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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mission Solano (T-AO-135)
ex
 Mission Solano (AO-135) (1947 - 1949)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Sierra - Juliet
 NHSJ
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 (1) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Mission Buenaventura Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 8 October 1943, as SS Mission Solano, a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1277) at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA.
  • Launched, 14 January 1944
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 30 March 1944, for charter to Deconhill Shipping Co., for operations
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 29 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA.
  • Acquired by the Navy, 20 October 1947
  • Placed in service by the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) as Mission Solano (AO-135) under charter to Pacific Atlantic Steamship Co., for operations
  • Control transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) 1 October 1949, redesignated USNS Mission Solano (T-AO-135)
  • During the Korean War USNS Mission Solano participated in the following campaign:
    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Aggression
    13 December 1850 to 2 January 1951
  • Placed out of service, struck from the Naval Register, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA., 15 August 1957
  • Sold, 26 May 1957, to Sea-Land Service Inc. and converted to a containership, renamed SS Jacksonville, 27 December 1967
  • Resold to Madison Transportation Co., 19 June 1968
  • Resold to Royal Coal Co., 29 December 1972
  • Resold to Reynolds Leasing Corp., 25 November 1978
  • Final Disposition, sold to Eastern Overseas Corp., 30 September 1983, scrapped in Spain in 1984
  • USNS Mission Solano earned one battle star for Korean War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,532 t.(lt) 21,880 t.(fl)
    Length 524'
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' (max)
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement 52 mariners
    Armament none
    Propulsion turbo-electric, single screw, 6000hp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Mission Solano 222k Mission Solano launching at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA., 14 January 1944.
    US Maritime Commission photo    		 Ron Titus
    Mission Solano 308k Ex-USNS Mission Solano (T-AO-135) while in service as the Sea-Land container carrier SS Jacksonville underway on the Weser River departing Bremen, Germany in March 1970. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    View the USNS Mission Solano (T-AO-135)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    U.S. Navy Oilers
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 9 January 2009