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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, at right by R.A. Moody

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Severn (AO-61)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Zulu - Delta NUZD
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Kosher (P)apa - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon, 24 November 1944) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Lebanon)
Fourth Row - Philippines Liberation Medal (2) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

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

Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 24 October to 29 November 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landing, 13 to 26 January 1945

Following World War II USS Severn was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
12 September to 2 October 1945
9 October to 3 November 1945
8 November to 28 December 1945
5 January to 12 February 1947
27 March to 3 April 1947
14 to 25 May 1947
39 June to 9 July 1947
15 to 29 March 1948
6 to 12 July 1949
4 to 24 October 1949
3 to 6 December 1949
26 January to 2 February 1950

USS Severn was assigned to Occupation in Europe for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
8 December 1951 to 29 April 1952
6 to 9 May 1953
11 March to 16 June 1954

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 22 January 1975, to Brownsville Steel & Salvage Inc., Brownsville, TX., (PD-X-990 dated 27 November 1975) for $315,777.00

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Specifications:
Displacement 7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32'
Speed 18. kts (trial)

Complement

Officers 21

Enlisted 291

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°

twin propellers 13,500shp

Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C.
one Diesel-drive 150Kw 230V A.C.

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
091906126	136k	Namesake Severn - is a tidal estuary river 14 miles long, located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Photo - U.S. Naval Academy Bridge crossing the Severn River in Annapolis, MD., by David Podgor, 3 August 2007 Ravens326 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Map - Maryland Department of Natural Resources Severn River Restoration Project		Tommy Trampp
	85k	USS Severn (AO-61) off Newport R.I., 21 June 1952. US Navy photo # NH 66865, courtesy of the Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia. Ted Stone Collection.		US Naval History and Heritage Command
	251k	USS Severn (AO-61) refuels the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVA-12) in the Atlantic, 27 May 1954. The carrier was enroute to Naples, Italy. Hornet, with assigned Carrier Air Group 9 (CVG-9), was on her around-the-world cruise from 11 May to 12 December 1954. US Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo # 1996.488.245.012		Robert Hurst
	252k	USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and heavy cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134) near Barcelona, Spain, 13 June 1957. (Thanks to Ken Killmeyer, USS Forrestal Association historian, who helped date these photos).		Image courtesy of Larry Blumenthal, PH3, 1957-61. "US Navy Photos"
	210k
	732k	USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and USS Des Moines (CA-134) operating with Task Force 26 in the Atlantic. USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) is in the background, 11 November 1956. US Navy photo # USN 1002494		Chris Standley, from the collection of CDR Thomas B. Ray USS Essex
	140k	USS Severn (AO-61) at sea, after refueling USS Tarawa (CVS-40), 13 February 1959. The aft refueling stations on both sides have been strengthened and transformed into a large goal post mast, an enhancement that was also applied to other Navy oilers in the late 1950s and early 1960s. US Navy photo # USN 1045536, courtesy Shipscribe.com.		Robert Hurst
	70k	USS Severn (AO-61) at sea, circa the 1960s or early 1970s. US Navy photo # NH 99492.		US Naval Historical Center
	489k	US Severn (AO-61) during an underway replenishment with USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) and US Forrest Sherman (DD-931), circa 1962. Air Group is CVSG-54, tail code "AT."		Harry Wood, ADJ3 USS Lake Champlain
	161k	USS Severn (AO-61) under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo		David Merrill USS Canisteo (AO-99) Web Site
	28k	USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS Dealey (DE-1006) during Operation Steelpike I, October 1964		Photo by Jim McCoy
091906125	96k	USS Severn (AO-61) steams alongside USS York County (LST-1175) Severn was on station to refuel the ship's of operation Steel Pike returning from the Caribbean in November 1964. Photo taken from York County by LCpl Glade Wittwer, Jr., G Company, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division, FMF.		Witt Wittmer
	251k	USS Severn (AO-61) moored to a buoy at Genoa, Italy in 1966.		Photo by Carlo Marintelli
	74k	USS Severn (AO-61) under way in the Caribbean Sea, December 1966		© Richard Leonhardt
	106k	A Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King modex AS66 (BuNo 151556), assigned to HS-11 "Sub Seekers." (As of mid-2008, this helo was at the American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA.) USS Wasp (CVS-18) and USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931) refuel from USS Severn (AO-61), in the background. Photo taken on 8 December 1966.		©Richard Leonhardt
	95k	USS Severn (AO-61) under way in the Mediterranean Sea, February 1967		Photo by Jim McCoy
	45k	USS Severn (AO-61) refueling USS America (CV-66)		© Richard Leonhardt
	313k	ASW aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) and the guided missile destroyer leader USS Belknap (DLG-26) refuel from USS Severn (AO-61). 9 June 1968. This photo was taken at the beginning of Intrepidīs last deployment to Vietnam as an attack carrier, from 4 June 1968 to 8 February 1969. US Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo # 1996.488.244.054		Robert Hurst
	188k	USS Severn (AO-61) entering the harbor at Valletta, Malta, November 1969		Thomas Daniel, SH3 USS Severn 1969-70
	156k	USS Severn (AO-61) entering the harbor at Valletta, Malta, November 1969		Thomas Daniel, SH3 USS Severn 1969-70
	245k	USS Severn (AO-61) underway in the Mediterranean Sea, in 1970. US Navy photo from the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) 1970 cruise book.		Robert Hurst
	104k	USS Severn (AO-61) under way in the Atlantic Ocean, February 1972. US Navy photo # NH 99493 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.		US Naval History and Heritage Command
	107k	USS Severn (AO-61) comes alongside the commercial tanker SS Erna Elizabeth to take on fuel, during operations in the Atlantic Ocean, 2 March 1972. US Navy photo # NH 99494 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.		US Naval Historical Center
	115k	USS Severn (AO-61) comes alongside the commercial tanker SS Erna Elizabeth to take on fuel, during operations in the Caribbean off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, 6 March 1972. US Navy photo # NH 99496 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.		US Naval Historical Center
	101k	View of USS Severn (AO-61) midships port side while she was taking on fuel from the commercial tanker SS Erna Elizabeth during operations in the Atlantic Ocean, circa February-March 1972. US Navy photo # NH 99495 by T.L. Vann PH2 USN.		US Naval History and Heritage Command
	188k	View of USS Severn (AO-61) under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	416k	USS Severn (AO-61) refuels the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and the destroyer USS Basilone (DD-824) in the Mediterranean Sea. Franklin D. Roosevelt, with assigned Carrier Air Wing 6 (CVW-6), was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea from 2 January to 27 July 1970. US Navy photo from the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) 1970 cruise book		Robert Hurst
	211k	USS Severn (AO-61) refuels the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and the guided missile destroyer USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2) in the Mediterranean Sea. Franklin D. Roosevelt, with assigned Carrier Air Wing 6 (CVW-6), was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea from 2 January to 27 July 1970. US Navy photo from the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) 1970 cruise book		Robert Hurst

