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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN Ret. - Popular Patch

USS Housatonic (AO-35)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Foxtrot - Whiskey NIFW

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Chicopee Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 30 April 1941, as SS Esso Albany for Standard Oil of New Jersey, at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA.

Launched, 7 September 1941

Delivered to Standard Oil of New Jersey, 10 October 1941

Acquired by the US Navy and converted to a Fleet Oiler

Commissioned, USS Housatonic (AO-35), 9 January 1942, LCDR. Almerian R. Boileau, USN , in command

During World War II USS Housatonic was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
North Africa occupation Algeria-Morocco landings, 8 to 11 November 1942	Luzon operation Formosa attacks, 15 January 1945
	Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 23 February to 7 March 1945
	Okinawa operation 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto operation, 8 April to 11 June 1945 Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 12 to 21 June 1945
	3d Fleet operations against Japan, 11 July to 3 August 1945

Following World War II USS Housatonic was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 13 November 1945

Decommissioned 11 March 1946, at San Francisco, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1946

USS Housatonic earned five battle stars for World War II service

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 22 October 1946

Merchant History

Sold to her former owners, Standard Oil of New Jersey, 15 October 1947, renamed SS Esso Bethlehem

Sold, 15 June 1962, to Sea-Land Ships Inc., renamed SS Los Angeles

Sold, 29 March 1963, to Beauregard Inc., converted to a containership in 1963, SS Los Angeles was fitted with a new mid-section

Sold. 13 November 1964, to Litton Industries Leasing Corp.

Sold, 28 February 1975, to Reynolds Leasing Corp.

Sold, 23 March 1978, to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., for scrapping of bow and stern. A new bow and stern were fitted to the1962 mid-section

Sold, 1 August 1978, to Reynolds Leasing Corp., renamed Maersk-Sealand SS Sea Pioneer

Re-flagged Bahamian, 18 June 1989

Sold, 14 July 1989, to Intersea Operations Ltd., Inc.

Final Disposition, scrapped, date unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 5,375 t.(lt) 22,430 t.(fl)
Length 520'
Beam 68'
Draft 30' 9" (lim)
Speed 17 kts. (trial)

Complement

Officers 20

Enlisted 219

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

two twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity

NSFO 116,700Bbls

Gasoline 788,000Gals

Fuel Capacity 9,960Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric geared turbine

two Babcock and Wilcox D-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 400Kw 240V D.C.
one turbo-drive 50Kw 240V D.C.

single propeller, 9,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
Pre WWII Merchant Service Standard Oil of New Jersey
	94k	SS Esso Albany underway in light condition, circa late-1941, location unknown. Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
	107k		Robert Hurst
	126k	SS Esso Albany underway, circa late-1941, location unknown. US National Archives photo from "Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy 1912-1992", by Thomas Wildenburg	Robert Hurst
USS Housatonic (AO-35)
091903517	186k	*Namesake* Housatonic - The Housatonic River is a river, approximately 149 miles long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut. It flows south to southeast, and drains about 1,950 square miles of southwestern Connecticut into Long Island Sound. Its watershed is just to the west of the watershed of the lower Connecticut River.(Wikipedia) The Housatonic River in Cornwall, CT., 19 April 2020. Photo by ©Spacemace1 Map of the Housatonic river watershed. ©I, Karl Musser, created based on USGS data.	Tommy Trampp
091903518	219k	Port quarter view of *USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** underway, 26 May 1942, near Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3158(42)	Rick Davis
091903519	206k	Head on view of *USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** underway, 26 May 1942, near Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3151(42)	Rick Davis
091903520	238k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., starboard side 20mm batteries near stern, looking forward, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3148(42)	Rick Davis
091903521	266k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., port side aft 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, looking forward, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3149(42)	Rick Davis
091903522	400k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., looking forward from the stern, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3146(42)	Rick Davis
091903523	302k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., stern 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3147(42)	Rick Davis
091903524	346k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., starboard side looking aft from the bow, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3144(42)	Rick Davis
091903525	401k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., looking forward from the bridge, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3150(42)	Rick Davis
091903526	427k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** moored pierside at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA., looking forward from the bridge, 26 May 1942. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA. Photo Serial 3145(42)	Rick Davis
	176k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35) at anchor, in early 1942, location unknown. Photographed from USS Wasp (CV-7)*. US National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-K-430*a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Mike Green
091903527 NA 80-G-12677	256k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35) underway in the Atlantic Ocean alongside USS Ranger (CV-4), 17 July 1942. Ranger** was enroute to North Africa, US National Archives photo #'s 80-G-12677, 80-G-12678, 80-G-12680, 80-G-12682, 80-G-12684, 80-G-12680, 80-G-12686 and 80-G-12686, US Navy photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Rick Davis
091903528 NA 80-G-12678	384k
091903529 NA 80-G-12680	421k
091903530 NA 80-G-12682	453k
091903531 NA 80-G-12684	537k
091903532 NA 80-G-12680	321k
091903533 NA 80-G-12686	358k
091903534 NA 80-G-12687	417k
	94k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** off Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., 12 September 1942. Her camouflage is measure 12(modified). US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-34862 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
091903501	184k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** near the Norfolk Navy Yard, 26 May 1942. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo No. 19-N-30649, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Rick Davis
091903504	126k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** underway, August 1942, location unknown. US National Archives photo # 80-G-13061, a US Navy photo now inthe collections of the US National Archives	Rick Davis
19-N-47637	99k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** near the Norfolk Navy Yard, 6 June 1943. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo No.'s 19-N-47637 and 19-N-47635, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
19-N-47635	91k		Mike Green
	27k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35) coming alongside USS Ranger (CV-4)** to begin a Replenishment at Sea, date and location unknown.	Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
	150k	Housatonic (AO-35) refueling Ranger (CV-4), date and location unknown.	Auke Visser�s ESSO Tanker web site
	890k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35) refueling USS Wilkes (DD-441) date and location unknown. From the collection of William J. Mosher located at the National Destroyermens Museum housed aboard the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850)**.	Ed Zajkowski.
	51k	*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** in light condition, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
Post WWII Merchant Service Standard Oil of New Jersey Maersk-Sealand Lines
	401k	Ex-*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** as the Esso tanker SS Esso Bethlehem in port, location unknown, circa early 1950s. ©World Ship Society (W.S.S.)	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	347k	Ex-*USS Housatonic* (AO-35)** as the Sea-Land container ship SS Los Angeles, location unknown, circa mid to late 1960s. ©the late Alex Duncan.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	48k	Maersk-Sealand"s containership SS Sea Pioneer under way, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy uke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.	Robert Hurst

USS Housatonic (AO-35)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Boileau, Almerian Robinson, USN (USNA 1926)	9 January 1942- 10 June 1944
02	LCDR. Jacobs Jr., George R., USNR	10 June 1944 - 9 November 1944
03	LT. Jones, Enoch David	9 November 1944 - 16 November 1944
04	LCDR. Ducat, John Reginald	16 November 1944 - December 1945
05	CDR. Mather, Paul Luker :RADM	December 1945 - 11 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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 26 March 2021