- USS Aucilla (AO-56)
USS Aucilla (AO-56) was a "Ashtabula"-class
fleet oiler . She was constructed for theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II and her assignment was to provide liquids, such as fuel or water, to ships in the forward battle areas. She survived this dangerous task and returned home post-war with fivebattle stars to her credit."Aucilla" (AO-56) was laid down on
25 May 1943 atSparrows Point, Maryland , by theBethlehem Steel Co. under aMaritime Commission contract (MC hull 722); launched on20 November 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. Hope Ridings Miller; and commissioned on22 December 1943 , Comdr. Cornelius M. Sullivan in command.World War II
North Atlantic operations
The oiler remained at Sparrows Point until
28 December at which time she got underway forPortsmouth, Virginia . She arrived at theNorfolk Navy Yard on the 29th and began training the crew at battle stations and loading ammunition. "Aucilla" continued her training both in port and underway in the lowerChesapeake Bay . On2 February 1944 , she departed Norfolk in company with Goldsborough (DD-188) on her way to theBritish West Indies . The oiler arrived at the Naval Operating Base (NOB),Trinidad , on7 February and began dispensing fuel towarships operating in the vicinity. She remained there until14 March at which time she put to sea, inconvoy , forAruba . "Aucilla" arrived at her destination on the 16th, took on a cargo ofaviation gasoline , and departed Aruba on the 17th. After a stop atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba , the oiler arrived inNorfolk, Virginia , on24 March .Convoyed to the United Kingdom
For about a month, she operated out of Norfolk in the lower
Chesapeake Bay testing fueling at sea gear and techniques. On26 April , "Aucilla" departed Norfolk in company with "Belknap" (DD-251) and, five days later, arrived inBaytown, Texas . After taking on a cargo of fuel, the ship stood out of Baytown on4 May and arrived atStaten Island, New York , on the 8th. On14 May , she was underway, in convoy, for theBritish Isles . The oiler parted company with the convoy on25 May and entered port atLiverpool, England , that same day. She discharged her cargo on the 27th and got underway forIreland on the 28th. She visitedBelfast Lough from29 May to5 June and then headed back to theUnited States . Aucilla arrived at Norfolk on16 June . Six days after her arrival, the oiler sailed from Norfolk forNew York . She arrived on23 June and operated in that locale until the end of the month. On2 July , "Aucilla" put to sea bound forEurope once again. She returned toBelfast on12 July but stopped only briefly, returning to sea that same day. The oiler visitedSwansea ,Wales , between the 13th and the 16th before heading home viaBelfast . She reenteredHampton Roads on27 July . There, she stayed for almost a month. On22 August , "Aucilla" put to sea in company with "J. Fred Talbott" (DD-156) bound forBaytown, Texas . She took on a cargo of fuel oil at Baytown before returning to sea. The ship arrived atBermuda on3 September and unloaded her cargo. She then headed back toHampton Roads, Virginia , where she dropped anchor on the 8th. Operations in Chesapeake Bay followed.Transfer to the Pacific Fleet
However, on
4 October , she put to sea bound for theCaribbean . "Aucilla" arrived atAruba on9 October and loaded fuel oil until the 11th when she set sail forPanama . The oiler transited thePanama Canal on13 October and, the following day, departedBalboa, Panama , for theHawaiian Islands . She stopped over atPearl Harbor from 26 to29 October and then continued her voyage west. The ship anchored inEniwetok lagoon on5 November . She spent the next two days unloading her cargo of fuel before continuing on toUlithi on the 7th. There, she reported for duty to the Commander, Service Squadron (ServRon ) 10.Supporting Iwo Jima and Okinawa operations
For the remainder of the war, "Aucilla" supported
U.S. 3rd Fleet /U.S. 5th Fleet operations in the westernPacific Ocean by refueling its units at sea. She provided fuel to the 3d Fleet during its air attacks onLuzon in mid-December1944 and again at the end of the first week in January1945 . When the 3d Fleet entered theSouth China Sea in mid-January, "Aucilla" continued her fueling rendezvous with its warships. Between 15 and26 February , she steamed in an area offIwo Jima providing logistics support for the 5th Fleet. She fueled that same fleet from16 March to4 May during the invasion ofOkinawa . The oiler rounded out her wartime service supporting the 3d Fleet on its final series of raids on the Japanese home islands between11 July and15 August .End-of-war activity
