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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Guadalupe (AO-32)

International Call Sign:
November - India - Bravo - Papa
NIBP

JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Glitter (K)ilo - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (14)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (6) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits, Vietnam, Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (10)
Fifth Row - Philippine Liberation Medal (2) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal


Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down in 1939 as, SS Esso Raleigh, a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A1) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 12), at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 26 January 1940
  • Acquired by the Navy, 1 June 1940
  • Commissioned USS Guadalupe (AO-32), 19 June 1941, CDR. Harry R. Thurber in command
  • During World War II USS Guadalupe participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Midway, 3 to 6 June 1942 Tinian capture and occupation, July to August 1944
    Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, 29 August to 16 December 1942 Western Caroline Islands operation
    Raids on Volcano-Bonin Islands and Yap Island, 31 August to 8 September 1944
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 5 September to 14 October 1944
    Assaults on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944
    Aleutians operation
    Attu occupation, 11May to 2 June 1943
    Leyte operation
    Luzon attacks, 20 to 25 November 1944
    Gilbert Islands operation, 21 to 24 November 1943 Luzon operation
    Formosa attacks, 3 to 4 January 1945
    Luzon attacks, 6 to 7 January 1945
    China Coast attacks, 16 January 1945
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 February to 2 March 1944
    Hollandia operation, 21 to 24 April 1944
    Asiatic-Pacific Raids - 1944
    Truk attack, 16 to 17 February 1944
    Marianas attack, 21 to 22 February 1944
    Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai raid, 30 March to 1 April 1944
    Truk, Satawan, Ponape raid, 29 April to 1 May 1944
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 23 February to 5 March 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944
    3rd Bonins raid, 3 to 4 July 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July to 15 August 1944
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto operation, 25 March to 18 May 1945

  • Following World War II and the Korean Wars USS Guadalupe was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East and China service for the following periods;

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    6 September 1945 to 6 April 194610 to 17 June 1946
    11 October to 6 December 194611 October to 6 December 1946
    20 May to 9 June 194622 January to 2 February 1947
    15 June to 29 July 194629 August to 1 September 1947
    2 September to 10 October 1946 11 to 16 January 1950
    12 to 26 January 194730 January to 6 February 1950
    3 to 7 February 194715 to 20 March 1950
    12 to 27 August 194726 March to 5 April 1950
    8 to 10 June 194810 December 1950 to 5 January 1951
    14 August to 9 September 194810 March to 2 April 1954
     29 May to 11 June 1954
     14 January to 5 February 1955

  • During the Korean War USS Guadalupe participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Aggression
    17 to 24 January 1951
    Second Korean Winter
    28 November to 26 December 1951
    9 January to 6 February 1952
    22 February to 11 March 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive
    4 February to 22 March 1951
    Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    23 August to 6 September 1952
    13 to 24 September 1952
    3 to 19 October 1952
    24 October 2 November 1952
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    26 to 27 November 1951
    Third Korean Winter
    14 to 22 January 1953
    10 to 18 February 1953
    2 to 10 March 1953
    22 March to 1 April 1953
    17 to 24 April 1953

  • During the Vietnam War USS Guadalupe participated in the following campaigns:

    Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Advisory Campaign
    6 January 1962
    20 January 1962
    24 March to 5 April 1962
    6 to 15 December 1964
    2 December 1964 to 2 January 1965
    11 to 17 February 1965
    22 February 1965
    12 to 21 March 1965
    4 to 27 April 1965
    14 to 15 May 1965
    Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    27 June to 4 July 1969
    9 to 18 July 1969
    23 July to 1 August 1969
    5 to 13 and 17 to 24 August 1969
    14 to 22 September 1969
    26 September to 4 October 1969
    8 to 11 and 16 to 23 October 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    13 to 19 February 1966
    27 February to 5 March 1966
    15 to 26 March 1966
    1 to 6 and 17 to 22 April 1966
    27 April to 10 May 1966
    25 to 29 May 1966
    6 to 11 June 1966
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    4 to 12 and 16 to 25 August 1970
    31 August to 8 September 1970
    14 to 21 September 1970
    30 September to 10 October 1970
    14 to 23 October 1970
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    31 March to 4 April 1967
    27 April to 3 May 1967
    8 to 17 and 24 to 31 May 1967
    Consolidation I
    29 October to 2 November 1971
    4 to 7 and 14 to 20 November 1971
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    5 to 14 and 21 to 28 June 1967
    20 July to 1 August 1967
    9 to 22 August 1967
    Consolidation II
    23 December 1971 to 2 January 1972
    9 to 14 and 21 to 25 January 1972
    1 to 9 February 1972
    28 February to 13 March 1972
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    27 May to 4 June 1968
    17 to 26 June 1968
    Vietnam Ceasefire
    14 to 20 April 1972
    25 April to 2 May 1972
    8 to 12 and 19 to 29 May 1972
    5 to 12 and 18 to 27 June 1972
    8 to 10 July 1972
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    10 to 20 and 24 to 31 July 1968
    7 to 14 and 21 to 23 August 1968
    29 August to 5 September 1968
    9 to 17 September 1968
    23 September to 2 October 1968
    7 to 15 October 1968
     

