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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Aucilla (AO-56)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Lima - Quebec
 NZLQ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Lebanon 1-Dominican Republic)
Ashtabula Class Fleet Oiler
  • Laid down, 25 May 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 722), at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.
  • Launched, 20 November 1943
  • Commissioned USS Aucilla (AO-56), 22 December 1943, CDR. Cornelius M. Sullivan USN in command
  • During World War II USS Aucilla was assigned first to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and lastly to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Luzon attacks, December 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    5th and 3rd Fleet operations in support of Okinawa Gunto, 16 March to 4 May
    Luzon operation
    3rd Fleet supporting operation Okinawa attack, 10 October 1944     		3rd Fleet operations against Japan
    11 July to 15 August 1945
    Iwo Jima operation
    5th Fleet raids against Honshu and Nansei Shoto, 15 February 1945     		.

  • Decommissioned, 18 December 1970, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Transferred, 7 October 1971, to MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1976
  • Title transferred to MARAD, 1 July 1973
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS Aucilla earned five battle stars for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
    Length 553'
    Beam 75'
    Draft 32'
    Speed 18 kts.
    Complement 314
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm gun mounts
    four twin 20mm gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 146,000 barrels
    Propulsion geared turbines, twin propellers, 30,400hp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Aucilla 57k USS Aucilla (AO-56) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1957.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Aucilla 49k USS Aucilla (AO-56) underway, date and location unknown. Her camouflage scheme is 32/3AO in this photo. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII web site
    Aucilla 43k USS Aucilla (AO-56) refueling USS Newman K Perry (DD-883) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59), 25 March 1960, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # (USN 1047741.    		 .
    Aucilla 113k USS Aucilla (AO-56) underway, date and location unknown. © Richard Leonhardt
    Aucilla 94k USS Aucilla (AO-56) underway during refueling operations with an unidentified aircraft carrier, date and location unknown. © Richard Leonhardt
    Aucilla 78k USS Aucilla (AO-56) underway, date and location unknown. © Richard Leonhardt
    Aucilla 207k USS Aucilla (AO-56) underway in 1968, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Buell
    View the USS Aucilla (AO-56)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
    >
    Commanding Officers
    CDR. Sullivan, Cornelius Martin, 22.12.1943 - 17.06.1944
    LCDR. Cover Jr., C. L. 17.06.1944 - 08.12.1945
    CDR. Sampson, W. B. 08.12.1945 - 18.08.1946
    CAPT. Allan, R. A., 18.08.1946 - 18.05.1947
    CAPT. Martell, Charles Bowling, :RADM 18.05.1947 - 28.02.1948
    CDR. Farmer, William Howard, :RADM 28.02.1948 - 14.04.1949
    CAPT. Duffill, M. B. 14.04.1949 - 19.07.1950
    CAPT. Esslinger, Robert J. 19.07.1950 - 21.07.1951
    CDR. Marks, L. H. 21.07.1951 - 08.10.1952
    CAPT. Lark, Jacob Aucker, 08.10.1952 - 30.10.1953
    CAPT. Jenson, Michael J. 30.10.1953 - 02.10.1954
    CAPT. Coxe Jr., Alexander Bacon, 02.10.1954 - 15.12.1954
    LCDR. Davenport, A. M. 15.12.1954 - 28.01.1955
    CAPT. Besson Jr., John Henry, :RADM 28.01.1955 - 08.09.1956
    CAPT. Taylor, Brown, 08.09.1956 05.09.1957 -
    CAPT. Reich, Eli Thomas, :VADM 05.09.1957 - 18.10.1958
    CAPT. Pond Jr., John Enoch, 18.10.1958 - 07.10.1959
    CAPT. Williams, G. D. 07.10.1959 - 26.09.1960
    CAPT. Bogart, Gerald Schouler, 26.09.1960 - 10.10.1961
    CAPT. Tucker, J. R. 10.10.1961 - 19.09.1962
    CAPT. Meyer, William Rhett, 19.09.1962 - 11.10.1963
    CAPT. Tucker, Frederick Birchfield, 11.10.1963 - 20.12.1963
    LCDR. Nielsen, Richard, 20.12.1963 - 09.01.1964
    CAPT. Kittrell, James Reveley, 09.01.1964 - 25.03.1964
    CAPT. Shepard Jr., Tazewell Taylor, :RADM 25.03.1964 - 00.12.1964
    CAPT. Baker Jr., Lawrence H. 00.12.1964 - 01.03.1966
    CAPT. Livingston, William Harold (Tag), :RADM 01.03.1966 - 17.02.1967
    CAPT. Zwemke, Darrell Henry, 17.02.1967 - 21.02.1968
    CAPT. Davidson, Paul D. 21.02.1968 - 00.07.1969
    CAPT. Hazen, Alan Michael, 00.07.1969 - 00.05.1970
    CAPT. Spruit, Robert E. (Bob), 00.05.1970 - 18.12.1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 3 December 2008