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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AO-61 Severn

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



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Second Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Lebanon) - 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
  • 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
  • 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 85k 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 Severn (AO-61) refueling Forrestal (CVA-59) and heavy cruiser 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 116k Severn (AO-61) underway at sea, after refueling Tarawa (CVS-40), 13 February 1959.US Navy photo # NH 99491. US Naval Historical Center
    Severn 70k 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 Severn (AO-61) during an underway replenishment with Lake Champlain (CVS-39) and Forrest Sherman (DD-931), circa 1962. Air Group is CVSG-54, tail code "AT." Harry Wood, ADJ3 USS Lake Champlain
    Severn 161k Severn (AO-61) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 David Merrill
    USS Canisteo (AO-99) Web Site
    Severn 28k Severn (AO-61) refueling Dealy (DE-1006) during Operation Steelpike I, October 1964 Photo by Jim McCoy
    Severn 74k Severn (AO-61) underway in the Caribbean Sea, December 1966 © Richard Leonhardt
    Severn 95k Severn (AO-61) underway in the Mediterranean Sea, February 1967 Photo by Jim McCoy
    Severn 45k Severn (AO-61) refueling America (CV-66) © Richard Leonhardt
    Severn 188k Severn (AO-61) entering the harbor at Valetta, Malta, November 1969 Thomas Daniel, SH3 USS Severn 1969-70
    Severn 156k Severn (AO-61) entering the harbor at Valetta, Malta, November 1969 Thomas Daniel, SH3 USS Severn 1969-70
    Severn 104k 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 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 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 Severn (AO-61) midships port side while she was taking on fuel for 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 Severn (AO-61)
    DANFS history entry located 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
    No Information Available
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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