Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, at right by Paul Gryniewicz

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Noxubee (AOG-56)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Zulu - Xray NCZX

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (20 Oct. and 9 Sept. 1969)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Battle "E" Ribbon - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Commendation (5) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Patapsco Class Gasoline Tanker

Laid down, 17 November 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-MT-M1) tanker hull, under a Maritime Commission contract, at Cargill, Inc., Savage, MN.

Launched, 3 April 1945

Commissioned USS Noxubee (AOG-56), 19 October 1945, at New Orleans, LA., Lt. John Lande, USNR, in command

USS Noxubee was assigned to Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
25 July 1951 to 19 April 1952
1 April to 5 October 1953

Decommissioned, 6 March 1959, at Green Cove Springs FL

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs

Struck from the Naval Register, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 1 July 1960

Reinstated on the Naval Register in 1965

Recommissioned, 10 September 1966, at Norfolk, VA.

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

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 5 April to 23 May 1967	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 July to 11 August 1968 18 September to 25 November 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 29 June to 1 August 1967	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 23 June to 25 September 1969 17 to 31 October 1969
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV 9 May to 30 June 1968	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 1 to 13 November 1969 13 December 1969 to 9 January 1970

Decommissioned in 1975

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1975

USS Noxubee earned six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal, 24 March 1976

Final Disposition, sold by MARAD for scrapping, 24 March 1976, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., (PD-X-1005 dated 13 February 1976) for $79,917.00

Specifications:
Displacement 1,850 t.(lt) 4,335 t.(fl)
Length 310' 9"
Beam 48' 6"
Draft 15' 8"
Speed 14 kts.

Complement

Officers - 8

Enlisted - 116

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

four 3"/50 dual purpose guns

twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 2,210 DWT

Oils - 7,975 Bbls

Gasoline - 410,500 Gals

Fuel Capacity Diesel - 2,240 Bbls

Propulsion

four 980 hp 12-278A General Motors Diesel-electric engines

single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
Ship's Service Generators
two Diesel-drive 225Kw 120V/240V D.C.
one (GM 6-71) Diesel-drive 60Kw 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
	85k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** at anchor circa 1955, location unknown.	Paul Gryniewicz
09205611	273k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** underway, date and location unknown. ©Arnold Art Store	Nicholas Tiberio
	36k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56) refueling USS Wandank (ATA-204)**, date and location unknown	Photo by Eli Blanco USS Wandank 1967-68
	76k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** underway, circa 1973, location unknown	Paul Gryniewicz
	70k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** in port, date and location unknown.	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	154k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** underway, circa 1956, location unknown.	Paul Gryniewicz Courtesy Larry Sullivan
	144k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** underway, date and location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
09205610	643k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56)** underway, date and location unknown. Naval History and Heritage Command, Catalog No. L45-209.06.02	Mike Green
	55k	*USS Noxubee* (AOG-56) and USS Nespelen (AOG-55)** moored at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA. for decommissioning, 1 July 1975.	SFC Peter Messineo USS Nespelen 1974-75

USS Noxubee (AOG-56)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Lande, John, USNR	19 October 1945 - 5 January 1946
02	LT. Rigg, Charles Stanley, USNR	5 January 1946 - March 1946
03	LCDR. Ginn, Walter Scott, USN (USNA 1923)	March 1946 - July 1946
04	LT. Esperanza, Walter, USN	July 1946 - April 1948
05	LT. Wilkey, Eulice, USN	April 1948- October 1950
06	LT. Wells, Bruce Brown, USN	October 1950 - April 1951
07	LT. Wilkes, Johnnie Jackson, USN	April 1951 - November 1952
08	LT. Dunham, Alonzo A., USN	November 1952 - August 1954
09	LT. Seeber, James Whitman, USN	August 1954 - January 1955
10	LTjg. Spivey, Walter. L., USNR	January 1955 - February 1955
11	LT. Dermody, Richard John, USN	February 1955 - 24 February 1958
12	LT. Keller Jr., Harry Stetson, USN (USNA 1947)	24 February 1958 - 6 March 1959
	Decommissioned	6 March 1959 - 10 September 1966
13	LT/LCDR. Pabst, Howard Lloyd, USN (USNA 1958)	10 September 1966 - 1 August 1967
14	LT/LCDR. McCall, John Richard, USN	1 August 1967 - 1 May 1969
15	LT/LCDR. Cass, Dudley Eugene, USN	1 May 1969 - October 1971
16	LT. Stevenson, John Wayne, USN	October 1971 - 25 January 1973
17	LCDR. Mullen, Michael Glenn, USN (USNA 1968) :ADM	25 January 1973 - 1 July 1975


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
Noxubee AOG-56

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

Last Updated 26 January 2024