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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Millicoma (T-AOT-73)
ex
 USS Millicoma (AO-73) (1943 - 1946)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Echo - Delta
NZED
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (8) - World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Suamico Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 4 August 1942, as SS King's Mountain a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A1) tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 336) by Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA.
  • Renamed Conestoga
  • Launched as Millicoma, 21 January 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 30 January 1943
  • Converted for Navy service at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore, MD.
  • Commissioned, USS Millicoma (AO-73), 5 March 1943 at Baltimore, MD., LCDR. George Enest Ely in command
  • During World War II USS Millicoma was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 29 January to 8 February 1944     		Leyte operation
    Luzon attacks, 18 and 19 October 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944     		Luzon operation
    3rd Fleet supporting operations
    Luzon attacks, 6 and 7 January 1945
    Formosa attacks, 9, 15, 21 January 1945
    China Coast attacks, 12, 16 January 1945
    Nansei Shoto attack, 22 January 1945
    Tinian capture and occupation, 20 July to 10 August 1944 Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 23 February to 5 March 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944
    Assault on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    5th and 3d Fleet operations in support of Okinawa Gunto operation, 16 March to 8 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS Millicoma was assigned to Occupation service from 2 September to 7 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 21 February 1946 at San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 March 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 30 June 1946 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Withdrawn, 31 October 1947, from the Reserve Fleet and delivered to American Pacific S.S. for operation under contract to US Navy
  • Assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949
  • Reinstated on the Naval Register, 28 April 1950 as USNS Millicoma (T-AO-73)
  • Reclassified Oil Transporter (T-AOT-73), date unknown
  • Placed out of service, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 16 July 1975, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Title transferred to the Maritime Administration, 1 October 1977
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 March 1986
  • USS Millicoma earned eight battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in Taiwan, 18 March 1987
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,730 t.(lt) 22,380 t.(fl)
    Length 523' 6"
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' 10" (lim)
    Speed 15.3 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 21
    Enlisted 230
    Largest Boom Capacity 60 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
    six twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 15,300 DWT
    Oil 120,400 Bbls
    Gasoline 575,000 Gals
    Propulsion
    Fuel Capacity 9,235 Bbls
    one General Electric turbo-electric engine
    two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi, 730°
    Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
     one turbo-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
     two turbo-drive 55Kw 120V D.C.
     one turbo-drive 50Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 8,250shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Millicoma (AO-73)
    Millicoma 58k USS Millicoma (AO-73) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial    		 Stan Svec
    Johnston 243k USS Millicoma (AO-73) refueling USS Johnston (DD-557), 12 September 1944. They are part of the train force as TU30.8.8, supporting heavy units in the Peleliu operation. Photo taken from USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82), in unrep to Millicoma's port.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-334967 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 John Chiquoine and Dave Schroeder
    USNS Millicoma (T-AO-73)
    Millicoma 168k USNS Millicoma (T-AO-73) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "MSC Sealift Magazine"    		 Carl R Friberg Jr.
    Millicoma 82k USNS Millicoma (T-AO-73) underway in the English Channel, date and location unknown.
    Possibility originally copyrighted by Skyfotos.    		 Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Millicoma 81k USNS Millicoma (T-AO-73) entering Valletta harbor, Malta, date unknown. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Millicoma (AO-73)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Ely, George Enest, USNR5 March 1943 - 26 May 1945
    02LCDR. Home, John Wayne, USNR26 May 1945 - 24 November 1945
    03LCDR. Bell, William Forrest, USNR24 November 1945 - 21 February 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Fleet Tankers Association
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USS Millicoma (AO-73) War Diaries, 18 August to 25 November 1945
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index Back To The Oil Transporter (AOT) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 November 2020