- USS Pasquotank (AOG-18)
USS "Pasquotank" (AOG-18) was a "Mettawee"-class
gasoline tanker acquired by theU.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations."Pasquotank" was laid down as "SS Tongue River", MC hull 900, on
13 August 1942 byEast Coast Shipyard Inc.,Bayonne, New Jersey ; launched28 November 1942 ; originally classified as "YOG–48", she was reclassified "AOG–18",25 March 1943 and named "Pasquotank" the same day; acquired by the Navy15 April 1943 ; and commissioned26 August 1943 , Lt. Alford R. NorrisUSNR in command.World War II service
After shakedown, "Pasquotank" sailed from
New York Harbor , inconvoy , forAruba ,Netherlands West Indies , where she loaded fuel oil and proceeded, via thePanama Canal , toBora Bora ,Society Islands , in the SouthPacific Ocean . She arrived Bora Bora,3 December 1943 , and from there, through February 1944, she traveled extensively in theFiji ,New Hebrides , andSolomon Islands , carryingaviation gas and diesel fuel. She unloaded fuel forU.S. Marine air groups at perimeter strips in theTorokina area during March, while they were under siege by the Japanese. In May she set up a shuttle service for the Air Force which was conducting raids againstTruk ,Rabaul , andKavieng from Green andTreasury Islands .South Pacific operations
Through July she operated in the
New Guinea area, and in August began a seven month stint as station tanker atSeeadler Harbor in theAdmiralties , servicing escort carriers and cruisers. "Pasquotank" was detached from this assignment20 March 1945 and sailed forLeyte . At Leyte, she operated from San Pedro Bay into August, servicing small craft, and was at Manus on V–J Day. During September she fueled transports inHollandia Bay, and returned to San Pedro Bay for shuttle service into November.Post-war decommissioning
She then returned to
San Francisco, California , in late December, and decommissioned27 March 1946 . "Pasquotank" was struck from theNaval Vessel Register 21 May 1946 , transferred to theMaritime Commission 1 July 1946 and served as "SS Tongue River" until scrapped in 1964.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/09/20/2018.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - YOG-48 / AOG-18 Pasquotank]
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