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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Brazos (AO-4)
ex
 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
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index
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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