Wichita-class replenishment oiler

Last updated
Commercial harbor tugs maneuver the replenishment oiler USS KALAMAZOO (AOR-6) toward the dock as the vessel returns to Norfolk from deployment in the Persian Gulf area during Operat - DPLA - e97387b07931e72c4ea1f29627808fbe.jpeg
USS Kalamazoo on 1 April 1991
Class overview
NameWichita
Builders
OperatorsFlag of the United States Navy (official).svg  United States Navy
Preceded by
Succeeded by
In commission1969–1995
Planned7
Completed7
Retired7
General characteristics
Type replenishment oiler
Displacement
  • 13,533 tons empty,
  • 40,151 tons full
  • 26,618 dwt
Length640 ft (195 m) wl; 659 ft (201 m) oa
Beam96 ft (29 m)
Draft35 ft (10.6 m)
Propulsion
  • 3 × boilers, 2 × steam turbines,
  • 2 × shafts, 32,000 SHP (24 MW)
Speed20 knots [1]
Complement34 officers, 463 men
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters

Wichita-class replenishment oilers comprised a class of seven replenishment oilers used by the United States Navy from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The ships were designed for rapid underway replenishment using both connected replenishment and vertical replenishment.

Contents

Design

Kalamazoo replenishing USS Nimitz and USS Josephus Daniels, in 1987. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) underway replenishment.jpg
Kalamazoo replenishing USS Nimitz and USS Josephus Daniels, in 1987.

The original concept for the Wichita-class was that the ships would serve the same function for the anti-submarine carrier (CVS) groups that the larger, faster Sacramento-class ships did for the attack carrier (CVA) groups. During this time the ships were commissioned naval auxiliaries with the hull classification AOR.

The ships could carry 160,000 barrels (25,438,000 litres) of fuel oil (DFM) and/or jet fuel (JP5), 600 tons of munitions, 200 tons of dry stores and 100 tons of refrigerated stores. To transfer cargo, the ships were equipped with four fueling stations and two cargo handling stations on the port side and three fueling stations and two cargo handling stations on the starboard side. [2] As built the port forward fuel station and associated tanks were for aviation gasoline (AVGAS), but were converted after the retirement of the Navy's last piston-engined aircraft. Originally, the first six ships only had a large helicopter landing deck aft, but no hangar. Roanoke was the first ship equipped with a large double hangar for two UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. The hangar was later retrofitted to the other ships.

With the addition of the hangar, the ships lost the originally fitted 3"/50 caliber gun twin mounts that were located abaft the stack. In the 1980s, a Mk 29 launcher for the NATO Sea Sparrow was fitted atop the hangar, and two Phalanx CIWS were added. [3]

General Dynamics, Quincy originally encountered problems during the construction, before the production was rationalised. Wichita took 24 months from keel laying to launch, Milwaukee 21 month, and Kansas City only 14 months. [4]

With the reduction in the U.S. Navy fleet, these ships were all decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) in the 1990s.

Ships in class

Traditionally Navy oilers have been named for rivers; the Wichita class were named for city/river pairs with Native American names.

ShipHull No.BuilderHome PortCommissioned–
Decommissioned		FateNVR page
Wichita AOR-1 General Dynamics, Quincy Oakland 1969–1993scrapped, 2013 AOR-1
Milwaukee AOR-2General Dynamics, Quincy Norfolk 1969–1994scrapped, 2009 AOR-2
Kansas City AOR-3General Dynamics, QuincyOakland1970–1994scrapped, 2014 AOR-3
Savannah AOR-4General Dynamics, QuincyNorfolk1970–1995scrapped, 2009 AOR-4
Wabash AOR-5General Dynamics, Quincy Long Beach 1971–1994scrapped, 2013 AOR-5
Kalamazoo AOR-6General Dynamics, QuincyNorfolk1973–1996scrapped, 2009 AOR-6
Roanoke AOR-7 National Steel Long Beach1976–1995scrapped, 2013 AOR-7

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast combat support ship</span> Combat logistics ship

The fast combat support ship is a type of replenishment auxiliary ship. Different from traditional logistic ships, the fast combat support ship is designed with high speed to keep up with the carrier battle group/carrier strike group, while the multi-product station is capable of supplying all types of necessities for the fleet.

RFA <i>Oakleaf</i> (A111) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Oakleaf (A111) was a Leaf-class fleet support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom. Formerly the Swedish vessel MV Oktania, built by A. B. Uddevalla, Sweden, and completed in 1981, Oakleaf was added to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1986, before being decommissioned in 2007.

RFA <i>Olwen</i> (A122) 1965 Ol-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Olwen (A122) was an Ol-class "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom. She was the lead ship of her class, and launched in 1964 as RFA Olynthus, the second ship to bear this name.

RFA <i>Olna</i> (A123) 1966 Ol-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Olna (A123) was the third and final of the three Ol-class "fast fleet tanker" of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom. When she entered service she was one of the largest and fastest ships in the RFA Fleet. Olna saw service in the Falklands War and the Gulf War.

RFA <i>Tidespring</i> (A75) 1963 Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Tidespring (A75) was a Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. As a replenishment oiler, her main purpose was to refuel other ships. The ship had a long career in the RFA, entering service in the early 1960s, and finally being decommissioned in 1991.

