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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patch at left from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, patch at right contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Kaskaskia (AO-27)

1941-1959 International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Kilo - Oscar
NAKO

1961-1969 International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Tango - Bravo NCTB

JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Book Case (D)elta - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (10) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (8)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Dominican Republic) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler

Laid down, 16 January 1939, as SS Esso Richmond, a Maritime Commission type, (T3-S2-A1) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 11) at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.

Launched, 29 September 1939

Acquired by the Navy, 22 October 1940

Commissioned USS Kaskaskia (AO-27), 29 October 1940. CDR. Joseph W. Gregory in command

During WWII USS Kaskaskia was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Gilbert Islands operation, 20 to 25 November 1943	Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 29 January to 8 February 1944 Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 February to 2 March 1944	Leyte operation Luzon attacks, 15, 18 to 19 October and 20 to 25 November3 1944
Asiatic-Pacific Raids-1944 Truk attack, 16 to 17 February 1944 Marianas attack, 21 to 22 February 1944 Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai raid, 30 March to 1 April 1944	Luzon operation Formosa attacks, 3 to 4, 15 and 21 January 1945 Luzon attacks, 6 to 7 January 1945 China Coast attacks, 16 January 1945 Nansei Shoto attack, 22 January 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944 3rd Bonins raid, 3 to 4 July 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July to 15 August 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation 5th & 3d Flt raids in support of Okinawa Gunto ops, 31 March to 12 June 1945 Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 13 to 21 June 1945
Tinian capture an occupation, 20 July to 10 August 1944	3rd Fleet operations against Japan, 10 to 20 July and 26 July to 14 August 1945

Between the end of World War II and the end of the Korean War USS Kaskaskia (AO-27) was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East and China service for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
2 to 10 November 1945	11 November 1945 to 27 April 1946
14 June to 5 September 1946	14 June to 5 September 1946
8 April to 15 June 1947	8 April to 15 June 1947
1 to 19 August 1947	18 December 1947 to 21 June 1948
18 December 1947 to 21 June 1948	10 April to 24 May 1949
4 to 9 April 1949	19 January to 27 February 1951
27 May to 11 June 1949	19 May to 23 June 1952
	29 June to 1 July 1952
	10 to 11 July 1952
	12 April 1954
	3 to 12 July 1954

During the Korean War USS Kaskaskia participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
North Korean Aggression 19 October to 2 November 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 1 to 3 May 1952 5 to 6 July 1952
Communist China Aggression 3 November to 24 December 1950	Third Korean Winter 1 to 13 January 1953 28 January to 6 February 1953 17 to 25 February 1953 14 to 22 March 1953 4 to 13 April 1953
First UN Counter Offensive 10 to 14 March 1951 24 to 30 March 1951	Korean Summer-Fall 1953 6 to 12 June 1953 20 to 26 June 1953
Second Korean Winter 23 January to 7 February 1952 14 to 26 February 1952 7 to 27 March 1952 31 March to 15 April 1952 19 to 30 April 1952	K11-28 July 1953 - 27 July 1954 January 1954 March 1954

Decommissioned, 8 April 1955

Recommissioned, for service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 8 January 1957

Decommissioned, 21 October 1957

Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 2 December 1957, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX.

Struck from the Naval Register, 2 January 1959

Withdrawn for the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX. for reactivation, 10 August 1961

Reacquired and reinstated on the Naval Register, 8 September1961

Recommissioned, 6 December 1961, at Hoboken, N.J., CAPT. John D. Howell USN, in command

Decommissioned in December 1969

Laid up in the Reserve Fleet

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS Kaskaskia earned ten battle stars for World War II and eight battle stars for Korean War service

Transferred to the Maritime Administration at Philadelphia, PA, for disposal, 17 April 1970

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 3 August 1970, Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp. Taiwan for $282,667.00 (PD-X-877), delivered, 9 December 1970

Specifications:
Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32' 4"
Speed 18.3 kts. (trial)

