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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Alpha - Xray NCAX

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (1) - Antarctic Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (8)- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (6) - Philippine Liberation Medal
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Elkhorn (AOG-7) transferred to the Republic of China Navy, renamed ROCS Hsing Lung (AOG-515)

Patapsco Class Gasoline Tanker:

Laid down, 8 September 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-MT-M1) tanker hull at Cargill Inc., Savage, MN.

Launched, 15 May 1943

Commissioned USS Elkhorn (AOG-7), 12 February 1944, LTjg. Thomas A. Norris, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Elkhorn was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS Elkhorn was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
1 July 1946 to 16 March 1947	1 July 1946 - 16 March 1947
19 to 21 July 1947	13 to 14 February 1948
17 February to 15 April 1948	16 to 19 October 1948
1 May to 11 July 1948	11 to 16 December 1948
25 July to 17 September 1948	1 to 12 January 1949
1 to 15 October 1948
20 October to 6 December 1948
17 to 28 December 1948
25 January to 1 August 1949

During the Korean War USS Elkhorn participated in the following campaigns:

Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
Korean Summer-Fall 1953, 17 to 20 June 1953

During the Vietnam War USS Elkhorn participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 2 August to 30 September 1964 5 to 7 November 1964	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI 2 November to 13 December 1968
Vietnam Defense 12 November to 24 December 1965	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V 3 July to 20 September 1968 14 October to 1 November 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive 25 December 1965 to 21 February 1966 26 February to 21 March 1966	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 22 September to 20 October 1969
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 21 to 31 May 1967	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 1 to 16 December 1969 7 to 26 January 1970
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 23 June1967 30 July to 25 October 1967

Sold to Taiwan under the Security Assistance Program, 1 May 1972, renamed ROCS Hsing Lung (AOG-515) when turned over to Taiwan

Decommissioned, 1 July 1972

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 April 1976

USS Elkhorn earned one battle star for Korean War service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with eight campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Final Disposition, fate unknown.

Specifications:
Displacement 1,783 t.(lt) 4,335 t.(lim)
Length 310' 9"
Beam 48' 6"
Draft 15' 8" (lim)
Speed 14 kts. (trial speed)

Complement

Officers 11

Enlisted 120

Largest Boom Capacity 3 t.

Armament

four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

twelve 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity

Navy Standard Fuel Oil 7,975 bbls

Gasoline 410,500 gals

Diesel Fuel Capacity Diesel 2,240 bbls

Propulsion

four GE 12-278A Diesel engines

single Farrel-Birmingham main reduction gear
Ship's Service Generators
two Diesel-drive 225Kw 120V/240V D.C.
one Diesel-drive 10Kw 240V D.C.

two propellers, 3,300shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
09200713	332k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) keel laying, 8 September 1942, at Cargill Inc., Savage, MN. U.S. Navy photo	Jim Geldert
	112k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) moored pierside at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, 1 June 1951. US Navy photo	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	197k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) moored pierside at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, 1 June 1951. Note Cree (ATF-84) in the background. US Navy photo	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	119k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) in drydock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, 1 June 1951. US Navy photo.	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	175k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) under way, date and location unknown.	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	182k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) under way, date and location unknown.	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	129k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) under way, date and location unknown.	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	227k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) under way, circa 1969-1970 location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
	106k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) under way off Oahu, Hawaii, 9 January 1963. US Navy photo # KN-4872 courtesy Shipscribe.com	Mike Green
	62k	Elkhorn (AOG-7) moored pierside at Pearl Harbor, HI, May 1968	© Richard Leonhardt
ROCS Hsing Lung (AOG-515)
	22k	ex Elkhorn (AOG-7) in Taiwanese service as Hsing Lung (AOG-515) under way, date and place unknown.	Republic of China Navy Web Site
	38k	ex Elkhorn (AOG-7) in Taiwanese service as Hsing Lung (AOG-515) alongside ex Pecatonica (AOG-57) also in Taiwanese service as Chang Pei (AOG-517) in 1977	Republic of China Navy Web Site

USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Norris, Thomas A., USNR	12 February 1944 - 27 October 1945
02	LT. Crawford, Robert H., USNR	27 October 1945 - 15 December 1945
03	LT. Fisher, Clarence William, USN	15 December 1945 - 21 December 1946
04	LTjg. Sparks, James Edward, USN	21 December 1946 - 15 March 1947
05	LTjg. De Groote, Douglas Forrest, USN	15 March 1947 - 1 December 1947
06	LTjg. Copeland, Aaron Belton, USN	1 December 1947 - 15 August 1948
07	LTjg. Freeman, Bruce Lawrence, USN	15 August 1948 - 15 December 1948
08	LTjg. Ginther, Roy Lee, USN	15 December 1948 - 1949
09	LT. Boudreau, Clarence Emery, USN	1949 - May 1950
10	LT. Dennis, Carleton, USN	May 1950 - 1951
11	LT. Shaffer, Glenn Martin, USN	1951 - ?
12	LCDR. Wellsman, Howard Clyde, USN	1956 - August 1957
13	LCDR. Crane, Richard Tarleton, USN (USNA 1947)	August 1957 - 30 May 1959
14	LCDR. Langford, John McClellan, USN (USNA 1952)	30 May 1959 - 6 July 1961
15	LT. Billerbeck, Henry George, USN (USNA 1954)	6 July 1961 - July 1963
16	LT. Mook Joe, USN (USNA 1954)	July 1963 - 10 August 1964
17	LCDR. Thorpe, Gordon Lewis, USN	10 August 1964 - 19 July 1966
18	LT. Kelly, David Stuart, USN (USNA 1959)	19 July 1966 - 15 October 1968
19	LT. Davis, Richard Clinton, USN	15 October 1968 - 10 September 1970
20	LCDR. Mondul, Steven Michael, USN	10 September 1970 - 1 July 1972


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Fleet Tankers Association
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 5 May 2023