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For more photos and information about USS Severn, see; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) MARAD Vessel History Database USS Severn Decommissioning Booklet Model of AO-61 on YouTube

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Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Rees, Owen, USN (USNA 1922)	19 July 1944 - February 1946
02	CAPT. McCoy, Melvyn Harvey, USN (USNA 1927)	February 1946 - November 1946
03	CDR. Knoll, Denys William, USN (USNA 1930) :RADM	November 1946 - October 1947
04	CAPT. Day, Harry Edward, USN (USNA 1927)	October 1947 - November 1948
05	CAPT. Hammock, John Cowling, USN (USNA 1925)	November 1948 - April 1950
06	CAPT. Guthrie, Harry Aloysius, USN (USNA 1921A) :RADM	April 1950 - 3 July 1950
	Decommissioned	3 July 1950 - 29 December 1950
07	CAPT. Townsend, Harry Edson, USN (USNA 1932)	29 December 1950 - July 1952
08	CAPT. Gregor, George Donald, USN (USNA 1933)	July 1952 - July 1953
09	LCDR. Hatchell, Edward George, USN	July 1953 - August 1953
10	CAPT. Hagberg, Oscar Emil, USN (USNA 1931)	August 1953 - August 1954
11	CAPT. Vogeley, Theodore Robert, USN (USNA 1933) :RADM	August 1954 - 17 July 1955
12	CAPT. Bentley, James Calvin, USN (USNA 1934)	17 July 1955 - 20 November 1956
13	CAPT. Langston, Charles Bonham, USN (USNA 1935)	20 November 1956 - 12 March 1958
14	CAPT. McCampbell, David, USN (USNA 1933)	12 March 1958 - 10 December 1958
15	CAPT. Parker Jr., Edwin Byron, USN (USNA 1935)	10 December 1958 - 11 July 1959
16	CAPT. More, Frank Richie, USN	11 July 1959 - 22 October 1960
17	CAPT. Reaves Jr., Henry Grady, USN (USNA 1939)	22 October 1960 - 18 September 1961
18	CAPT. Kline, Raymond Philip, USN (USNA 1939)	18 September 1961 - 11 October 1962
19	CAPT. Kittrell, James Reveley, USN	11 October 1962 - 21 December 1963
20	CAPT. Holmes, Wilbur Thomas, USN	21 December 1963 - 30 January 1965
21	CAPT. Robinson, Bob John, USN	30 January 1965 - 22 March 1966
22	CAPT. Carroll, Charles Harvin, USN	22 March 1966 - 28 July 1967
23	CAPT. Vito Jr., Albert Henry, USN (USNA 1944)	28 July 1967 - 24 February 1968
24	CAPT. Miller, Walter James	24 February 1968 - 24 May 1968
25	CAPT. Richelieu, Charles Francis, USN	24 May 1968 - 4 August 1969
26	CAPT. Hoy, Hugh Alexander, USN	4August 1969 - 19 January 1970
27	CAPT. Ray, Charles Edwin, USN	19 January 1970 - April 1971
28	CDR. Learned Jr., Charles William, USN (USNA 1954)	April 1971 - September 1972
29	CDR. Wiltse, Irving Montrose, USN	September 1972 - April 1974
30	LCDR. Rybarczyk, Anthony Mark, USN	April 1974 - 1 July 1974

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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Last Updated 9 August 2024