- USS Kanawha (AOG-31)
USS "Kanawha" (AOG-31) was a sclass|Mettawee|gasoline tanker acquired by the
U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.The fourth ship to be named "Kanawha" by the Navy, "AOG-31" was laid down
30 August 1944 by theEast Coast Shipyard , Inc.,Bayonne, New Jersey , under aMaritime Commission contract; launched18 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. May T. Norton; transferred to the Navy13 November ; and commissioned23 November 1944 , Lt. C. J. Byrne,USCGR , in command.World War II service
Following shakedown in
Chesapeake Bay , "Kanawha" clearedNorfolk, Virginia ,15 January 1945 to load oil atAruba ,Netherlands West Indies , and arrivedSan Pedro, California ,13 February .Pacific Fleet operations
She arrived
Pearl Harbor 20 March and departed6 April with a cargo of lube oil, arrivingEniwetok 2 weeks later. "Kanawha" continued fueling services in the Marshalls and Marianas until she departedUlithi 7 June with a cargo of lube oil for thePhilippines and arrivedLeyte 11 June . The tanker operated in the Philippines for the rest of the war and began similar duties atOkinawa 6 October .Post-war decommissioning
"Kanawha" sailed for America
14 November and arrivedMare Island, California ,14 December via Pearl Harbor. She decommissioned23 March 1946 and was transferred to theWar Shipping Administration (WSA) August 1946. She entered theNational Defense Reserve Fleet atSuisun Bay, California ,4 September . She was sold for scrapping2 March 1964 . Final disposition: scrapped, 1964.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k1/kanawha-iv.htm
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/20/2031.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AOG-31 Kanawha]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.