Following the cessation of hostilities, "Aucilla" continued steaming with the 3d Fleet off Japan. After a brief stop at
Ulithi , she set sail for Japan on27 September . The oiler enteredTokyo Bay on2 October -- one month to the day after Japan formally surrendered. The oiler performed extensive occupation duty at various locations in theFar East between the end of the war and the summer of1947 .Supporting nuclear test ships at Bikini
That service also included some logistics support work for the ships of Joint
Task Force 1, the task organization engaged in theatomic bomb tests conducted atBikini Atoll during the summer of1946 . The western Pacific cruise in the summer and fall of1948 ended with "Aucilla" steaming through theIndian Ocean , theSuez Canal , and theMediterranean before she crossed the Atlantic to join the fleet stationed on the eastern seaboard of theUnited States .East Coast operations
For about four years, the oiler operated along the
U.S. East Coast , in theGulf of Mexico , and in theCaribbean taking on oil at various oil ports and carrying it to the fleet. She also conducted independent ship's exercises and amphibious exercises both atVieques Island nearPuerto Rico and atOnslow Beach inNorth Carolina . At this time she was attached to MSTS. In 1950 she was deployed to Sasebo Japan to support the Korean War operation. She left Norfolk,Va in October 1950, where she was in for repairs at the Portsmouth Navy yard. Her home port was Mare Island Ca. she steamed through the Med. down through the Suex Canal,the Red Sea and up into the Persian Gulf to Ras Tanura where she loaded bunker oil. Leaving this port she headed through the Indian Ocean, the Straights of Molacca, around Singapore and headed North for Sasebo where she unloaded her cargo. Headed south again to Bahrain for another load of oil. Again leaving, headed for Sasebo once again. Arriving Sasebo and unloading she headed for Pearl Harbor. leaving Pearl harbor and returning to Sasebo, Japan. She returned to San Fransico and was detached from MSTS and attached to the fleet as a fleet tanker. Returning to Norfolk via the Panama Canal, completeing her round the world voyage and assumed her duties a a fleet tanker. In June of1952 , "Aucilla" embarked upon the first of a long series of deployments to theMediterranean Sea . Four months later, she resumed operations along the eastern seaboard and in theWest Indies . The first part of1953 saw the oiler engaged in another series of training evolutions in thePuerto Rico -Vieques Island area.Midshipman cruise to Rio
June and July of
1953 brought amidshipman cruise which took her toRio de Janeiro ,Brazil , andBarbados in theBritish West Indies . In September, "Aucilla" deployed to the Mediterranean Sea once more. She completed that assignment late in January1954 and returned to Norfolk on3 February 1954 . Following post-deployment standdown and participation in the annual fleet exercise,Operation Springboard , the oiler resumed fuel services for theU.S. 2nd Fleet from her base atNorfolk, Virginia . May brought rough weather fueling tests in the North Atlantic followed by a two-month overhaul at a civilian shipyard inBaltimore, Maryland .Caribbean operations
In August, "Aucilla" departed Baltimore and steamed down Chesapeake Bay to rejoin the active units of the Atlantic Fleet. She performed normal logistics services and training operations out of Norfolk until November. Late that month, the oiler put to sea for
Gonaives ,Haiti , to provide support for some unspecified tests conducted by the Operational Development Force for theBureau of Ordnance . In the course of those operations, the oiler visitedGuantanamo Bay, Cuba , andPort-au-Prince ,Haiti . When the ship returned to the United States early in December, she entered theBethlehem Shipyard atHoboken, New Jersey , for a three-month modification and repair period. Between mid-April and early May of1955 , "Aucilla" completed refresher training out ofNewport, Rhode Island . She then returned to Norfolk where she began preparations for an extended tour of duty with the 6th Fleet.Service in the Mediterranean Sea
Homeported in Barcelona, Spain
On
31 May 1955 the ship stood out of Norfolk en route to her new home port,Barcelona inSpain . She reached her destination on20 June . For the next 22 months, "Aucilla" served withTask Force (TF) 63 in a logistics support role. She participated in a number of exercises and visited ports all along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. On2 April 1957 , the oiler headed back to the United States. She spent the entire summer of1957 engaged in repairs, first a four-month regular overhaul at theNew York Naval Shipyard and thenboiler repairs at Key Highway Shipyard of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, inBaltimore, Maryland . Between16 September and27 October , "Aucilla" completed refresher training -- out of Guantanamo Bay -- and post-refresher availability.Supporting landings in Lebanon
