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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mission Carmel (T-AO-113)
ex
Mission Carmel (AO-113) (1947 - 1949)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Oscar - Zulu NHOZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal

Mission Buenaventura Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 1 January 1944, as SS Mission Carmel, a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1815) at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.

Launched, 28 March 1944

Delivered to Pacific Tankers, Inc., 17 May 1944, for operation under a General Agency Agreement for the War Shipping Administration

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 April 1946, at Portland, OR., for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Astoria, OR.

Acquired by the Navy, 21 October 1947, designated Mission Carmel (AO-113) and assigned to the Naval Transportation Service (NTS)

Absorbed into the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949 and Redesignated USNS Mission Carmel (T-AO-113)

Placed out of service, struck from the Naval Register, and returned to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA., 25 October 1957

Merchant Service

Title exchange 29 May 1967, to Sea-Land Service Inc.

Converted to a container ship and renamed SS Houston, 28 October 1967

Sold to Litton Industries Leasing Corp., 7 November 1967

Resold, 28 February 1975 to Reynolds Leasing Corp.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 September 1983, to Eastern Overseas Corp., scrapped in Spain

Specifications:
Displacement 5,532 t.(lt) 21,880 t.(fl)
Length 523' 6"
Beam 68'
Draft 30' 10"
Speed 15.1 kts (trial)

Complement

52 CivMar

17 US Navy Armed Guard

Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 15,300DWT

Oil 120,400 Bbls

Gasoline 575,000 Gals

Fuel Capacity NSFO 9,235 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric turbo-electric engine

two Babcock and Wilcox D-type boilers, 600psi 825°

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 50Kw 450V A.C.

single propeller, 10,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
War Shipping Administration
091911305	329k	*Namesake* Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo - first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored Roman Catholic mission churches in California. Located at the mouth of Carmel Valley, CA., it is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. The facade of the chapel, 27 August 2016. Photo by ©Cristiano Tomás	Tommy Trampp
	72k	SS Mission Carmel under way in San Francisco Bay for builders trials, circa May 1944. US Maritime Commission photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
National Defense Reserve Fleet
	238k	SS Mission Carmel moored in a nest at Tongue Point National Defense Reserve Fleet in Cathlamet Bay, Oregon in Sept 1946.	Dave Schroeder and John Chiquoine
Merchant Service Seatrain Corp.
	331k	Ex-*USNS Mission Carmel* (T-AO-113)** while in service as the Sea-Land container carrier SS Houston under way on the Weser River departing Bremen, Germany in April 1968.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	102k	Sea-Land container carrier SS Houston underway, date and location unknown. Courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
091911306	1092k	Sea-Land container carrier SS Houston drydocked, location unknown, after collison in 1969. Press photo	Gerhard Muller-Debus