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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Trinity (AO-13)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Golf - Xray
NUGX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (17 January 1942) - China Service Medal (28 August - 7 September 1939) - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Defense Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)


Patoka Class Fleet Oiler
  • Laid down, 10 November 1919, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 3 July 1920
  • Commissioned USS Trinity (AO-13), 4 September 1920, CDR. Harry M. Bostwick, USNRF, in command
  • Decommissioned, 2 December 1923, and laid up in reserve at Philadelphia, PA.
  • Recommissioned, 21 June 1938, at Philadelphia
  • During World War II USS Trinity was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Campaign and Dates
    Philippines Island Operation
    Manila, 8 December 1941 to 17 February 1942
  • Decommissioned, 28 May 1946, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • USS Trinity earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 5 September 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Sold to Hillcone S. S. Co., 9 August 1947
  • Resold, 6 February 1951, to Colonial Steamship Corp., renamed SS Seabeaver
  • Resold to Pelivalle Compania Nav. S. A. Panama, 29 July 1952
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,400 t.(lt) 17,820 t.(lim)
    Length 447' 10"
    Beam 60'
    Draft 27' 8"(lim)
    Speed 10.5 kts (trial).
    Complement
    officers 14
    Enlisted 176
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Cargo Capacity
    NSFO 70,000Bbls
    Gasoline 267,000Gals
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mount
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 4,780Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric Curtis #13 geared turbine engine
    three Union Scotch boilers 220psi Sat.
    single General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    Ship's Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 2,600shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    Trinity
    091901306
    213k
    Namesake
    Trinity - The Trinity River is a 710-mile-long river in Texas, and is the longest river with a watershed entirely within the state of Texas. It rises in extreme northern Texas, a few miles south of the Red River.(Wikipedia).
    Tommy Trampp
    Trinity
    091901308
    35k An aerial port side view of USS Trinity (AO-13) underway, showing her deck layout, 13 July 1942. She was armed with two single 5/38 guns forward and aft and 3"/50 AA guns in gun tubs port and starboard on the forward part of the aft superstructure. The forward 5"/38 gun was fitted with an open backed shield, an unusual practice in US auxiliary vessels.
    From the Collection Database of the Australian War Memorial under the ID Number: 302761.
    Robert Hurst
    Trinity
    091901309
    96k USS Trinity (AO-13) at anchor during World War II, date and location unknown,
    Photo courtesy courtesy of Alan Bingham whose father serrved in Trinity during WWII.
    Robert Hurst
    Trinity 65k USS Trinity (AO-13) underway, 19 July 19, 1943. Trinity was in the process moving her base to Milne Bay, New Guinea, where she arrived, 13 August 1943 and came under the control of Commander, Base Force, 7th Fleet. Trinity plied the Milne Bay-Brisbane route, while also touching at Cairns and Townsville, Australia. When anchored at Milne Bay, she provided oil for miscellaneous Allied ships.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. 304069
    Mike Green
    Trinity 42k USS Trinity (AO-13) at anchor, late 1944, location unknown. John Chiquoine and Dave Schroeder
    Trinity
    80-G-337373
    134k USS Trinity (AO-13) enters the floating drydock USS ABSD-2, 11 April 1945 at Seeadler Harbor, Manus, assisted by a large harbor tug (YTB) and at least two LCM-6s. Trinity was in the drydock from 11 to 18 April 1945. Note unusual use of shaded white hull number "AO-13" on Trinity's stern and the tips of the bow doors of an LST in the drydock astern of Trinity.
    US National Archives, Photo No.'s 80-G-337373 and 80-G-337374, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Mike Green
    Trinity
    80-G-337374
    209k
    Trinity
    091901307
    93k USS Trinity (AO-13) "Black Gang", date and location unknown Tommy Trampp

    USS Trinity (AO-13)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Bostwick, Harry M.4 September 1920 - ?
    03CDR. Milne, MacGillivray15 July 1922 - 2 December 1923
     Decommissioned, 2 December 1923 - 21 June 1938 
    04CDR. Dingwell, John Ernest21 June 1938 - ?
    05CDR. Holmes, Frederick Stacer1938
    06CDR. Hibbs, WilliamAugust 1940 - 10 November 1942
    07CDR. Angerer, Warner Welby10 November 1942 - 23 February 1944
    08LCDR. Nold, George Ellsworth23 February 1944 - 26 June 1944
    09CDR. Darlington, William M. 26 June 1944 - 30 May 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 Database
    Postal Covers related to the ship
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 3 November 2023