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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AO-62 / T-AO-62 Taluga

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
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 Taluga 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 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 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
  • 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 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 Contributed
    By
    USS Taluga (AO-62)
    Taluga 122k Taluga (AO-62) refueling Iwo Jima (LPH-2).
    US Navy photo
    .
    Taluga 142k Taluga (AO-62) refueling Oriskany (CVA-34) and Charles P. Cecil (DD-835).
    US Navy photo
    .
    Taluga 124k Overhead view of Taluga (AO-62) refueling an unidentified Essex class aircraft carrier and destroyer.
    US Navy photo
    Edward H. Cleary
    Taluga 62k Taluga (AO-62) moored outboard of another AO at Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines Islands in 1967.
    Photo taken from Bausell (DD-845)
    Photo by Lee Noland STGC, USN Ret. USS Bausell.
    USNS Taluga (T-AO-62)
    Taluga 49k Taluga (T-AO-62) underway at San Diego, CA. with the assistance of tugs. Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Vancouver 536k Taluga (T-AO-62) refueling Vancouver (LPD-2) in the Gulf of Siam during Operation Eagle Pull in March 1975. Photo by Richard Spring, CMDCM (SW/AW) USN Ret.
    Taluga 381k Stern view of Taluga (T-AO-62) moored pierside, at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., November 1981. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus

    Additional Ships Patches
    Taluga
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    Taluga
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski

    View the Taluga (AO-62 / T-AO-62)
    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
    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 8 February 2008