Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Nantahala (AO-60)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Romeo - Uniform
NZRU
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Killer (Y)ankee - 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 - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

Cimarron/Ashtabula Class Fleet Oiler

Laid down, 31 October 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A2) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC 726) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.

Launched, 29 April 1944

Commissioned USS Nantahala (AO-60), 19 June 1944, CDR. Palmer M. Gunnell in command

During WWII USS Nantahala was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Western Caroline Islands operation Assaults on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944	Iwo Jima operations Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 15 February to 7 March 1945
Leyte operations Luzon attacks, 13 to 14 November and 14 to 15 December 1944	Okinawa Gunto operations 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto, 23 February to 29 May 1945 Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 30 June 1945
Luzon operations Luzon attacks, 6 to 7 January 1945 Formosa attacks, 9 and 15 January 1945 China Coast attacks, 12 and 16 January 1945	3rd Fleet operation against Japan, 10 July to 14 August 1945

Decommissioned, 1 June 1950, at San Diego, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet

Withdrawn from reserve and recommissioned, 29 December 1950, at Long Beach, CA., CDR. W. S. Howell in command

USS Nantahala was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East and Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
Asia - 2 to 28 September 1945	21 April to 5 May 1946
Asia - 14 February to 20 April 1946	15 to 26 August 1946
Asia - 21 April to 5 May 1946	24 December 1945 to 25 January 1946
Asia - 6 to 15 May 1946
Asia - 6 July to 13 August 1946
Asia - 23 to 25 November 1946
Asia - 7 to 19 December 1946
Asia - 8 to 14 March 1947
Europe - 14 March 1951 to 16 June 1952
Europe - 28 May to 16 October 1953
Europe - 26 October 1954 to 28 January 1955

Decommissioned, 7 February 1973

Struck from the Naval Register. 2 July 1973

USS Nantahala earned six battle stars for World War II service

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 5 March 1975 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. for $353,166.66 (PD-X-993 dated 24 January 1975)

Specifications:
Displacement 7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32'
Speed 18.3 kts (trial)

Complement

Officers 29

Enlisted 343

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 16,500 DWT

Oil 123,700 Bbls

Gasoline 788,000 Gals

Fuel Capacity NSFO 15,000 Bbls

Propulsion

two Bethlehem Shipbuilding geared turbines

four Foster & Wheeler K-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double Falk Main Reduction Gears
Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C.
one Diesel-drive 150Kw 230V A.C.

twin propellers, 13,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	216k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** in World War II camouflage paint, date and location unknown.	David Buell
	28k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60) refueling HMCS Magnificent (CVL-21)** off Newfoundland, Canada, 13 September 1955.	Tommy Trampp
	26k		Tommy Trampp
Starboard 3"/50 gun mount	27k	Views of *USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** guns and main deck while moored at the Navy's Fuel Terminal, Craney Island, Hampton Roads, VA., 30 April 1955.	Tommy Trampp
Main deck looking forward	44k
Stern twin 40mm gun mount	31k
	46k	One of *USS Nantahala* (AO-60)**'s launches swamped after being battered by a severe storm, 17 April 1956, location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
091906024	199k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60) steaming alongside USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39)** during underway refueling in the eastern Atlantic area, 14 March 1958. US Naval History and Heritage Command Catalog # NH 105339 by PH2 G.J. Clark.	US Naval History and Heritage C0mmand
	159k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60) refueling USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in the Atlantic, during NATO Exercise "Strikeback" on 22 September 1957. Note the various items on the oiler's cargo deck, among them a Jeep and a pickup truck. Photographed from USS Northampton (CLC-1)*. US Navy photo # NH 105338* from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.	Robert Hurst
	71k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60) replenishing USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42)** and a destroyer in 1958. US Navy photo by Jim Mulligan, USN.	Robert Hurst
	733k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** conducting a replenishment at sea. The helicopter is a Piasecki HUP-25 Retriever (Piasecki became Vertol Aircraft Corp. in 1956, bought by Boeing in 1960). The color scheme indicates that this is a helicopter from Helicopter Utility Squadron HU-2 "Fleet Angels" squadron, in the very late 50s or very early 60s--if in the 50s, the helo would probably be an HUP-2 variant; if in the 60s, probably an HUP-3. The HUP became UH-25 under the 1962 designation system. the photo was taken from either *USS Eugene A. Greene* (DD-711) or USS Newman K. Perry (DDR-883)**.	Dave Good
091906023	225k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** underway in Hampton Roads, 12 May 1964. US Naval History and Heritage Command Catalog # NH 105340 by PH2 G.J. Clark.	US Naval History and Heritage C0mmand
	90k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** under way in Chesapeake Bay, August 1964.	©Richard Leonhardt
	66k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** under way in 1964 after being jumboized. US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
	73k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60) refueling USS Steinaker (DD-863) in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo was taken from USS Wallace L Lind (DD-703).**	Photo by Jim McCoy
	71k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** entering Malta Harbor, 1970	Photo by local photographer Submitted by Robert Warnke, SN, USS Nantahala May 1969 to February 1973
	55k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** at anchor, date and location unknown	Tommy Trampp
	83k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** at anchor, date and location unknown	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	192k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** moored to a buoy, date and location unknown	Brian Miller
091906022	44k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** at anchor, date and location unknown. Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
	226k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** underway in Hampton Roads, date unknown, inbound to Norfolk, VA. Note the battleship in the background.	Mike Smolinski
091906021	219k	*USS Nantahala* (AO-60)** underway, date and location unknown.	Nicholas Tiberio