RFA <i>Tidepool</i> 1963 Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Tidepool (A76) was a Tide-class replenishment oiler of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

RFA <i>Northmark</i> Royal Navy vessel

Nordmark was a former Kriegsmarine combination oiler and supply vessel which was allocated to the Royal Navy by the Inter-Allied Repatriations Commission when British forces entered Copenhagen on 9 May 1945.

<i>Durance</i>-class tanker Class of French Navy replenishment oiler

The Durance class is a series of multi-product replenishment oilers, originally designed and built for service in the French Navy. Besides the five ships built for the French Navy, a sixth was built for the Royal Australian Navy, while the lead ship of the class currently serves with the Argentine Navy. Two ships of a similar but smaller design are in service with the Royal Saudi Navy as the Boraida-class replenishment oilers.

Wave-class tanker Class of two fast fleet tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Wave-class tankers are a class of fast fleet tankers in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The class is tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. There are two ships in the class, RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler. The ships were ordered to replace the aging Ol-class tankers RFA Olna and RFA Olwen. The two vessels have seen service in a number of locations, including anti-drug and hurricane relief operations in the Caribbean Sea, anti-piracy activities around the Horn of Africa, and deterrent patrols in the South Atlantic. As of early 2022, both ships were earmarked for "extended readiness" status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Replenishment oiler</span> Naval auxiliary ship

A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underway replenishment</span> Method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way

Underway replenishment (UNREP) or replenishment at sea (RAS) is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way. First developed in the early 20th century, it was used extensively by the United States Navy as a logistics support technique in the Pacific theatre of World War II, permitting U.S. carrier task forces to remain at sea indefinitely.

<i>Berlin</i>-class replenishment ship German class of replenishment ships

The Type 702 Berlin-class replenishment ship is a series of replenishment ships, originally designed and built for service in the German Navy. Designed to support United Nations overseas missions, the Berlin class were initially to number four vessels. However, three hulls were cut from the initial order. The lead ship, Berlin, began construction in 1999 and entered service in 2001. The second hull, Frankfurt am Main, was re-ordered in 1998, began construction in 2000 and entered service in 2002. The third hull, Bonn, was ordered in 2008 to a modified design, began construction in 2010 and entered service in 2013. All three ships are in service and are based at Wilhelmshaven.

USS <i>Conecuh</i> (AOR-110)

USS Conecuh (AOR-110) was a fleet replenishment tanker, originally built by F. Schichau, Danzig, in 1938 as a combination oiler and supply vessel or "Troßschiff" for the Kriegsmarine and christened as Dithmarschen. Taken over by British authorities at Bremerhaven when World War II ended, Dithmarschen was allocated to the United States Navy on 15 January 1946 by the Inter-Allied Reparations Commission.

Tide-class replenishment oiler Class of six replenishment oilers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Tide class was a series of six replenishment oilers used by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and the Chilean Navy.

Rover-class tanker Class of five small fleet tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Rover class is a British ship class of five small fleet tankers, active from 1970 to 2017 with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the naval auxiliary fleet of the United Kingdom. One remains in service, having been sold to Indonesia; the rest have been scrapped or are awaiting disposal, including the one sold to Portugal. They are tasked with the replenishment at sea (RAS) of naval warships with fuel oils and with limited supplies of other naval stores. For RAS tasking, they can refuel a vessel on either beam and a third trailing astern and have a large flight deck to allow vertical replenishment with helicopters.

RFA <i>Wave Ruler</i> (A390) 2003 Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Wave Ruler is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) of the United Kingdom tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world.

USS <i>Savannah</i> (AOR-4) Oiler of the United States Navy

USS Savannah (AOR-4), was a Wichita-class replenishment oiler of the United States Navy. The fifth Savannah was laid down on 22 January 1969 by the General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division at Quincy, Massachusetts, launched on 23 April 1970, sponsored by Mrs. Ralph L. Shifley, wife of Vice Admiral R. L. Shifley, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, and commissioned on 5 December 1970.

Tide-class tanker Class of four fast fleet tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Tide-class tanker (formerly the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) project) is a class of four fast fleet tankers that entered service with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary from 2017. The 37,000 t ships provide fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. Norway ordered a similar 26,000 t version with a 48-bed hospital and greater solid stores capacity, but reduced liquid capacity; it was delivered in November 2018 as HNoMS Maud two years after originally planned. The two classes are very similar but are not directly comparable due to large variance in capabilities delivered.

French tanker <i>Meuse</i> French Navy command and replenishment ship

Meuse is a Durance-class replenishment oiler of the French Navy. Constructed by the Brest Arsenal in Brest, France, the vessel was launched on 2 December 1978 and entered service in 1980. The tanker served on several overseas operations, often operating with France's aircraft carriers in a support role. Meuse was taken out of service on 16 December 2015.

References

  1. ↑ Capt. John E. Moore, R.N., ed. (1979). Jane's Fighting Ships 1979-80. Jane's Publishing Group. p. 727. ISBN   0531039137.
  2. ↑ GlobalSecurity.org: AOR-1 Wichita
  3. ↑ FAS Military Analysis Network: AOR-1 Wichita
  4. ↑ Terzibaschitsch, Stefan (1997). Seemacht USA [Sea Power USA] (in German). Germany: Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg. ISBN   3-86047-576-2., p. 464-651
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.