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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Don Mc Grogan

USS Sapelo (AO-11)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Golf - Sierra NUGS

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 4 May 1943, Convoy ONS-5) - American Defense Service Medal (with "A" device)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Service Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

Patoka Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 3 May 1919, under a United States Shipping Board (USSB) contact at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Co., Newport News, VA.

Launched, 24 December 1919

Transferred to the US Navy, 30 January 1920

Commissioned USS Sapelo, 19 February 1920, CDR. W. R. Kennedy, USNRF, in command

Designated (AO-11), 17 July 1920

Decommissioned, 14 October 1932 for lay up in the reserve fleet

Recommissioned, 19 August 1940

During World War II USS Sapelo (AO-11) was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet

Decommissioned, 26 October 1945, at Norfolk, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 13 November 1945

Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in May 1946 to Patapsco Scrap Co.

Specifications:
Displacement 5,400 t.(lt) 17,820 t.(fl)
Length 447' 10"
Beam 60' 3"
Draft 27' 8"(mean)
Speed 11.2 kts.

Complement

Officers 22

Enlisted 276

Largest Boom Capacity 12 t.

Cargo Capacity 11,100 DWT

Oil 70,600 Bbls

Gasoline 267,000 Gals

Armament

two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacity

NSFO 4,780 Bbls

Propulsion

Newport News quadruple vertical reciprocating (#13 geared turbine) steam engine

two Yarrow boilers, 265psi °Sat
span style="padding-left: 0em">Ship's Service Generators
one turbo-drive 50Kw 120V D.C.
two turbo-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
one Diesel-drive 50Kw 120V D.C.

single propeller, 2,300shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
091901109	164k	*Namesake* Sapelo is a primarily tidal river in McIntosh County in Georgia. It forms between Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 17 near the Eulonia and winds generally east through salt marshes into Sapelo Sound, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates St. Catherines Island to the north from Sapelo Island to the south. Sapelo River, McIntosh County, Georgia ©Jud McCranie, (Wikipedia)	Tommy Trampp
	195k	*USS Kanawha* (AO-1), USS Cuyama (AO-3), USS Sapelo (AO-11), and USS Brazos (AO-4)** at anchor mid-1920s, location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command catalog # NH 77321, from the scrapbooks of Fred M. Butler. Courtesy of Mrs. C.R. DeSpain, Forrest Knolls, Maryland, 1973.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	113k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11) alongside USS Neches (AO-5)** at Melbourne, Australia during the fleet visit in 1925. Photo by the late Allan Greene	Chris Howell
	113k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at anchor in San Diego Bay, CA., 28 January 1933. US Navy photo # NH 65154, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
091901101	204k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** underway in the north Atlantic, 19 November 1943. US National Archives photo # 80-G-200270, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Rick Davis
	97k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at Norfolk Navy Yard, 22 March 1941. View, port side amidships looking forward. Measure 1 Dark Grey (5-D) is being applied over her standard navy grey paint, one of the ship colors prescribed for US warships prior to the publication of the Buships-2 Camouflage Instructions. US Navy photo - Portsmouth Navy Yard, photo serial 1351 (41), Mar. 22, 1941	Pieter Bakels and Robert Hurst
	381k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at Norfolk Navy Yard, 22 March 1941. View looking forward from the bridge. US Navy photo - Portsmouth Navy Yard, photo serial 1350 (41), Mar. 22, 1941	Pieter Bakels
	290k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at Norfolk Navy Yard, 22 March 1941. View of stern. US Navy photo - Portsmouth Navy Yard, photo serial 1354 (41), Mar. 22, 1941	Pieter Bakels
	340k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at Norfolk Navy Yard, 22 March 1941. View looking forward, starboard side. US Navy photo - Portsmouth Navy Yard, photo serial 1346 (41), Mar. 22, 1941	Pieter Bakels
	544k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at Norfolk Navy Yard, 22 March 1941. View looking forward. US Navy photo - Portsmouth Navy Yard, photo serial 1347 (41), Mar. 22, 1941	Pieter Bakels
	527k	*USS Sapelo* (AO-11)** at Norfolk Navy Yard, 22 March 1941. View of the bow from the crow's nest. US Navy photo - Portsmouth Navy Yard, photo serial 1349 (41), Mar. 22, 1941	Pieter Bakels

USS Sapelo (AO-11)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Kennedy. Walter R., USNRF	19 February 1920 - 13 June 1922
02	CDR. Coxe, Lewis, USN (USNA 1901)	13 June 1922 - 9 February 1924
03	CDR. Metcalf, Martin Kellogg, USN (USNA 1903)USN	9 February 1924 - 1 February 1925
04	CDR. Coman, Vaughan Kimball, USN (USNA 1905)	1 February 1925 - 15 October 1925
05	CDR. Shoup, Aubrey Kirk, USN (USNA 1904)	15 October 1925 - 1 June 1926
06	CDR. Hall, Walcot Ellsworth, USN (USNA 1906)	1 June 1926 - 27 October 1928
07	CDR. Connor, John Francis, USN (USNA 1906)	27 October 1928 - 10 February 1930
08	CDR. Shonerd, Henry Gilbert, USN (USNA 1907)	10 February 1930 - 25 August 1930
09	CAPT. Taffinder, Sherwoode Ayerst, USN (USNA 1907) :VADM	25 August 1930 - 23 May 1932
10	LT. Barden, Fred John, USN	23 May 1932 - 25 July 1932
11	CDR. Benson, Howard Hartwell James, USN (USNA 1909) :COMO	25 July 1932 - 28 August 1932
12	LT. Barden, Fred John, USN	28 August 1932 - 14 October 1932
	Decommissioned	14 October 1932 - 19 August 1940
13	CDR. Moore, Walter Ellery, USN (USNA 1921A) :RADM	19 August 1940 - 10 June 1941
14	CDR. Converse, Adelbert Frink, USN (USNA 1922)	10 June 1941 - 7 November 1942
15	CDR. Tawes, Montford Rupert, USNR	7 November 1942 - 18 August 1943
16	LCDR. Bray, William Allen, USNR	18 August 1943 - 7 October 1944
17	LCDR. Houston, Joseph Allan, USNR	7 October 1944 - 30 April 1945
18	LCDR. DeLaney, Charles James, USNR	30 April 1945 - 26 October 1945


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyo

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 5 March 2021