On
28 October 1957 , she set sail from Norfolk on her way back to the Mediterranean Sea. Once again, she spent her time ranging the length and breadth of the Mediterranean supporting the operations of TF 63. During the summer of1958 , "Aucilla" provided logistics support for the ships, sailors, and marines involved in the landings inLebanon earned out in order to help restore order after severe factional fighting. Following that interlude, the oiler resumed normalU.S. 6th Fleet operations. On30 May 1959 , "Aucilla" headed back to the United States for a regular overhaul at theBoston Naval Shipyard . The overhaul lasted about six months. During that time, the oiler received a new home port assignment, Norfolk. The ship completed overhaul and set sail from Boston on18 November , bound for refresher training in the Guantanamo Bay operating area. She shaped a course from theWest Indies back to Norfolk on16 December and arrived at her destination in time to spend the holidays there.Continued support of the 6th Fleet
Underway again on
4 January 1960 , "Aucilla" operated in the vicinity of Norfolk until late in the month. On the 28th, she put to sea bound for the Mediterranean Sea. That seven-month deployment followed the pattern of previous ones, mixing port visits with logistics missions in support of 6th Fleet combat units. The oiler returned to Norfolk on31 August and, after the usual leave and upkeep period, resumed normal east coast-West Indies operations. That routine lasted into1961 . In February and March of1961 , she participated in the annual fleet exerciseOperation Springboard . She returned to Norfolk on17 March and began preparations for another tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. On15 May 1961 , she stood out of Norfolk and shaped a course for the Mediterranean Sea. "Aucilla" served a 14-week deployment that followed patterns established earlier.Yard Overhaul at Norfolk
The oiler reentered Norfolk on
11 September 1961 and began post-deployment standdown. Following the leave and upkeep period, she started preparations for overhaul. On20 November , she entered the yard at theNorfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. "Aucilla" completed her overhaul on20 February 1962 and then set sail on1 March for five weeks of refresher training in theWest Indies . Upon completion of refresher training, the oiler joined an underway replenishment group to support the amphibious Exercise "Phiblex 1-62," also conducted in the West Indies. Later, she returned to United States' waters to participate in Fleet Exercise "Quick Kick." That summer, she conducted amidshipman training cruise and took part in convoy exercises off the eastern seaboard.European tour of duty
The oiler continued operations out of Norfolk through the end of
1962 and into1963 . On7 March 1963 , Aucilla left Chesapeake Bay on her way back to the Mediterranean. The deployment lasted just under four months. She was back in Norfolk by1 July . Following post-deployment standdown, the oiler got underway on 6 August to participate inNATO Exercise "Riptide IV" conducted in the eastern Atlantic. As an adjunct to that mission, she visitedBremerhaven, Germany , andRota, Spain , before returning to Norfolk on11 September . For the remainder of1963 , "Aucilla" conducted local operations out of her home port.Visiting the 1964 New York World’s Fair
Similar duty occupied her time during the first two months of
1964 . On3 March 1964 , however, the oiler entered the yard at the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. for a regular overhaul. She completed repairs and modifications late in June and put to sea on the 29th for a month of refresher training in the Guantanamo Bay operating area. At the conclusion of refresher training, "Aucilla" voyaged north toNew York where her crew members visited the World's Fair. The ship returned to Norfolk on8 August and resumed local operations. That resumption lasted just one month. On8 September , "Aucilla" got underway from Norfolk once more to participate in a series ofNATO exercises in the eastern Atlantic. She visitedBremerhaven, Germany , again at the end of the exercises early in October. She returned to Norfolk on23 October 1964 .Reassigned to the 6th Fleet
Upon her return to her home port, she began preparations for another assignment with the 6th Fleet. "Aucilla" left Norfolk on