Complement

Officers 24

Enlisted 248

Largest Boom Capacity10 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

three 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 Shipbuilding Parsons-type geared turbines

four Foster and Wheeler K-type, 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
Merchant Service
	83k	Christening of SS ESSO Richmond by Mrs. Rose Kennedy and launching, 29 September 1939, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.	S. Dale Hargrave
	382k		S. Dale Hargrave
USS Kaskaskia (AO-27)
091902701	45k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** under way and at anchor probably during acceptance trials, circa 1940, locations unknown. US Navy photos. Photos 091902718 and 091902721 courtesy Auke Vissar's Famous T-Tanker Pages	Robert Hurst
091902718	70k
091902721	50k
	101k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** leaving Mare Island Navy Yard, 15 December 1941. US National Archives photo from "Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy 1912-1992", by Thomas Wildenburg	Robert Hurst
	74k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy Photo, courtesy Auke Vissar's Famous T-Tanker Pages	Robert Hurst
	88k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** near Mare Island Navy Yard, 28 September 1942. The 5"/51 and 3"/50 guns initially on the bow have been replaced by a 3"/50 gun and a 1.1" quadruple AA mount. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM. Photo # 19-N-35397, courtesy Shipscribe. com.	Robert Hurst
	122k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27) refueling USS Washington (BB-56)** off Okinawa, date unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1945 issue.	Capt Jerry Mason USN
	33k	Kaskaskia (AO-27), date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	158k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27) takes green water over her deck, while refueling USS Enterprise (CV-6)** in the Solomon Islands area, 18 August 1942. Note refueling hose in the right center, ready to be sent over to the carrier. US National Archives photo # 80-G-14166, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	136k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27) refueling USS Baltimore (CA-68)**, date unknown.	Auke Visser�s ESSO Tanker web site
	37k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27), refueling an unidentified escort carrier (CVE). The photo was taken from USS Hemminger (DE-746). The escort carrier is most likely USS Corregidor (CVE-58). Hemminger and Corregidor were two of the ships involved in the unsuccessful search for LT. Gen Millard F. Harmon, USAAF, whose plane disappeared between Kwajalein and Hawaii on February 26, 1945. Kaskaskia** was also in the area at the time and arrived at Kwajalein on March 11, 1945.	Robert E. Taylor
	81k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27), refueling USS Hart (DD-594), 16 December 1944. Photographed from a blimp of squadron ZP-31*n NAS Santa Ana, CA.. This was one of a series of experimental refuelings conducted by these two ships during 12-23 December 1944 to develop improved fueling at sea techniques. US National Archives photo # 80-G-293946*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	120k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27), and USS Hart (DD-594), separate, after refueling at sea, 23 December 1944. Photographed from a blimp of squadron ZP-31 from NAS Santa Ana, CA.. This was one of a series of experimental refuelings conducted by these two ships during 12-23 December 1944 to develop improved fueling at sea techniques. Hart*'s camouflage is Measure 31 Design 16d. US National Archives photo # 80-G-294653*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	116k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27) and USS Hart (DD-594), refueling at sea, 23 December 1944. Photographed from a blimp of squadron ZP-31** from NAS Santa Ana CA.. This was one of a series of experimental refuelings conducted by these two ships during 12-23 December 1944 to develop improved fueling at sea techniques. Hart's camouflage is Measure 31 Design 16d. US National Archives photo # 80-G-294654, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	148k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** transferring mail via highline during an underway replenishment at sea with either a cruiser or a battleship, between Japan and Korea, circa spring 1951. Wire photo.	Tommy Trampp
	112k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** probably at Pearl Harbor, 16 July 1953. Note the two 3"/50 guns forward, both on the centerline. US National Archives, RG-80-G. Photo # 80-G-1078418 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe. com.	Robert Hurst
	84k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** under way in San Francisco Bay, 8 July 1957. Photo ©Allied Photographers of San Francisco.	Robert M. Cieri
	60k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** at anchor in a Mediterranean port, circa 1963-65. US Navy Photo, courtesy Auke Vassar's Famous T-Tanker Pages	Robert Hurst
	105k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** circa the late 1960s. In this and some other oilers, the after replenishment stations were strengthened by providing heavier kingposts with angled tops, two to port and one to starboard. By now Kaskaskia's armament has been reduced to one 3"/50 forward and one aft. US Naval History and Heritage Command (UA-282). Photo # Unknown, courtesy Shipscribe. com.	Robert Hurst
091902728	76k	*USS Kaskaskia* (AO-27)** underway while assigned to the recovery fleet for the NASA Apollo-Saturn-201 space flight in February 1966.	Tommy Trampp