  • Decommissioned in 1974
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 May 1975
  • USS Guadalupe earned fourteen battle stars for World War II service, six battle stars for Korean War service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 October 1975, to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. (PD-X-1000 dated 4 September 1975 as one of a seven ship deal for $1,500,000.00
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
    Length 553'
    Beam 75'
    Draft 32' 4"
    Speed 18.3 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 23
    Enlisted 296
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    three single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    three twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 16,500DWT
    Oil 123,700 Bbls
    Gasoline 788,000 Gals
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 15,000 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Newport News geared turbines
    four Foster and Wheeler K-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double DeLaval Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin propellers, 13,500shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    Merchant Service Standard Oil of New Jersey
    Guadalupe 456k Mrs. William L. Inslee christening SS Esso Raleigh, 26 January 1940, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA. S. Dale Hargrave
    Guadalupe 93k SS Esso Raleigh moored pierside with an oil barge and tug alongside, circa 1940, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Page.
    Robert Hurst
    USS Guadalupe (AO-32)
    Guadalupe
    091903228
    170k
    Namesake
    Guadalupe - The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas, to San Antonio Bay into the Gulf of Mexico. It is a popular destination for rafting, fly fishing, and canoeing. Larger cities along it include Kerrville, New Braunfels, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria. It has several dams along its length, the most notable of which, Canyon Dam, forms Canyon Lake northwest of New Braunfels.
    Photo - A bluff on the Guadalupe River in Guadalupe River State Park ©Larry D. Moore
    Map - Guadalupe River watershed ©I. Kuru
    Tommy Trampp
    Guadalupe
    091903233
    119k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) underway 21 June 1941, in Hampton Roads, VA. with the assistance of tugs two days after commissioning. She wears Camouflage Measure 1.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # 9-N-24302. by Hughes Co., Baltimore, Maryland
    Robert Hurt
    Guadalupe 44k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) underway bound for the Philippines in September 1941 with a deck cargo of six PT boats ( PT-31, PT-32, PT-33, PT-34, PT-35 and PT-41) of PTRon Three. Robert Hurst (091903203)
    Richard Jaslovsky (120503101) Photo by ELCO Naval Division, Electric Boat Company, Bayonne, N.J.
    PT-31, 34, 35 & 41 148k
    Guadalupe 74k Amidships looking forward plan view of USS Guadalupe (AO 32) in San Francisco, 2 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1621-3-43, 3/2/43.
    Darryl Baker
    Guadalupe 83k Forward plan view of USS Guadalupe (AO 32) in San Francisco, 2 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1622-3-43, 3/2/43.
    Darryl Baker
    Guadalupe 33k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) moored to a buoy, date and location unknown. .
    Guadalupe 84k USS Guadalupe (AO-32), refueling USS Maury (DD-401) and a carrier, circa November 1943. Edward H. Cleary
    Guadalupe 97k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) moored to a buoy, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.
    Robert Hurst
    CVA-31 Bon Homme Richard
    NS023172
    792k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) refuels destroyer USS Uhlmann (DD-687) and aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) during operations off Korea, 31 October 1952. Carrier Air Group (CVG) 7 was embarked aboard Bonnie Dick.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-449900, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    David Buell
    Guadalupe 22k USS Guadalupe (AO-32), at unknown fuel pier, date unknown. Edward H. Cleary
    Guadalupe 67k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) underway in 1963, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Robert Hurst
    Guadalupe
    091903229
    76k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Tommy Trampp
    Guadalupe 40k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) coming alongside USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) to conduct an underway replenishment in WestPac, circa 3 January to 15 July 1963 Sal Vacca, AE2, VAW-11 Detachment Bravo, USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14)
    Ajax 155k USS Ajax (AR-6) with USS Guadalupe (AO-32) alongside for repair at Ulithi, 9 February 1945. Guadalupe was damaged in a collision with USS Nantahala (AO-60) in January 1945.
    United States National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-352335, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Mike Green
    Guadalupe 212k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) preparing to moor pierside in 1961, location unknown. Mike Smolinski
    Guadalupe 80k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) refueling USS Ranger (CVA-61) and USS Worden (DLG-18) in WestPac, circa 1964-65. Photo from USS Ranger Cruise book 1964-65 John Slaughter USS Ranger
    Guadalupe 98k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) underway, circa 1966, location unknown. © Richard Leonhardt
    Guadalupe 84k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) refueling HMAS Hobart (D39) off Vietnam in the spring of 1967. Hobart was taking part in Operation Sea Dragon.
    US Navy photo by Eric Bollin, USN.
    Robert Hurst
    Guadalupe 870k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) refueling USS Esteem (MSO-438) off the coast of Vietnam in the spring of 1973 during Operation Endsweep. Photo by CDR Michael Cosgrove USN Ret.USS Conquest
    Guadalupe 53k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) under way, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.
    Robert Hurst
    Guadalupe
    091903230
    224k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) at anchor, date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Guadalupe
    091903231
    260k USS Guadalupe (AO-32) underway, date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Guadalupe
    091903232
    206k