USS Nantahala
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Gunnell, Palmer, MacKenzie	19 June 1944 - 8 February 1945
02	CDR. Larsen, Arthur Charles, USNR	8 February 1945 - December 1945
03	LT. Monjon, Raymond J., USNR	December 1945 - January 1946
04	CAPT. Johnson, Milton George	January 1946 - May 1947
05	CAPT. Camp, Floyd Charles	May 1947 - August 1948
06	CAPT. Carey, Joseph James	August 1948 - July 1949
07	CAPT. Warburton, Audley Lyne :RADM	July 1949 - February 1950
08	LCDR. Hemming Leland Alfred	February 1950 - 1 June 1950
	Decommissioned	1 June 1950 - 29 December 1950
09	CAPT. CAPT. Howell, William Smith	29 December 1950 - January 1952
10	CDR. Lee, Robert Matthews	January 1952 - August 1953
11	CDR. Lynch, Richard Barr (Ozzie) :RADM	August 1953 - July 1954
12	CAPT. Lautrup Jr., George William	July 1954 - 15 August 1955
13	CAPT. Ward, Norvell Gardiner (Bud) :RADM	15 August 1955 - 9 July 1956
14	CAPT. Roenigk, John George	9 July 1956 - 8 July 1957
15	CAPT. Coley, Charles Coston	8 July 1957 - 16 July 1958
16	CAPT. Gumz, Donald George	16 July 1958 - September 1959
17	CAPT. Cousins, Ralph Wynne :ADM	September 1959 - May 1960
18	CAPT. Johnson, Arthur Ferdinand	May 1960 - 10 May 1961
19	CAPT. Morgan, Robert James	10 May 1961 - 10 May 1962
20	CAPT. Engle, Aubrey Delos	10 May 1962 - 29 May 1963
21	CAPT. Elliott Jr., August William (Bill)	29 May 1963 - 28 May 1964
22	CAPT. McLaughlin, John, USN	28 May 1964 - 9 June 1965
23	CAPT. Mayo, James Otis, USNR (USNA 1943):RADM	9 June 1965 - July 1966
24	CAPT. Bohan, Norman Chaffee	July 1966 - 8 January 1968
25	CAPT. Callaway Jr., Steven Ward	8 January 1968 - February 1969
26	CAPT. Moore, Charles Kittelle	February 1969 - November 1969
27	CAPT. Brady Jr., Robert Louis, USN (USNA 1946)	November 1969 - April 1971
28	CAPT. Stone, Troy Edward, USN (USNA 1948-A)	April 1971 - June 1972
29	CDR. Janes Jr., William Eastman, USN	June 1972 - March 1973
30	LCDR. Horsch, Arthur Richard	March 1973 - 2 July 1973


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index

Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 9 August 2024