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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Severn (AO-61)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Zulu - Delta
NUZD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon, 24 November 1944) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Lebanon)
Fourth Row - Philippines Liberation Medal (2) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)


Ashtabula Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 727) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.
  • Launched, 31 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Severn (AO-61), 19 July 1944, LCDR. Owen Rees in command
  • During WWII USS Severn was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 24 October to 29 November 1944
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 13 to 26 January 1945

  • Decommissioned, 3 July 1950, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 29 December 1950
  • Decommissioned, 1 July 1973, at NavSta Newport, R.I.
  • Laid up at NISMF Philadelphia, PA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1974
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold, 22 January 1975 by MARAD, fate unknown
  • USS Severn earned two battle stars for 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 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
    Severn 460k USS Severn (AO-61) and USS Rudyerd Bay (CVE-81) steaming together, location.
    US Navy photo.
    David Buell
    Severn 85k USS Severn (AO-61) off Newport R.I., 21 June 1952.
    US Navy photo # NH 66865, courtesy of the Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia. Ted Stone Collection.
    US Naval Historical Center
    CVA-59 Forrestal 252k USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and heavy cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134) near Barcelona, Spain, 13 June 1957.

    (Thanks to Ken Killmeyer, USS Forrestal Association historian, who helped date these photos).

    Image courtesy of
    Larry Blumenthal, PH3, 1957-61.
    "US Navy Photos"
    CVA-59 Forrestal 210k
    Severn 732k USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and the USS Des Moines (CA-134) operating from Task Force 26 in the Atlantic. USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) is in the background, date unknown.
    US Navy photo # USN 1002494
    Chris Standley, from the collection of CDR Thomas B. Ray USS Essex
    Severn 116k USS Severn (AO-61) underway at sea, after refueling USS Tarawa (CVS-40), 13 February 1959.US Navy photo # NH 99491. US Naval Historical Center
    Severn 70k USS Severn (AO-61) underway at sea, circa the 1960s or early 1970s.
    US Navy photo # NH 99492.
    US Naval Historical Center
    CVS-39 Lake Champlain 489k US Severn (AO-61) during an underway replenishment with USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) and US Forrest Sherman (DD-931), circa 1962. Air Group is CVSG-54, tail code "AT." Harry Wood, ADJ3 USS Lake Champlain
    Severn 161k USS Severn (AO-61) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    David Merrill
    USS Canisteo (AO-99) Web Site
    Severn 28k USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Dealy (DE-1006) during Operation Steelpike I, October 1964 Photo by Jim McCoy
    Severn 74k USS Severn (AO-61) underway in the Caribbean Sea, December 1966 © Richard Leonhardt
    CVS-18 Wasp 106k A Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King modex AS66 (BuNo 151556), assigned to HS-11 "Sub Seekers." (As of mid-2008, this helo was at the American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA.)
    USS Wasp (CVS-18) and USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931) refuel from USS Severn (AO-61), in the background. Photo taken on 8 December 1966.

    ©Richard Leonhardt
    Severn 95k USS Severn (AO-61) underway in the Mediterranean Sea, February 1967 Photo by Jim McCoy
    Severn 45k USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS America (CV-66) © Richard Leonhardt
    Severn 188k USS Severn (AO-61) entering the harbor at Valetta, Malta, November 1969 Thomas Daniel, SH3 USS Severn 1969-70
    Severn 156k USS Severn (AO-61) entering the harbor at Valetta, Malta, November 1969 Thomas Daniel, SH3 USS Severn 1969-70
    Severn 104k USS Severn (AO-61) underway in the Atlantic Ocean, February 1972.
    US Navy photo # NH 99493 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.
    US Naval Historical Center
    Severn 107k USS Severn (AO-61) comes alongside the commercial tanker SS Erna Elizabeth to take on fuel, during operations in the Atlantic Ocean, 2 March 1972.
    US Navy photo # NH 99494 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.
    US Naval Historical Center
    Severn 115k USS Severn (AO-61) comes alongside the commercial tanker SS Erna Elizabeth to take on fuel, during operations in the Caribbean off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, 6 March 1972.
    US Navy photo # NH 99496 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.
    US Naval Historical Center
    Severn 101k View of USS Severn (AO-61) midships port side while she was taking on fuel from the commercial tanker SS Erna Elizabeth during operations in the Atlantic Ocean, circa February-March 1972.
    US Navy photo # NH 99495 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.
    US Naval Historical Center

    View the USS Severn (AO-61)
    DANFS history entry located the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 24 April 2009