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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Salamonie (AO-26)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Sierra - Kilo
 NESK
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Admiral M (Mike)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 5 January 1945) China Service Medal (extended) - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze "A")
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia and Europe clasps) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 5 February 1940, as SS Esso Columbia, a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A1) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 13), at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 18 September 1940
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 20 November 1940
  • Commissioned USS Salamonie (AO-26), 28 April 1941, CDR. T. M. Waldschmidt, in command
  • During World War II USS Salamonie was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and then to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 25 to 28 October 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 January 1945

  • Following World War II USS Salamonie was assigned to Occupation and China service for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    Asia - 8 September to 26 October 194528 June to 24 July 1947
    Asia - 7 August to 10 October 19463 to 5 September 1947
    Asia - 9 to 21 January 194721 to 30 September 1947
    Asia - 8 to 30 March 194714 to 17 May 1948
    Asia - 16 May to 27 June 19471 to 8 July 1948
    Asia - 30 August to 2 September 194719 July to 8 August 1948
    Asia - 6 to 20 September 194720 October to 27 November 1948
    Asia - 20 May to 18 June 1948 
    Asia - 10 to 16 July 1948 
    Asia - 4 to 24 October 1948 
    Europe - 5 March to 15 May 1950 
    Europe - 8 April to 20 June 1951 
    Europe - 17 November 1952 to 21 February 1953 
    Europe - 3 to 10 August 1953 
    Europe - 21 September 1954 to 18 January 1955 
    Europe - 7 to 17 August 1955 

  • Decommissioned, 20 December 1968
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 2 September 1969
  • Delivered to the Maritime Administration at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA., for disposal, 25 September 1969
  • Moved to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet St Helena Annex, Portsmouth, VA. for demilitarization, 12 June 1970
  • Returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet after demobilization, 22 June 1970,
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 July 1970, to N. V. Intershitra of Rotterdam, Netherlands for $298,001
  • Physically delivered to N. V. Intershitra,, 26 August 1970, at Lee Hall, VA.
  • USS Salamonie earned three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
    Length 553'
    Beam 75'
    Draft 32' 4"
    Speed 18.3 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 295
    Largest Boom Capacity10 t.
    Armament
    four single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity
    Oil - 123,700 Bbs
    Gasoline - 788,000 Gals
    Fuel Capacity NSFO - 15,000 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Newport News Parsons-type geared turbines
    four Foster and Wheeler Express boilers, 450psi 750°
    double De Laval Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin propellers 13,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Salamonie 343k USS Salamonie (AO-26) underway, 7 November 1941, location unknown.
    US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives (NARA Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S).    		 Robert Hurst
    BB-56 Washington 167k USS Salamonie (AO-26) refueling USS Washington (BB-56) while underway, 1 September 1942, location unknown. Note Salamonie's MK.37 director still has to be installed. Pieter Bakels
    Salamonie 35k USS Salamonie (AO-26) at anchor, 18 October 1942, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Salamonie 87k USS Salamonie (AO-26) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US National Archives photo # 60-G-466214, formerly a US Navy photo, now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US National Archive
    Salamonie 78k USS Salamonie (AO-26) at anchor, date and location unknown. Her camouflage is measure 32 design 10AO. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Salamonie 28k USS Salamonie (AO-26) refueling USS Bush (DD-529), 14 October 1944. USS Bush (DD-529 web site
    Salamonie 212k USS Salamonie (AO-26) alongside USS Newport News (CA-148) during an underway refueling.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1950    		 CDR. John Dowd USNR Ret.
    Newport News 181k USS Salamonie (AO-26) refuels USS Power (DD-839), USS Newport News (CA-148), and USS Hanson (DD-832). in the Mediterranean in 1950: Note the helicopter on Newport News' fantail. When completed she had seaplane catapults on her stern, but they were removed shortly after she was commissioned. George Klos
    CVL-48 Saipan 161k USS Salamonie (AO-26) refuels USS Saipan (CVL-48) in the summer of 1952. Saipan was among 26 Atlantic Fleet ships that took 3,600 Naval Academy and Naval Reserve Midshipmen on their training courses, to eight ports in Western Europe and then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Tom Pendergast,
    Secretary-Treasurer,
    USS Saipan CVL-48 Association
    CVL-48 Saipan 109k
    Salamonie 21k USS Salamonie (AO-26) at anchor, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Salamonie 26k USS Salamonie (AO-26) refueling USS Cotton (DD-669), Mediterranean Sea, 1955. Photo by Bill Shukis, USN Ret. Christine M Shukis
    Salamonie 102k USS Salamonie (AO-26) alongside USS Randolph (CVA-15) and an unidentified destroyer, Mediterranean Sea, 8 December 1958. CDR. John Dowd USNR Ret.
    Salamonie 1960k USS Salamonie (AO-26) at anchor in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, 30 May 1964. Photos by Carlo Martinelli
    Salamonie 2420k

    For more photos and information about USS Salamonie, see:
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Salamonie (AO-26)
  • U.S. Navy Oilers
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    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