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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
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AO-32 Guadalupe

Flag Hoist/International Call Sign:
November - India - Bravo - Papa
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - American Defense Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (14)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (6) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Taiwan Straits, 9-Vietnam, 4-Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (10)
Fifth Row - Philippine Liberation Medal (2) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down (date unknown) as, SS Esso Raleigh, a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A1) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 12), at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 26 January 1940
  • Acquired by the Navy, 1 June 1940
  • Commissioned USS Guadalupe (AO-32), 19 June 1941, CDR. Harry B. Thurber in command
  • During World War II Guadalupe participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Midway, June 1942 Tinian capture and occupation, July to August 1944
    Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, August 1942 to February 1943 Western Caroline Islands operation, August to October 1943
    Aleutians operation, March to June 1943 Leyte operation, October to December 1944
    Gilbert Islands operation, November to December 1943 Luzon operation, December 1944 to January 1945
    Marshall Islands operation, November 1943 to March 1944 Hollandia operation, April to June 1944
    Asiatic-Pacific Raids, February to October 1944 Iwo Jima operation, February to March 1945
    Marianas operation, June to August 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation, March to June 1945

  • During the Korean War Guadalupe (AO-32 participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Aggression, 17 to 24 January 1951 Second Korean Winter
    28 November to 26 December 1951
    9 January to 6 February 1952
    22 February to 11 March 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive, 4 February to 22 March 1951 Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    23 August to 6 September 1952
    13 to 24 September 1952
    3 to 19 October 1952
    24 October 2 November 1952
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive, 26 to 27 November 1951 Third Korean Winter
    14 to 22 January 1953
    10 to 18 February 1953
    2 to 10 March 1953
    22 March to 1 April 1953
    17 to 24 April 1953

  • During the Vietnam War Guadalupe (AO-32 participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    13 to 19 February 1966
    27 February to 5 March 1966
    15 to 26 March 1966
    1 to 6 and 17 to 22 April 1966
    27 April to 10 May 1966
    25 to 29 May 1966
    6 to 11 June 1966     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    27 June to 4 July 1969
    9 to 18 July 1969
    23 July to 1 August 1969
    5 to 13 and 17 to 24 August 1969
    14 to 22 September 1969
    26 September to 4 October 1969
    8 to 11 and 16 to 23 October 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    31 March to 4 April 1967
    27 April to 3 May 1967
    8 to 17 and 24 to 31 May 1967     		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    4 to 12 and 16 to 25 August 1970
    31 August to 8 September 1970
    14 to 21 September 1970
    30 September to 10 October 1970
    14 to 23 October 1970
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    5 to 14 and 21 to 28 June 1967
    20 July to 1 August 1967
    9 to 22 August 1967     		Consolidation I
    29 October to 2 November 1971
    4 to 7 and 14 to 20 November 1971
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    27 May to 4 June 1968
    17 to 26 June 1968     		Consolidation II
    23 December 1971 to 2 January 1972
    9 to 14 and 21 to 25 January 1972
    1 to 9 February 1972
    28 February to 13 March 1972
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    10 to 20 and 24 to 31 July 1968
    7 to 14 and 21 to 23 August 1968
    29 August to 5 September 1968
    9 to 17 September 1968
    23 September to 2 October 1968
    7 to 15 October 1968     		Vietnam Ceasefire
    14 to 20 April 1972
    25 April to 2 May 1972
    8 to 12 and 19 to 29 May 1972
    5 to 12 and 18 to 27 June 1972
    8 to 10 July 1972

  • Decommissioned in 1974
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 May 1975
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by MARAD, 16 October 1975
  • Guadalupe earned fourteen battle stars for World War II service, six battle stars for Korean War service and ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 24,830 t.(fl)
    Length 553'
    Beam 75'
    Draft 32' 4"
    Speed 18 kts.
    Complement 304
    Armament
    four 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 146,000 barrels
    Propulsion geared turbines, twin screws. 30,400hp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Guadalupe 37k Guadalupe (AO-32), after launching at Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA., 26 January 1940. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII web site
    Guadalupe 44k Guadalupe (AO-32) underway bound for the Philippines in September 1941 with a deck cargo of six PT boats (PT-31, PT-32, PT-33, PT-34, PT-35 and PT-41) of Patrol Torpedo Boat Squadron Three Robert Hurst
    Guadalupe 74k Amidships looking forward plan view of Guadalupe (AO 32) in San Francisco, 2 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1621-3-43, 3/2/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Guadalupe 83k Forward plan view of Guadalupe (AO 32) in San Francisco, 2 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1622-3-43, 3/2/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Guadalupe 33k Guadalupe (AO-32) moored to a buoy, date and place unknown. .
    Guadalupe 84k Guadalupe (AO-32), refueling Maury (DD-401) and a carrier, circa November 1943. Edward H. Cleary
    Guadalupe 22k Guadalupe (AO-32), at unknown fuel pier, date unknown. Edward H. Cleary
    Guadalupe 98k Guadalupe (AO-32) underway, circa 1960s, place unknown. © Richard Leonhardt
    View the Guadalupe (AO-32)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Guadalupe AO 32
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 2 March 2007