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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AOG-11 Tombigbee

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Echo - Yankee
NCEY
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
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal - Antarctic Service Medal
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (9) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (6)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)



Tombigbee (AOG-11) transferred to Greece, renamed HRNS Ariadni (A-414)
Patapsco Class Gasoline Tanker:
  • Laid down, 23 October 1942, at Cargill Inc., Savage, MN.
  • Launched, 18 November 1943
  • Commissioned USS Tombigbee (AOG-11), 13 July 1944, LCDR. A. O. Askland, USNR, in command
  • During WWII Tombigbee was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 25 February to 9 March 1945
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 30 June 1945

  • Decommissioned, 12 December 1949
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 28 July 1950
  • During the Vietnam War Tombigbee participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    1 April to 7 June 1966
    Tet69/Counteroffensive
    8 March to 7 April 1969
    29 April to 19 May 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    10 July to 29 August 1966
    1 September 1966
    Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    7 to 17 February 1970
    11 to 13 and 22 to 27 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    3 to 13 October 1967
    28 to 31 December 1967
    19 to 27 January 1968
    Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    25 May to 7 June 1970
    Tet Counteroffensive
    23 February to 21 March 1968
    Consolidation I
    16 to 26 August 1971
    27 September to 13 October 1971
    29 October to 8 November 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    21 November 1968 to 19 February 1969
    .

  • Decommissioned, 7 July 1972
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 April 1978
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal
  • Sold through the Security Assistance Program to Greece, 1 July 1978, renamed HRNS Ariadni (A-414)
  • Final Disposition, to be withdrawn from Greek naval service in 2003, fate unknown
  • Tombigbee earned two battle stars for World War II service and nine campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,850 t.(lt) 4,130 t.(fl)
    Length 310' 9"
    Beam 48' 6"
    Draft 15' 8"
    Speed 15.5 kts.
    Complement 131
    Armament
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 2,210 DWT
    Propulsion four GE diesel electric engines, twin shafts, 3,300hp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Tombigbee (AOG-11)
    Tombigbee 84k Tombigbee (AOG-11) underway, date and location unknown. She is painted camouflage scheme 32/3D. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Tombigbee 129k Tombigbee (AOG-11) underway, date and location unknown. She is painted camouflage scheme 32/3D. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Tombigbee 131k Tombigbee (AOG-11) offloading a cargo of JP-4 in McMurdo Sound Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze in January 1962. CAPT. McSweeny was Commanding Officer of Tombigbee 1962 to 1964, before resigning his commission to attend law school.. Robert H. McSweeny CAPT. JAGC, USNR, Ret.
    Tombigbee 142k Bow view of Tombigbee (AOG-11), 8 June 1967, while operating off the coast of Oahu, HI.
    Fleet Air Photo Lab. NAS Barbers Point, HI. photo # USN-VC-1-33378-6-67 by PH2 A. C. Unger.
    Robert M. Cieri
    Tombigbee 87k Tombigbee (AOG-11) departing Pearl Harbor, HI, October 1968 ©Richard Leonhardt
    HRNS Ariadni (A-414)
    Tombigbee 31k Ex-Tombigbee (AOG-11) in Hellenic naval service as HRNS Ariadni (A-414) in an Unrep with ex-Semmes (DDG-18) HRNS Kimon of the Greek Navy, August 2001. Photo by Theodore L. Valmas, Correspondent, Janes International Defense Review Paul Gryniewicz
    Tombigbee 41k HRNS Ariadni (A-414) in an Unrep with ex- Semmes (DDG-18) HRNS Kimon of the Greek Navy, August 2001. Photo by Theodore L. Valmas, Correspondent, Janes International Defense Review Paul Gryniewicz
    Tombigbee 68k HRNS Ariadni (A-414) in an Unrep with ex- Semmes (DDG-18) HRNS Kimon of the Greek Navy, August 2001. Photo by Theodore L. Valmas, Correspondent, Janes International Defense Review Paul Gryniewicz

    View the Tombigbee (AOG-11)
    DANFS
    history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Avgas Mogas & Jet Fuel - The Story of the Patapsco Class Gasoline Tanker
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Gasoline Tanker (AOG) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 1 February 2008