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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Rapidan (AO-18)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Golf - Quebec
 NUGQ
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
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Patoka Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 2 February 1919, under USSB contract, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 29 October 1919
  • Transferred to the Navy, 29 October 1921
  • Commissioned USS Rapidan (AO-18), 1 January 1922, CDR. Malcolm P. Nash, USNRF, in command
  • Decommissioned, 22 June 1922
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Recommissioned, 22 January 1940, LCDR. John B. Mallard in command
  • Decommissioned, 17 September 1946, at Portsmouth, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 October 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 September 1947, to Northern Metals Co.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,400 t.(lt) 16,800 t.(fl), 17,820 t.(lim)
    Length 447' 10"
    Beam 60' 3"
    Draft 27' 8"(lim)
    Speed 11.2 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 291
    Largest boom capacity 7.5 t.
    Cargo Capacity 11,100 DWT
    NSFO 70,600 bbls
    Gasoline 267,000 gals
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity 4,780 bbls.
    Propulsion
    one Newport News vertical quadruple expansion engine
    two Yarrow boilers, 265psi Sat°
    Ship's service generators
    two turbo-drive, 75kW 120V D.C.
    one diesel-drive, 60kW 120V D.C.
    one turbo-drive, 60kW 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 2,800 shp.
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Rapidan 277k Line drawing of USS Rapidan (AO-18) by Navy Ship Historian, Vern Bouwman. Vern Bouwman
    Rapidan 45k USS Rapidan (AO-18), date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII web site
    USS Rapidan (AO-18)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Nash, Malcolm P. USNRF1 January 1922 - 22 June 1922
     Decommissioned22 June 1922 - 22 January 1940
    02CDR. Mallard, John Boyd :RADM22 January 1940 - 1941
    03CDR. Bunting, Sydney Serrill1941 - ?
    04LCDR. Hassell, H. L.1941 - ?
    05LCDR. Mullen Sr., Merritt David1943 - ?
    06CDR. Moriarty, Thomas Harris1944 - ?
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 17 August 2012