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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Oconee (AOG-34)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Victor - Mike
 NHVM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS Oconee (AOG-34) was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
Mettawee Class Gasoline Tanker
  • Laid down, 18 October 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-M-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1531) at East Coast Shipyards Inc., Bayonne, N.J.
  • Launched, 19 November 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy, 23 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS Oconee (AOG-34), 23 December 1944, LT. Joseph T. Collins, USCG, in command
  • During World War II USS Oconee was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Oconee was assigned to Occupation service from 2 September to 13 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 28 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 1 July 1946, for disposal
  • Sold, 25 April 1947, to Brasilmar Meridional de Navegacão Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for $225,000.00, renamed M/V Esso Rio Grande, reflagged Brazilian.
  • Renamed Piratini in 1978
  • Abandoned at Porto Alegre, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold to shipbreakers in Brazil. Arrived breakers yard in November 2003
    Specifications:
    Displacement 845 t.(lt), 2,270 t.(fl)
    Length 220' 6"
    Beam 37'
    Draft 13' 1"
    Speed 10 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 6
    Enlisted 50
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    three single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Largest Boom Capacity 4 t.
    Cargo Capacity 1,365 DWT
    Oil 12,100 Bbls
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 200 Bbls
    Propulsion
    Fairbanks-Morse Diesel 37E16 direct drive
    Ship's Service Generators
     one Diesel-drive 40Kw 120V D.C.
     two Diesel-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Oconee
    09203401    		 63k Ex-USS Oconee (AOG-34 underway in commercial service as the Brasilmar Meridional de Navegacão Ltda tanker Esso Rio Grande, date and location unknown.
    www.aukevisser.nl    		 John Spivey
    USS Oconee (AOG-34)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Collins, Joseph Thomas, USCG12 January 1945 - 28 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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 11 November 2022