    USS Guadalupe (AO-32) conducting a replenishment at sea with USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) in 1967 in the South China Sea. (As seen from Iwo Jima)
    Contributed by Larry Lee for his step-father CSC H.R. Adams

    Guadalupe Guadalupe Guadalupe
    Guadalupe Guadalupe Guadalupe Guadalupe

    USS Guadalupe Miscellaneous Memorabilia
    Guadalupe
    Contributed by Tommy Trampp


    For more photos and information about USS Guadalupe, see:
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • USS Guadalupe AO 32

  • Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Thurber, Harry Raymond19 October 1941 - 24 May 1942
    02CDR. Freeman Sr., James Shepherd, USN (USNA 1921-B) :RADM24 May 1942 - 10 January 1943
    03CDR. Anderson, Herbert Augustus10 January 1943 - 26 December 1944
    04LCDR. Boddy, Charles A.26 December 1944 - 14 June 1945
    05CDR. Gardner, Robert Neal14 June 1945 - January 1946
    06CDR. Quinn, John :RADMJanuary 1946 - December 1946
    07CAPT. Moore, Granville Alexander :RADM1948 - September 1949
    08CAPT. Lincoln, Horatio AlonzoSeptember 1949 - 1950
    09CAPT. Warburton, Audley Lyne :RADM1950 - 1951
    10CDR. Alexander, Joe McKnitt, USN (USNA 1934)10 May 1953 - 17 July 1954
    11CAPT. Wildt, Victor Harold, USN (USNA 1937)17 July 1954 - June 1955
    12CAPT. Lewis, Joseph SeamanJune 1955 - 1956
    13CAPT. Hansen, James RichardJanuary 1957 - April 1958
    14CAPT. Weisner, Maurice Franklin (Mickey), USN (USNA 1941) :ADMSeptember 1960 - 3 October 1961
    15CAPT. Berthrong, Raymond, USN (USNA 1938)3 October 1961 - 17 August 1962
    16CAPT. Morrison, George Stephen, USN (USNA 1941) :RADM17 August 1962 - 25 September 1963
    17CAPT. Brines, George Ransom, USN25 September 1963 - August 1964
    18CAPT. Massie, Malcolm Roy (Black Jack)August 1964 - 1 November 1966
    19CAPT. Murphy Sr., Daniel Josephus, USN :ADM1 November 1966 - 10 October 1967
    20CAPT. Pierre Jr., Emile Eugene, USN10 October 1967 - January 1969
    21CAPT. Brown, Francis Taylor, USN :RADMJanuary 1969 - April 1971
    22CDR. Colley, Richard Thomas, USNApril 1971 - 1973
    23CDR. Krumm Jr., Theodore George, USN (USNA 1959)1973 - 15 May 1975
    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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