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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Sakatonchee (AOG-19)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Juliet - Zulu
 NCJZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Mettawee Class Gasoline Tanker:
  • Laid down, 13 August 1942, as MV Soldier Creek, a Maritime Commission type (T1-M-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 901) at East Coast Shipyard Inc., Bayonne, N.J.
  • Designated YOG-49
  • Launched, 22 May 1943
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission, 15 January 1944
  • Commissioned USS Sakatonchee (AOG-19), 17 January 1944, LT. Frederick C. Steinmetz in command
  • During World War II USS Sakatonchee was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western New Guinea operation
    Supporting and consolidating operations by Com 7th Flt, 5 August 1944     		Borneo operation
    Balikpapan operation, 5 to 11 July 1945
    Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Palawan Islands landings, 3 to 10 March 1945     		 
  • Decommissioned, 29 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 1 July 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., name reverted to MV Soldier Creek
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 January 1964, to National Metals & Steel Corp. (PD-X-653), withdrawn from the reserve fleet, 23 January 1964
  • USS Sakatonchee earned three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,255 t.(fl)
    Length 220' 6"
    Beam 37'
    Draft 13'
    Speed 10 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 8
    Enlisted 54
    Largest Boom Capacity 4 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 1,350 DWT
    Oil 12,100 Bbls
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 200 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Fairbanks Morse Diesel direct drive engine
    three Diesel-drive 40Kw, 240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Sakatonchee 87k USS Sakatonchee (AOG-19) returning to San Francisco in January 1946. Note the homeward-bound pennant flying from the foremast.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 78587, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    USS Sakatonchee (AOG-19)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Steinmetz, Frederick Claus17 January 1944 - 20 September 1945
    02LT. Torrey, Richard Michael20 September 1945 - 29 March 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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 June 2013