USS Kaskaskia Miscellaneous Memorabilia

Contributed by Tommy Trampp

USS Kaskaskia (AO-27)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers

01 CDR. Gregory, Joseph Wesley 29 October 1940 - 9 June 1941

02 CDR. Taylor, Walter Lucian 9 June 1941 - 28 August 1943

03 CAPT. Acuff, Jasper Terry 28 August 1943 - 22 May 1944

04 LCDR. Patten, William F. 22 May 1944 - 30 April 1945

05 LT. Arthur, Thelbert D. 30 April 1945 - 31 December 1945

06 CDR. Rice, Frederic C. 27 January 1946 - 16 June 1946

07 CAPT. Stallings, George Bennett Haywood :RADM 16 June 1946 - 2 August 1947

08 CAPT. Manville, Francis Crane 2 August 1947 - 1 August 1948

09 CAPT. Henkel, John Fisher 1 August 1948 - 20 August 1948

10 LCDR. Conboy, Charles Edward 20 August 1948 - 2 October 1948

11 CAPT. Everett, Gordon Stafford :ADM 2 October 1948 - 13 September 1949

12 CAPT. Fowler, Thomas Fletcher 13 September 1949 - 28 August 1951

13 CDR. Thompson, Albert Clifford 28 August 1951 - 22 September 1952

14 CAPT. Keating Jr., Robert Allen :RADM 22 September 1952 - 7 November 1953

15 CAPT. House, Jr., Arthur Caswell 7 November 1953 - 8 April 1955

Decommissioned 8 April 1955 - 8 January 1957

16 CDR. Ensey, Lyttleton Brockenbrough, (Lot), USN (USNA 1931) (Biography) 8 January 1957 - 21 October 1957

Decommissioned 21 October 1957 - 6 December 1961

17 CAPT. Howell, John David 6 December 1961 - 28 November 1962

18 CAPT. Bill Jr., Wells Rood 28 November 1962 - 30 November 1963

19 CAPT. Issitt, Donald Keith 30 November 1963 - 10 October 1964

20 CAPT. Ward, Charles William 10 October 1964 - 15 October 1965

21 CAPT. Smith, Augustine Washington (Gus) 15 October 1965 - 20 December 1966

22 CAPT. Eason, William Ralph 20 December 1966 - 21 October 1967

23 CAPT. Kneuven, William, Herman, USN 21 October 1967 - 1968

24 CAPT. Kimmons, George Washington 1968 - 19 December 1969

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 15 December 2023

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Gregory, Joseph Wesley	29 October 1940 - 9 June 1941
02	CDR. Taylor, Walter Lucian	9 June 1941 - 28 August 1943
03	CAPT. Acuff, Jasper Terry	28 August 1943 - 22 May 1944
04	LCDR. Patten, William F.	22 May 1944 - 30 April 1945
05	LT. Arthur, Thelbert D.	30 April 1945 - 31 December 1945
06	CDR. Rice, Frederic C.	27 January 1946 - 16 June 1946
07	CAPT. Stallings, George Bennett Haywood :RADM	16 June 1946 - 2 August 1947
08	CAPT. Manville, Francis Crane	2 August 1947 - 1 August 1948
09	CAPT. Henkel, John Fisher	1 August 1948 - 20 August 1948
10	LCDR. Conboy, Charles Edward	20 August 1948 - 2 October 1948
11	CAPT. Everett, Gordon Stafford :ADM	2 October 1948 - 13 September 1949
12	CAPT. Fowler, Thomas Fletcher	13 September 1949 - 28 August 1951
13	CDR. Thompson, Albert Clifford	28 August 1951 - 22 September 1952
14	CAPT. Keating Jr., Robert Allen :RADM	22 September 1952 - 7 November 1953
15	CAPT. House, Jr., Arthur Caswell	7 November 1953 - 8 April 1955
	Decommissioned	8 April 1955 - 8 January 1957
16	CDR. Ensey, Lyttleton Brockenbrough, (Lot), USN (USNA 1931) (Biography)	8 January 1957 - 21 October 1957
	Decommissioned	21 October 1957 - 6 December 1961
17	CAPT. Howell, John David	6 December 1961 - 28 November 1962
18	CAPT. Bill Jr., Wells Rood	28 November 1962 - 30 November 1963
19	CAPT. Issitt, Donald Keith	30 November 1963 - 10 October 1964
20	CAPT. Ward, Charles William	10 October 1964 - 15 October 1965
21	CAPT. Smith, Augustine Washington (Gus)	15 October 1965 - 20 December 1966
22	CAPT. Eason, William Ralph	20 December 1966 - 21 October 1967
23	CAPT. Kneuven, William, Herman, USN	21 October 1967 - 1968
24	CAPT. Kimmons, George Washington	1968 - 19 December 1969