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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
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USNS Ocklawaha (T-AO-84)
ex
 Ocklawaha (AO-84) (1948 - 1949)
 USS Ocklawaha (AO-84) (1944 - 1946)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - India - Echo
 NKIE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Suamico Class Fleet Oilerr:
  • Laid down, 10 February 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A1) tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC 1263) at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
  • Launched, 9 June 1943
  • Commissioned USS Ocklawaha (AO-84), 9 March 1944, CDR. Walter L. Sorenson in command
  • During World War II USS Ocklawaha (AO-84) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July to 15 August 1944

  • Following World War II USS Ocklawaha was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    8 September 1945 to 30 May 19468 September 1945 to 30 May 1946

  • Decommissioned, 19 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 April 1947
  • Laid up, 12 May 1947, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group
  • Withdrawn from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 10 October 1947, to Trinidad Corp. under a General Agency Agreement
  • Reacquired by the Navy, 22 May 1948 for reactivation at Boston
  • Operated under contract to Naval Transportation Service (NTS) by Marine Transport Lines, Inc
  • Reinstated in the Naval Vessel Register and placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS Ocklawaha (T-AO-84), 1 October 1949
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 9 June 1959 and simultaneously transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 March 1971
  • USS Ocklawaha earned one battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 September 1975, to Luria Bros. & Co. Inc. (PD-X-998) dated 16 July 1975, for $390,525.78, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet, to River Development Corp., Kearny, N. J., arrived 20 September 1975
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,782 t.(lt) 22,380 t.(fl)
    Length 523' 6"
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' 10" (lim)
    Speed 15.1 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 23
    Enlisted 325
    Largest Boom Capacity 7 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity NSFO 15,300 DWT
    Oil 120,400 Bbls
    Gasoline 575,000 Gals
    Fuel Capacity 9,235 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric turbo-electric engine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
     two turbo-drive 85Kw 120V D.C.
     two turbo-drive 55Kw 120V D.C.
     one turbo-drive 450Kw 450V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Ocklawaha 121k Ocklawaha (AO-84) being moved to her fitting out berth after launching on 9 June 1943 at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
    US Maritime Commission photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    Ocklawaha 71k Ocklawaha (AO-84) (right) and Sebec (AO-87) (left), fitting out, circa 1943-44, after launching at Marinship, Sausalito, CA. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Ocklawaha (AO-84)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Sorenson, Walter Louis9 March 1944 - 29 November 1944
    02LCDR. Foyt, Raymond Charles, USNR29 November 1944 - 14 July 1945
    03LT. Smith, Adolph George, USNR14 July 1945 - 22 August 1945
    04LCDR. Foyt, Raymond Charles, USNR22 August 1945 - 14 December 1945
    05LT. Robinson, Sidney Albert, USNR14 December 1945 - 22 December 1945
    06CDR. Jackson, Joseph Edmund, USN22 December 1945 - 19 July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Fleet Tankers Association
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 18 November 2016