Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USNS Taluga (T-AO-62)
ex
USS Taluga (AO-62) (1944 - 1972)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Oscar - Sierra NWOS

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 16 April 1945, Kerama Retto)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (4) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (10-Vietnam) - Vietnam Campaign Medal (6)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Personnel Awards

Purple Heart (12-WIA, 16 April 1945)

Cimmeron Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 23 December 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 728), at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.

Launched, 10 July 1944

Commissioned USS Taluga (AO-62), 25 August 1944, CDR. Hans M. Mikkelsen in command

During WWII USSTaluga 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, October 1944 3rd Fleet supporting operations Okinawa Attack, October 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, March to June 1945
Luzon operation 3rd Fleet supporting operations - Formosa attacks, January 1945	3rd Fleet operations against Japan July to August 1945

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

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 9 to 15 and 25 to 31 October 1951 16 to 25 November 1951	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 20 to 29 October 1952 4 to 10 and 23 to 30 November 1952 1 December 1952
Second Korean Winter 13 to 26 December 1951 7 to 25 January 1952 2 to 10 February 1952	Third Korean Winter 16 to 22 December 1952 26 February to 5 March 1953 18 to 27 March 1953 9 to 17 April 1953

During the Vietnam War USS Taluga participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Defense 4 to 7, 10 to 16 and 20 to 27 July 1965 2 to 10 August 1965	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 3 to 23 May 1970 25 May to 3 June 1970 8 to 11 June 1970
Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 15 to 22 June 1969 1 July 1969	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 11 to 20 and 23 to 30 July 1970 8 to 16 August 1970 24 August to 2 September 1970
Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 24 to 31 March 1970 6 to 13 and 21 to 29 April 1970	Consolidation I 21 August to 19 September 1971

Decommissioned, 4 May 1972, at Long Beach, CA.

Turned over to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) and placed in service as USNS Taluga (T-AO-62)

Placed out of service, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, 21 February 1992

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Title transfer to MARAD, 1 May 1999

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS Taluga earned four battle stars for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32'
Speed 18.3 kts. (trial)
Complement

Officers - 22

Enlisted - 291
Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
Cargo Capacity

NSFO - 123,700 Bbls

Gasoline - 788,000 Gals
Fuel Capacity 15,000 Bbls
Propulsion

two Bethlehem Steel geared turbines

four Foster and Wheeler K-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double Falk Main Reduction Gear

Ship's Service Generators

two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C.

one Diesel-drive 150Kw 230V A.C

twin propellers, 13,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Taluga (AO-62)
	127k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62)** refueling Pacific Fleet ships during World War II, dates and locations unknown.	Tommy R. Trampp SK3 USS Taluga
	452k
	85k
091906212	145k	Kamikaze Suicide Plane Attack on *USS Taluga* (AO-62)**, 13 April 1945. 091906212 - 091906213 - 091906214 Clearing away the wreckage of the suicide plane and pilots remains. 091906215 - Suicide planes propeller imbedded in catwalk 091906216 - part of the planes wing stuck in the ship's mast	Tommy R. Trampp SK3 USS Taluga
091906213	172k
091906214	92k
091906215	211k
091906216	94k
	122k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62) refueling USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2).** US Navy photo	.
	142k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62) refueling USS Oriskany (CVA-34) and USS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835).** US Navy photo	.
	265k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62)** at anchor, circa 1951, location unknown.	Submitted by Derick S. Hartshorn, courtesy LTjg. Jerome Bolick USN Ret.
	124k	Overhead view of *USS Taluga* (AO-62)** refueling an unidentified Essex class aircraft carrier and destroyer. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	121k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62)** underway, circa 1957 to 1961, location unknown.	Tommy R. Trampp SK3 USS Taluga
	219k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62)** underway alongside an unidentified aircraft carrier in rough seas, circa 1962 to 1973, probably off the coast of North or South Vietnam.	Tommy R. Trampp SK3 USS Taluga
	304k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62) refueling USS Hancock (CVA-19)** and an unidentified destroyer off the coast of Japan in February 1967. Note the Soviet trawler (spy ship) in the distance.	Photo by Charles "Bud" Dehnert USS Hancock
	273k		Photo by Charles "Bud" Dehnert USS Hancock
	62k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62) moored outboard of another AO at Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines Islands in 1967. Photo taken from USS Bausell (DD-845)**	Photo by Lee Noland STGC, USN Ret. USS Bausell.
	316k	Photo of the bridge area of *USS Taluga* (AO-62) while alongside USS Evans (DE-1023)** during a refueling evolution during a WESTPAC deployment in April 1967.	Photo by Darryl Baker
	350k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62)drops away after refueling USS Evans (DE-1023)** during a WESTPAC deployment in April 1967. Photo taken from USS Evans.	Photo by Darryl Baker
	68k	*USCGC Minnetonka* (WHEC-62) going alongside USS Taluga (AO-62)** for refueling off the coast of South Vietnam, 1968.	Tommy R. Trampp SK3 USS Taluga
	110k
	150k
	117k	*USS Taluga* (AO-62) coming alongside USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2)** off the coast of Vietnam, circa 1965 to 1971.	Tommy R. Trampp SK3 USS Taluga
USNS Taluga (T-AO-62)
	49k	*USNS Taluga* (T-AO-62)** underway at San Diego, CA. with the assistance of tugs.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	536k	*USNS Taluga* (T-AO-62) refueling USS Vancouver (LPD-2)** in the Gulf of Siam during Operation Eagle Pull in March 1975.	Photo by Richard Spring, CMDCM (SW/AW) USN Ret.
	381k	Stern view of *USNS Taluga* (T-AO-62)** moored pierside, at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., November 1981.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus