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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AO-63 Chipola

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Delta - Quebec
 Voice Call Sign "Bankside K"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (5-Vietnam, 8-Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (13) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (12)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Cimmeron Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down (date unknown) as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 729) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.
  • Launched, 21 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS Chipola (AO-63), 30 November 1944, CDR. E. G. Genthner, USNR, in command
  • During World War II Chipola (AO-63) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    5th Fleet raids against Honshu and the Nansei Shoio
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima Gunto     		3rd Fleet operations against Japan
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    5th and 3rd Fleet raids in support of the Okinawa Gunto operation     		.

  • During the Korean War Chipola operated in the Korean War zone supporting combat units on two different occasions, 20 to 22 November 1950 and 2 to 3 February 1951
  • Decommissioned, 1 August 1955, at Philadelphia, PA.
  • Recommissioned, 26 December 1956 for service with MSTS
  • Decommissioned, 7 November 1957
  • Laid up, 4 Dece3mber 1957, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX
  • Withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet for reactivation, 15 August 1960
  • Recommissioned, 17 December 1960
  • During the Vietnam War Chipola (AO-63) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    4 to 5 and 11 to 21 July 1965
    1 to 14 August 1965
    21 August to 3 September 1965
    17 to 23 September 1965
    7 to 18 October 1965
    30 October to 13 November 1965
    21 to 22 November 1965     		Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 February to 3 March 1969
    10 to 18 March 1969
    28 March to 6 April 1969
    9 to 17 and 22 to 29 April1969
    6 to 14 May 1969
    28 May to 4 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    8 to 15 and 21 to 27 June 1966     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    6 to 14 and 18 to 22 March 1970
    14 to 21 and 24 to 30 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    3 to 19 and 23 to 29 July 1966
    8 to 12 and 21 to 28 August 1966
    9 to 16 September 1966
    5 to 20 October 1966
    13 to 16 November 1966     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    1 May and 13 to 21 May 1970
    29 May to 6 June 1970
    14 to 24 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    27 November to 7 December 1967
    20 December 1967 to 1 January 1968
    5 to 14 January 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    6 to 14 July 1970
    11 to 21 and 23 to 29 May 1971
    3 to 17 and 30 June 1971
    Tet Counteroffensive
    20 to 29 February 1968
    5 to 14 and 18 to 27 March 1968     		Consolidation I
    1 to 7 July 1971
    1 to 5 and 11 to 21 August 1971
    11 to 19 October 1972
    26 October to 21 November 1972
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    4 to 11 and 21 to 28 April 1968     		Vietnam Ceasefire
    14 to 23 December 1972
    6 to 17 and 24 to 31 January 1973
    10 to 16 March 1973
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    15 to 23 December 1968
    31 December 1968 to 9 January 1969
    13 to 21 January 1969
    28 January to 4 February 1969
    15 to 18 February 1969     		.

  • Decommissioned, date unknown, at Pearl Harbor, HI.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 14 August 1973
  • Title transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal and simultaneiously sold for scrapping, 15 July 1974, to Zidell Explorations Inc.,
  • Final Disposition, delivered to Zidell Explorations Inc., 2 October 1974, at Pearl Harbor, HI.
  • Chipola received three battle stars for World War II service and thirteen 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
    Chipola 75k Chipola (AO-63) refueling Wasp (CV-18), late January 1945. Chipola is wearing camouflage scheme 32/5AO in this photo. Steve Whitby
    Chipola 56k Chipola (AO-63) enroute from Norfolk, VA. to Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1952. Photo from Putnam (DD-757) Photo by Stan Cochran USS Putnam
    Chipola 96k Chipola (AO-63) with Deuel (APA-160) alongside, circa 1952, at Thule, Greenland during "Operation Blue Jay". Note the hole in Chipola's bow. George Panos, QMS2C USS Earle B. Hall
    Chipola 72k Chipola (AO-63) delivers NSFO to Bausell (DD-845) while a helo delivers the mail during an UNREP in the Gulf of Tonkin in February 1966. Photo by Larry Backus USS Bausell
    Chipola 45k Chipola (AO-63) at Pearl Harbor, March 1968 Photo by Jim McCoy
    Princeton/Chipola 92k Chipola (AO-63) refueling Princeton (LPH-5) during operations in the Pacific, 25 June 1968. Photographed by PH3 Carty.
    US Navy photo #USN 1142529 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Chipola 96k Chipola (AO-63) delivers fuel, supplies, movies and mail to Eversole (DD-789) in the Pacific Ocean, circa late-1968s-early 1970s Steve Beech USS Bausell
    View the Chipola (AO-63)
    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 7 December 2007