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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)
	122k	Taluga (AO-62) refueling Iwo Jima (LPH-2). US Navy photo	.
	142k	Taluga (AO-62) refueling Oriskany (CVA-34) and Charles P. Cecil (DD-835). US Navy photo	.
	124k	Overhead view of Taluga (AO-62) refueling an unidentified Essex class aircraft carrier and destroyer. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	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)
	49k	Taluga (T-AO-62) underway at San Diego, CA. with the assistance of tugs.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	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.
	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
Contributed by Mike Smolinski	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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Last Updated 8 February 2008