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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mission Purisima (T-AO-118)
ex
Mission Purisima (AO-118) (1947 - 1949)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - November - Whiskey NHNW

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Korean Service Medal - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Mission Buenaventura Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 10 June 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T-2-SE-A2) tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1268) at Marinship Corp, Sausalito, CA,

Launched, 25 August 1943

Chartered by War Shipping Administration to Deconhill Shipping Co. for operations, 23 November 1943

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 26 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Acquired by the Navy, 15 October 1947, and placed in service with the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) as Mission Purisima (AO-118)

Control transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949 and placed in service as USNS Mission Purisima (T-AO-118)

Placed out of service, struck from the Naval register and returned to the Maritime Commission, 16 May 1955, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA.

Reacquired by the Navy, 26 June 1956, and placed in service with MSTS

Placed out of service, struck from the Naval Register and returned the Maritime Administration, 4 December 1957, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to American Ship Dismantlers, Inc., 27 April 1976, under MARAD contract PD-X-1006 of 16 March 1976, for $1,019.121.21

Specifications:
Displacement 5,532 t.(lt) 21,880 t.(fl)
Length 523' 6"
Beam 68'
Draft 30' 10"
Speed 15.1 kts (trial)

Complement

52 CivMar

17 US Navy Armed Guard

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 15,300DWT

Oil 120,400 Bbls

Gasoline 575,000 Gals

Fuel Capacity NSFO 9,235 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric turbo-electric engine

two Babcock and Wilcox D-type boilers, 600psi 825°

Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
two turbo-drive 85Kw 120V D.C.
two 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	Contributed By
SS Mission Purisima (War Shipping Administration)
091911804	76k	*Namesake* Mission La Purísima Concepción - is a Spanish mission in Lompoc, CA. It was established on December 8, 1787 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, hence the mission's name) by the Franciscan order. The original mission complex south of Lompoc was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, and the mission was rebuilt at its present site a few miles to the northeast. (Wikipedia) Mission La Purisima bell tower Photo by ©Red3two	Tommy Trampp
	57k	SS Mission Purisima under way, in San Francisco Bay during builders trials, circa November 1943. US Maritime Commission photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
	76k		Robert Hurst
USNS Mission Purisima (T-AO-118)
	55k	*USNS Mission Purisima* (T-AO-118)** under way in harbor, date and location unknown. Courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst