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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Salamonie (AO-26)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Sierra - Kilo
NESK
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Admiral (M)ike - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 5 January 1945) China Service Medal (extended) - American Defense Service Medal (with "A" device)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia and Europe clasps) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 5 February 1940, as SS Esso Columbia, a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A1) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 13), at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.

Launched, 18 September 1940

Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 20 November 1940

Commissioned USS Salamonie (AO-26), 28 April 1941, CDR. T. M. Waldschmidt, in command

During World War II USS Salamonie was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and then to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 25 to 28 October 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 January 1945

Following World War II USS Salamonie was assigned to Occupation and China service for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
Asia - 8 September to 26 October 1945	28 June to 24 July 1947
Asia - 7 August to 10 October 1946	3 to 5 September 1947
Asia - 9 to 21 January 1947	21 to 30 September 1947
Asia - 8 to 30 March 1947	14 to 17 May 1948
Asia - 16 May to 27 June 1947	1 to 8 July 1948
Asia - 30 August to 2 September 1947	19 July to 8 August 1948
Asia - 6 to 20 September 1947	20 October to 27 November 1948
Asia - 20 May to 18 June 1948
Asia - 10 to 16 July 1948
Asia - 4 to 24 October 1948
Europe - 5 March to 15 May 1950
Europe - 8 April to 20 June 1951
Europe - 17 November 1952 to 21 February 1953
Europe - 3 to 10 August 1953
Europe - 21 September 1954 to 18 January 1955
Europe - 7 to 17 August 1955

Decommissioned, 20 December 1968

Struck from the Naval Register, 2 September 1969

USS Salamonie earned two battle stars for World War II service

Delivered to the Maritime Administration at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA., for disposal, 25 September 1969

Moved to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet St Helena Annex, Portsmouth, VA. for demilitarization, 12 June 1970

Returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet after demilitarization, 22 June 1970,

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 July 1970, to N. V. Intershitra of Rotterdam, Netherlands for $298,001

Physically delivered to N. V. Intershitra,, 26 August 1970, at Lee Hall, VA.

Specifications:
Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32' 4"
Speed 18.3 kts. (trial)

Complement

Officers 22

Enlisted 295

Largest Boom Capacity10 t.

Armament

four single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity

Oil - 123,700 Bbs

Gasoline - 788,000 Gals

Fuel Capacity NSFO - 15,000 Bbls

Propulsion

two Newport News Parsons-type geared turbines

four Foster and Wheeler Express boilers, 450psi 750°

double De Laval Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C. Ship's Service Generators

twin propellers 13,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
Maritime Commission
091902616	88k	The ship's sponsor Mrs. Eugene Holman breaks the traditional bottle of Champagne across the bow of SS ESSO Columbia during the tankers launching ceremony, 18 September 1940, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.	Dale Hargrave
091902617	75k		Dale Hargrave
USS Salamonie (AO-26)
	343k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** at anchor, 7 November 1941, location unknown. US National Archives Photo # 80-G-466214, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives (NARA Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S).	Robert Hurst
	76k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Tommy Trampp
	167k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) refueling USS Washington (BB-56) while underway, 1 September 1942, location unknown. Note Salamonie**'s MK.37 director still has to be installed.	Pieter Bakels
	35k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** at anchor, 18 October 1942, location unknown. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	145k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** at anchor in October 1942, location unknown. Her camouflage is measure 32 design 10AO. 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
	28k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) refueling USS Bush (DD-529)**, 14 October 1944.	USS Bush (DD-529 web site
	212k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) alongside USS Newport News (CA-148)** during an underway refueling. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1950	CDR. John Dowd USNR Ret.
	181k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) refuels USS Power (DD-839), USS Newport News (CA-148), and USS Hanson (DD-832). in the Mediterranean in 1950: Note the helicopter on Newport News'** fantail. When completed she had seaplane catapults on her stern, but they were removed shortly after she was commissioned.	George Klos
	161k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) refuels USS Saipan (CVL-48) in the summer of 1952. Saipan** was among 26 Atlantic Fleet ships that took 3,600 Naval Academy and Naval Reserve Midshipmen on their training courses, to eight ports in Western Europe and then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.	Tom Pendergast, Secretary-Treasurer, USS Saipan CVL-48 Association
	109k
	21k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	26k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) refueling USS Cotten (DD-669)**, Mediterranean Sea, 1955. Photo by Bill Shukis, USN Ret.	Christine M Shukis
	109k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** under way, late 1940s, location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # Unknown, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
	546k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) alongside USS Randolph (CVA-15) while refueling USS Newman K. Perry (DDR-883)**, Mediterranean Sea, 8 December 1958.	CDR. John Dowd USNR Ret. Pieter Bakel
	1960k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26)** at anchor in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, 30 May 1964.	Photos by Carlo Martinelli
	2420k		Photos by Carlo Martinelli
091902618	707k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) coming alongsidee USS Kankakee (AO-39)** to consolidate, circa December 1965-January 1966, location unknown.	Photo by LTjg. Lars Andersen, USNR, USS Kankakee (AO-39)
	255k	*USS Salamonie* (AO-26) conducting a replenishment at sea with USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42)**, date and location unknown	Mike Smolinski

For more photos and information about USS Salamonie, see:
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
MARAD Vessel History Data Base

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Waldschmidt, Theodore Max	28 April 1941 to 25 May 1942
02	CDR. Von Heimburg, Ernest Herman, USN (1919) :VADM	25 May 1942 - 24 June 1943
03	CDR. Johns, Llewellyn James, USN (USNA 1921-a)	24 June 1943 - 7 February 1945
04	CDR. Holbrook, John Ames, USN (USNA 1924)	7 February 1945 - 15 September 1946
05	CAPT. Stover, Earl B., USNR	15 September 1946 - 21 April 1947
06	CDR. Miller, Edwin Swain, USN (USNA 1933-a) :RADM	21 April 1947 - 13 December 1947
07	CAPT. Osborn, Philip Ransom, USN (USNA 1929)	13 December 1947 - 19 December 1948
08	CAPT. Wallis, Adelbert Vernon, USN (USNA 1922)	19 December 1948 - 13 October 1949
09	CAPT. Hardin, James Thomas, USN (USNA 1929)	13 October 1949 - 17 November 1950
10	CDR. Todd, Donald Whiley, USN (USNA 1931)	17 November 1950 - 25 July 1952
11	CAPT. Deregon, William Nolin, USN (USNA 1934)	25 July 1952 - 10 September 1953
12	CAPT. Craighill, Richard Starr, USN (USNA 1932) :RADM	10 September 1953 - 4 September 1954
13	CAPT. Fleck Jr., Francis Edward, USN (USNA 1934) :RADM	4 September 1954 - 1 February 1956
14	CAPT. Neville, Lawrence Robert, USN (USNA 1933)	1 Feburay1956 - 15 March 1957
15	CAPT. Beach Jr., Edward Latimer (Red Lead Ned), USN (USNA 1939)	15 March 1957 - 10 January 1958
16	CAPT. Woodville, Jonathon Leopold Warren, USN (USNA 1936) :RADM	10 January 1958 - 9 June 1959
17	CAPT. Leonard, William Nicholas (Bill), USN (USNA 1938) :RADM	9 June 1959 - 3 June 1960
18	CAPT. Beshany, Philip Arthur, USN (USNA 1938) :VADM	3 June 1960 - 22 July 1961
19	CAPT. Powell Jr., Lucien Cletus, USN (USNA 1939)	22 July 1961 - 26 June 1962
20	CAPT. Redmayne, Richard Banks, USN	26 June 1962 - 15 July 1963
21	CAPT. James, Jack Milton, USN (USNA 1942) :RADM	15 July 1963 - 2 August 1964
22	CAPT. Johnson, Earl Banks, USN (USNA 1943)	2 August 1964 - 23 July 1965
23	CAPT. Hay, Lorin William, USN (USNA 1944)	23 July 1965 - 9 September 1966
24	CAPT. Murray Jr., William Booth, USN	9 September 1966 - 15 December 1967
25	CAPT. Seiberlich, Carl Joseph, USN :RADM	15 December 1967 - 20 December 1968


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 25 October 2024