History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS Kishwaukee |
Namesake | Kishwaukee River in Illinois |
Laid down | 22 September 1942 |
Launched | 24 July 1943 |
Commissioned | 27 May 1944 |
Decommissioned | 2 April 1958 |
Stricken | 1 July 1960 |
Recommissioned | 1 September 1966 |
Decommissioned | 15 January 1970 |
Stricken | 1 August 1974 |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Patapsco-class gasoline tanker |
Tonnage | 2,210 long tons deadweight (DWT) |
Displacement |
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Length | 310 ft 9 in (94.72 m) |
Beam | 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m) |
Draft | 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m) |
Propulsion | 4 × General Electric diesel-electric engines, twin shafts, 3,300 hp (2,461 kW) |
Speed | 15.5 knots (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h) |
Complement | 131 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Operations: | World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War |
Awards: |
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USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
Kishwaukee had the distinction of being one of the few ships serving in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and returned home with battle and campaign stars to their credit.
Kishwaukee was launched 24 July 1943, by Cargill Shipyard, Savage, Minnesota; sponsored by Mrs. John Shipp; and commissioned 27 May 1944.
After shakedown, Kishwaukee cleared Norfolk, Virginia, 8 July 1944, and joined the Service Squadron at Pearl Harbor 10 August. She completed a two-month shuttle among the central Pacific islands before sailing west to support the reconquest of the Philippine Islands. Kishwaukee arrived off Leyte late in October and operated as station tanker, fueling ships in the vicinity. She supported the Philippine campaign until she sailed 1 February 1945, for operations in the Palau and Caroline Islands.
Late in March, as the war moved closer to Japan, Kishwaukee sailed for the Ryukyus to fuel ships engaged in the invasion of Okinawa. In spite of the constant enemy air raids, the oiler remained as station tanker until after Okinawa had been secured and continued servicing Allied ships in Okinawa until sailing for Japan, arriving Sasebo 22 December. Following six months as station tanker in the Far East, Kishwaukee cleared Japan 5 July and put into San Pedro, California, 31 July.
From 1946 to 1950 Kishwaukee remained on active service with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Based at Pearl Harbor she alternated tours in the Far East with cruises among the islands off the South and Central Pacific.
During the Korean War, she supplied vital fuel to Pacific Ocean staging areas and operated as a station ship out of Sasebo November through December 1950. Upon cessation of Korean hostilities, Kishwaukee resumed fuel shuttles from Pearl Harbor to the Pacific Islands and Alaska.
During 1954 the oiler unloaded cargo in French Indochina as the war in that country was nearing an end. That August she sailed to Formosa with a supply of aviation gasoline in anticipation of a possible Red Chinese attack on Nationalist held islands in the Formosa Straits. Kishwaukee returned Pearl Harbor 17 October and for the next three years continued runs between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands before sailing for the U.S. West Coast 10 November 1957. She arrived Astoria, Oregon, 11 December and decommissioned at Seattle, Washington, 2 April 1958. Her name was struck from the Navy List 1 July 1960. Kishwaukee remained with the Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet until October 1965, when her name reappeared on the Navy List.
The ship underwent extensive overhaul at the Swan Island Shipyard in Portland, Oregon, and recommissioned 1 September 1966. After fitting out, Kishwaukee arrived Pearl Harbor, her homeport, 7 October 1966. Following shakedown training, she sailed to the Far East 5 December and arrived, via Guam, at Subic Bay 22 December. The gasoline tanker entered the combat zone the last day of the year and supplied fuel for naval aircraft for strikes against targets ashore. From 2 January 1967 into April she operated out of Da Nang, South Vietnam, before departing for Yokosuka, Japan, arriving 30 April. Kishwaukee continued on to Pearl Harbor and joined ServRon 5 after her arrival 15 May.
Kishwaukee was decommissioned on 15 January 1970 at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and laid up at INACTSHIPMAINTFAC West Lock, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On 1 August 1974, she was struck from the Naval Register. Kishwaukee was disposed of by MARAD sale, 12 December 1978 to Mid Pacific Sea Harvesters, LTD for $56,480, for conversion to a fishing vessel. [1] Kishwaukee was converted to the fishing vessel Vicky Rae, serving as such until 1997 when she was scrapped in Shanghai, China.
Kishwaukee received two battle stars for World War II service:
During the Vietnam War, she was awarded seven campaign stars:
Kishwaukee’s crew was eligible for the following citations, medals and ribbons (shown in order of precedence):
USS Cimarron (AO-22) was a Cimarron-class oiler serving with the United States Navy and the second ship to be named for the Cimarron River in the Southwestern United States. She was launched 7 January 1939 by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania; sponsored by Mrs. William D. Leahy; and commissioned 20 March 1939.
USS Namakagon (AOG-53) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker built for the United States Navy during World War II. In some sources, the ship's name is also spelled Namakogon. After her decommissioning from the U.S. Navy in 1957, the former Namakagon served as Antarctic supply vessel HMNZS Endeavour (A184) for the Royal New Zealand Navy (1962–1971), and as ROCS Lung Chuan for the Republic of China Navy. Lung Chuan ended active service when she was decommissioned from the Republic of China Navy in 2005.
USS Noxubee (AOG-56) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations. She served in a commissioned status from 1945 to 1959, and 1965–1975. She was named for a river in Mississippi.
USS Yahara (AOG-37) was a 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 Wabash (AOG-4) was a Patapsco-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 Hickman County (LST-825) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Kentucky and Tennessee, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Tolovana (AO-64) 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 performing this dangerous task in combat areas, she was awarded one battle star during World War II, two during the Korean War, and thirteen campaign stars and the Navy Unit Commendation during the Vietnam War.
USS Chipola (AO-63) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Theater of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For performing this dangerous task in combat areas, she was awarded three battle stars during World War II and thirteen campaign stars during the Vietnam War.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy in service from 1943 to 1991. She survived three wars and was awarded eight battle stars for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War service, and eight campaign stars for Vietnam War service. In the mid-1960s Ashtabula became the lead ship of her class, when she and seven other Cimarron-class oilers were lengthened ("jumboized"). She has been the only U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Ashtabula, after the City of Ashtabula which was named after the Ashtabula River in northeast Ohio.
USS Castor (AKS-1) was a Castor-class general stores issue ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering and disbursing goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Deliver (ARS-23) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
USS Safeguard (ARS-25) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1952 to 1979. She was then transferred to Turkey where she served as TCG Işın (A-589) until 2017.
USS Kern (AOG-2) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Agawam (AOG-6) was a Patapsco-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 Elkhorn (AOG-7) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1972. She was then sold to Taiwan, where she served as ROCS Hsing Lung (AOG-515/AOG-517). Her final fate is unknown.
USS Genesee (AOG-8) was a Patapsco-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 Nemasket (AOG-10) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1959. She was scrapped in 2006.
USS Tombigbee (AOG-11) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1972. She was then sold to Greece, where she served as Ariadni (A414) until 2003.
USS Calamus (AOG-25) was a 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 Oconee (AOG-34) was a 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.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .