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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Brazos (AO-4)
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USS Brazos (Fuel Ship #4) (1919 - 1920)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Foxtrot - Kilo
BUFK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


Brazos Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 21 June 1917, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 1 May 1919
  • Commissioned USS Brazos (Fuel Ship #4), 1 October 1919, CDR. R. Werner, USNRF, in command
  • Designated (AO-4), 17 July 1920
  • During World War II USS Brazos was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 29 March to 30 June 1945

  • Decommissioned, 8 February 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 30 June 1946, for disposal at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA..
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 6 January 1947 to Boston Metals Co.
  • USS Brazos received one battle star for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,723 t.(lt) 14,700 t.(fl)
    Length 475' 7"
    Beam 56' 2"
    Draft 26' 6" (limiting)
    Speed 14.3 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 24
    Enlisted 231
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    two single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40MM AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity
    NFSO 53,500Bbls
    Gasoline 167,000Gals
    Ship's Service Generators
    one diesel-drive 50Kw, 120V D.C.
    three turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    Fuel Capacity NFSO 5,900Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Boston Navy Yard vertical triple-expansion steam turbine
    four Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 200psi, Sat.
    single propeller, 5,200shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    Brazos 76k USS Brazos (AO-4) refueling USS Yorktown (CV-5) mid-Pacific, July 1940.
    US National Archives, (Seattle Branch) RG-181.
    Tracy White
    Brazos 64k Stern view of USS Brazos (AO-4) refueling USS Yorktown (CV-5) mid-Pacific, July 1940.
    US National Archives, (Seattle Branch) RG-181.
    Tracy White
    Brazos 38k USS Brazos (AO-4) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Brazos 32k USS Brazos (AO-4) underway March 1944, probably in Puget Sound. Her camouflage is measure 32/AO.
    US Navy photo
     
    Brazos 109k USS Brazos (AO-4) at anchor near Puget Sound Navy Yard, 3 March 1944. She has been rearmed with one 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount forward, two twin 40mm AA gun mounts amidships, and two more twin 40mm AA gun mounts and another single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount on the stern.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM. Photo # 19-N-61606, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Mike Green

    USS Brazos (AO-4)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Werner, R.1 October 1919 - ?
    02CDR. Giles William Jefferson1 June 1922 - 11 June 1923
    03CDR. Cooke, Henry David11 June 1923 - 25 May 1925
    04CDR. Treadwell Sr., Lawrence Penfield25 May 1925 - ?
    05CDR. Puleston, William Dillworth1926 - ?
    06CAPT. McCandless, Byron23 May 1927 - ?
    07CAPT. Fawell, Reid Marquette14 September 1929 - ?
    08CDR. Laird, George Hays1932 - ?
    09CDR. Refo Jr., Miles Permenter? - August 1936
    10CAPT. Dessez, John Harrison SemmesAugust 1936 - June 1937
    11CAPT. Steele, James MortimerJune 1937 - June 1938
    12CDR. Decker, Benton WeaverJune 1938 - ?
    13CDR. Need, Harry William :RADM1939 - ?
    14CDR. Isgrig, Clayton Shadek1 July 1940 - 24 February 1941
    15CDR. Kelly, Thomas Joseph24 February 1941 - June 1942
    16CDR. Glass, Richard Pollard :RADMJune 1942 - May 1943
    17LCDR. Hanson, Robert S.May 1943 - 1944
    18CDR. Field, Jr., John Morris1944 - 1945
    19LCDR. Haussler Jr., George A.1945 - 8 February 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    U.S. Navy Oilers

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 February 2013