27 November and arrived inRota, Spain , on8 December . Another standard 6th Fleet tour of duty ensued with "Aucilla" fueling units of the fleet, participating in exercises, and visitingMediterranean ports. She concluded the deployment with her arrival back in Norfolk on11 May 1965 . From late June to late July, "Aucilla" cruised the waters of theWest Indies in support ofU.S. 2nd Fleet units keeping an eye on the latest crisis to trouble theDominican Republic .Supporting Gemini space shots
She returned to Norfolk on
23 July and resumed local operations out of her home port. Those operations included support roles in theGemini 6 andGemini 7 space shots during October, November, and December. "Aucilla" reentered Norfolk on23 December to begin her holiday leave and upkeep period. Further upkeep and a tender availability period occupied her time during January and February of1966 . Early in March, the oiler put to sea for another cruise with the 6th Fleet in theMediterranean Sea . She arrived inCartagena, Spain , on15 March and, for the next five months, provided logistics support for United States naval forces in the Mediterranean. "Aucilla" departed Rota, Spain, on12 August and set a course for home. The oiler arrived in Norfolk on the 22d and remained there in a leave and upkeep status until the middle of October.Assigned recovery ship for Titan IIIC heat shield
She put to sea again on
18 October to serve as a recovery ship for anU.S. Air Force Titan III-C heat shield qualification test. She returned to Norfolk from that mission on21 November and remained in port for the rest of the year.Responding to the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War
On
6 February 1967 , "Aucilla" stood out of Norfolk once again on her way to the Mediterranean. She arrived in Rota, Spain, on the 17th and soon began making the rounds to ports in the "middle sea." The most notable event of that deployment was theSix-Day Arab-Israeli War to which units of the 6th Fleet -- "Aucilla" included -- responded with alacrity. She and her colleagues moved quickly to the eastern Mediterranean early in June, out the rapidity with which theArab forces collapsed allowed them to return to a more normal routine at mid-month. Thus, the oiler resumed port visits, exercise, and fueling operations. She completed turnover proceedings at Rota on 19 and20 August and headed back to the United States on the latter day. "Aucilla" arrived back in Norfolk on30 August . After post-deployment standdown, the oiler entered the yard at the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. for regular overhaul on13 November .South Atlantic operations
"Aucilla" completed her overhaul by
5 April 1968 . On that day, she stood out of Norfolk on her way to refresher training in the West Indies. The oiler completed that mission in May and returned to Norfolk on the 19th. Soon thereafter, she embarked upon a two-month voyage that took her to theCape of Good Hope where she refueled theVietnam -bound aircraft carrier "Intrepid" (CVS-11). In addition, "Aucilla" made port calls atRio de Janeiro inBrazil , St. Thomas in theVirgin Islands , Nassau in theBahamas , and atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania , before returning to Norfolk on10 August .Last voyage and disposal
At that time, the oiler began a tender availability as well as a leave and upkeep period preparatory to overseas movement. "Aucilla" stood out of Norfolk on
23 September ; and, on3 October she relieved "Kaskaskia" (AO-27) at Rota. After almost five months fueling the ships of the 6th Fleet and making port visits throughout theMediterranean Sea , "Aucilla" departed Rota late in March1969 . She arrived back in Norfolk on5 April . After the usual post-deployment standdown, the oiler began normal operations out of Norfolk. For the next 14 months, the ship cruised the waters along the eastern seaboard and the West Indies in support of the ships of the Atlantic Fleet. "Aucilla" returned to Norfolk from her last voyage early in July of1970 .In the middle of September
1970 , she began preparations for inactivation. "Aucilla" was placed out of commission at Norfolk on18 December 1970 . On7 October 1971 , she was transferred to theMaritime Administration for berthing with its James River,Virginia , facility. Her name was struck from theNavy list on1 December 1976 . She was subsequently withdrawn from MARAD twice for further stripping, and last returned to MARAD onAugust 21 1985 . Sold onApril 27 1992 , she was scrapped onOctober 25 1992 . [ [http://www.pmars.imsg.com/detail.asp?Ship=363 PMARS Ship Record Detail - AUCILLA (AO-56) ] ]Military awards and honors
"Aucilla" earned five
battle stars for herWorld War II service.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/19/19056.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AO-56 Aucilla]
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