebraska.
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.
The Kennebec-class oilers were sixteen United States Navy medium oilers built during World War II to three related designs at Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard of Sparrows Point, Maryland and Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. of Chester, Pennsylvania, all of which survived the war. One is still in commercial service as of 2022.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.