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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Don Mc Grogan

USNS Escambia (T-AO-80)
ex
Escambia (AO-80) (1948 - 1950)
USS Escambia (AO-80) (1943 - 1948)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Tango - Uniform
NJTU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Escambia Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down in December 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1259) at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
  • Launched, 25 April 1943
  • Assigned to the US Navy, 30 June 1943
  • Commissioned USS Escambia (AO-80), 28 October 1943, LCDR. John M. Paulsson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Escambia was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Asiatic-Pacific Raids - 1944
    Truk, Satawan, Ponape raid, 29 April to 1 May 1944
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 30 June 1945
    5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto, 21 April to 8 June 1945
    Hollandia operation, 21 to 24 April 1944 3d Fleet operations against Japan, 10 to 29 June and 9 to 15 August 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Assaults on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944
     

  • Following World War II USS Escambia was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 5 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 20 February 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 March 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, 30 June 1946
  • Reacquired by the Navy, 26 January 1948
  • Operated under contract to Naval Transportation Service
  • Placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS Escambia (T-AO-80), 18 July 1950
  • Placed out of service, date unknown
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA., 3 October 1957
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1957
  • Acquired by the US Army, 26 April 1966 and converted to a Mobile Army Emergency Power Plant assigned to Vietnam service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping at Qui Nhon, Vietnam, 8 August 1971 (PD-X-912) to Chin Tai Steel Enterprise Co. Ltd, for $255,150.00
  • USS Escambia earned five battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,782 t.(lt) 22,380 t.(fl)
    Length 523' 6"
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' 10"
    Speed 15.1 kts,
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 245
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    four 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 15,300 DWT
    Oil 120,400 Bbls
    Gasoline 575,000 Gals
    Fuel Capacity 9,235 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric turbo-electric engine
    two Babcock & Wilcox D-type boilers, 600psi, 825°
    Ship's Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
    two turbo-drive 85Kw 120V D.C.
    one turbo-drive 55Kw 120V D.C.
    one turbo-drive 50Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, 10,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    War Shipping Administration
    Escambia 231k Invitation to the launching of SS Escambia on 25 April 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA. Kassie Wilkerson
    Escambia 51k SS Escambia ready for launching, 25 April 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
    Marinship photos courtesy courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.
    Robert Hurst
    Escambia 44k
    Escambia 57k SS Escambia floats free after launching, 25 April 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
    Marinship photos courtesy courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.
    Robert Hurst
    USS Escambia (AO-80)
    Escambia 82k Stern plan view of Escambia (AO-80) at San Francisco, 17 July 1943, while she was undergoing conversion for Naval service.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5238-43.
    Darryl Baker
    Escambia 82k Broadside view of USS Escambia (AO-80) off San Francisco, 12 November 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5595-43.
    Darryl Baker
    Escambia 63k Stern view of USS Escambia (AO-80) off San Francisco, 12 November 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5598-43.
    Darryl Baker
    Escambia 50k USS Escambia (AO-80) under way, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Escambia 85k USS Escambia (AO-80) near Mare Island Navy Yard circa October-December 1943. This undated view shows the ship with her initial armament that included only two 40mm twin mounts.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # 19-N-63574, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    Escambia 279k USS Escambia (AO-80) refueling USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), 26 July 1945, as TG38.3. prepared for continuous raids against mainland Japan targets.
    Photos by George Silk, Life Magazine. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.
    John Chiquoine
    Escambia 197k
    USNS Escambia (T-AO-80)
    Escambia 1182k USNS Escambia (T-AO-80) under way in the Long Beach CA. area, circa 1948-1949. David Buell

    USS Escambia (AO-80)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Paulsson, John Marshall28 October 1943 - 3 June 1944
    02CDR. Goorgian, Richard3 June 1944 - 20 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
    USS Escambia (AO-80)
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 20 July 2018