History
United States Navy (1945-1959)
Natchaug was laid down on 15 August 1944 as a Maritime Commission type (T1-MT-M1) tanker hull, under a Maritime Commission contract, at Cargill, Inc. Launched on 6 December 1944, she was commissioned into naval service on 16 July 1945. After her shakedown cruise on the Gulf Coast, Natchaug arrived at Port Arthur, Texas in late August and took on her first cargo, getting underway on the 28th. On 30 September, she arrived at Pearl Harbor and commenced shuttle runs to Hawaiian ports and to islands of the Central Pacific on 5 October. She would continue these runs into 1946.
In January 1947, she was dispatched on an emergency run to supply Wake Island with bulk petroleum after the fuel lines and causeway between that island and Wilkes were damaged. At the end of the month, she returned to supplying fuel and lubricants to Midway Island, Canton Island, and the Christmas Islands. She arrived 2 September at Guam to support bases in a similar support of the bases in Marshalls, Marianas and Carolines. Operating from Guam, she would service these bases up until 18 February 1948. Assigned to SERVRON 3, She provided support for Qingdao and Yokosuka, until returning to Guam on 3 April, her mission extended to include bases in the Palaus and the Admiralties.
Spending the first quarter of 1949 undergoing overhaul in San Francisco, California, she once again returned to Guam on 16 May 1949 as part of SERVDIV 51; with the Japanese Home Islands added to her mission of mobile fleet and base replenishment, serving COMNAV Marianas until the Spring of 1951, when she was reassigned SERVRON 3 to provide support for units within U.S. 7th Fleet, Task Force 90, and Task Force 95 in the Sasebo, Japan area.
Between 14 March and 21 July 1951, she replenished returning Allied ships headed to Japan from the Korean Combat Zone, sailing once to Soehtong Do within the zone. Upon leaving Japanese waters, operating out of Guam once again briefly before sailing to Pearl Harbor once more. She continued to serve bases in the Central and South Pacific Ocean up until February 1953, before steaming north to provide support for units in the Alaskan Sea Frontier. Operating from Adak, she sailed Alaskan waters to mid-May, before sailing back to Pearl Harbor, via Seattle and San Francisco, arriving 22 June to resume her duties.
In February 1955, Natchaug's supply runs coming from Pearl Harbor were once more halted by a Convoy Routing Exercise which stopped at Subic Bay, Philippines on 21 February. She then supplied petroleum to ships and bases in the Philippine and Formosa area until the end of June. She returned to Hawaii on 28 July after a visit to Hong Kong, China, resuming her duty of supplying Central and South Pacific bases.
Greek Navy (1959-2005)
On 23 February 1959, she was ordered for inactivation, and was decommissioned on 24 July 1959, and transferred to the Hellenic Navy under the Military Assistance Program. She was struck from the Naval Register on 1 August 1959, and she was renamed as Arethousa (A-377). Serving a total of 44 years in the Hellenic Navy, she was decommissioned for the second and last time in 2003, and spent 2 years awaiting disposal. She was disposed of as a floating target off Crete Island in 2005.
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 Kaskaskia (AO-27) was a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler serving in the United States Navy, named for the Kaskaskia River in Illinois.
USS Millicoma (AO-73) was a United States Navy fleet oiler which served in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, winning eight battle stars for her dangerous work. Post-war she was recommissioned and was placed under the control of the MSTS with a civilian crew until finally assigned for disposal in 1987.
USS Saranac (AO-74), originally named the SS Cowpens, was a Type T2-SE-A1 Suamico-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy, and the fourth ship of the Navy to bear the name.
USS San Bernardino County (LST–1110) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for San Bernardino County, California, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
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 Yuma (AT-94/ATF-94/T-ATF-94) was a Navajo-class fleet tugboat constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the Yuma tribe of Arizona.
USS Mascoma (AO-83) was a Escambia-class replenishment oiler constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She served her country 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 seven battle stars by war's end.
USS Lawrence County (LST-887) was a LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in eleven U.S. states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
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 Kochab (AKS-6) was an Acubens-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. The vessel was constructed by Delta Shipbuilding Co. of New Orleans, Louisiana and launched on 8 March 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract. After being acquired the U.S. Navy, the vessel was converted into a general stores ship and entered service on 4 November 1944. Kochab supported American operations in the Pacific Theater, sailing between US bases on Pacific islands. Following the war's end, Kochab sailed to the US with returning personnel and operated along the United States West Coast before being decommissioned on 17 April 1946. The vessel was then placed in reserve. Kochab was sold for scrap in 1965.
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 Rio Grande (AOG-3) was aPatapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the United States Navy from 1943–1946 and 1950–1956. She was scrapped in 1972.
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 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.
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 Kaloli (AOG-13) 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 Chewaucan (AOG-50) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1975. She was then transferred to the Colombian Navy, her final disposition being unknown.
USS Grainger (AK-184) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that served the US Navy during the final months of World War II. In 1947 she was placed back in service and served in the Korean War, earning two battle stars
USS Sussex (AK-213) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that was constructed for the US Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was retained by the Navy for post-war service, including that in the Korean War theatre where she earned three battle stars and then returned home for deactivation.
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