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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Chipola (AO-63)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Delta - Quebec NXDQ
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Bankside (K)ilo - 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 - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam, Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (13) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (12)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 3 May 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 729) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.

Launched, 21 October 1944

Commissioned USS Chipola (AO-63), 30 November 1944, CDR. Elmore G. Genthner, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Chipola (AO-63) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns: ÿ>

Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns		Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima Gunto, 15 February to 5 March 1945	3rd Fleet operations against Japan 10 July to 3 August 1944 and 1 May to 30 June 1945
Okinawa Gunto operation 5th and 3rd Fleet raids in support of the Okinawa Gunto operation, 16 March to 13 June 1945

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

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
Asia - 13 September 1945 to 28 January 1946	29 January to 8 February 1946
Asia - 9 to 12 February 1946	7 to 15 December 1946
Asia - 27 March to 4 May 1946
Asia - 11 November to 6 December 1946
Asia - 17 December 1946 to 1 February 1947
Asia - 12 to 20 March 1947
Asia - 28 April to 3 May 1947
Asia - 28 July to 7 August 1948
Europe - 2 October to 20 November 1950
Europe - 14 June to 28 October 1954

During the Korean War USS Chipola operated in the Korean War zone supporting combat units on two different occasions:

Dates
Korean War
20 to 22 November 1950 and 2 to 3 February 1951

Decommissioned, 1 August 1955, at Philadelphia, PA.

Recommissioned, 26 December 1956 for service with MSTS

Decommissioned, 7 November 1957, at Texas

Laid up, 4 December 1957, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX

Withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet for reactivation, 15 August 1960

Recommissioned, 17 December 1960

During the Vietnam War USS Chipola (AO-63) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 14 September to 16 October 1964 5 to 12 November 1964 21 November to 2 December 1964 14 to 23 December 1964 14 to 19 January 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 15 to 23 December 1968 31 December 1968 to 9 January 1969 13 to 21 January 1969 28 January to 4 February 1969 15 to 18 February 1969
Vietnam Defense 4 to 5 and 11 to 21 July 1965 1 to 14 August 1965 21 August to 3 September 1965 17 to 23 September 1965 7 to 18 October 1965 30 October to 13 November 1965 21 to 22 November 1965	Tet/69 Counteroffensive 23 February to 3 March 1969 10 to 18 March 1969 28 March to 6 April 1969 9 to 17 and 22 to 29 April1969 6 to 14 May 1969 28 May to 4 June 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 8 to 15 and 21 to 27 June 1966	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 6 to 14 and 18 to 22 March 1970 14 to 21 and 24 to 30 April 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 3 to 19 and 23 to 29 July 1966 8 to 12 and 21 to 28 August 1966 9 to 16 September 1966 5 to 20 October 1966 13 to 16 November 1966	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1 May and 13 to 21 May 1970 29 May to 6 June 1970 14 to 24 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 27 November to 7 December 1967 20 December 1967 to 1 January 1968 5 to 14 January 1968	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 6 to 14 July 1970 11 to 21 and 23 to 29 May 1971 3 to 17 and 30 June 1971
Tet Counteroffensive 20 to 29 February 1968 5 to 14 and 18 to 27 March 1968	Consolidation I 1 to 7 July 1971 1 to 5 and 11 to 21 August 1971 11 to 19 October 1972 26 October to 21 November 1972
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 4 to 11 and 21 to 28 April 1968	Vietnam Ceasefire 14 to 23 December 1972 6 to 17 and 24 to 31 January 1973 10 to 16 March 1973

Decommissioned, date unknown, 14 August 1973, at Pearl Harbor, HI.

Struck from the Naval Register, 14 August 1973

USS Chipola earned three battle stars for World War II service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with thirteen campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Title transferred to the Maritime Administration, 15 July 1974

Final Disposition, sold to Zidell Explorations Inc., 15 July 1974, at Pearl Harbor, HI. (PC-X-979 dated 5 May 1974) for $301,789.99, delivered to Zidell at Pearl Harbor, 7 October 1974

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

Complement

Officers 20

Enlisted 310

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 730°

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
	75k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) refueling USS Wasp (CV-18), late January 1945. Chipola** is wearing camouflage scheme 32/5AO in this photo.	Steve Whitby
091906335	136k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** Arctic Circle Crossing Certificate, 27 July 1951, issued to J.A. Turner, USN	Tommy Trampp
091906336	211k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** moored at San Pedro, CA., 17 May 1952.	David Wright
	56k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) enroute from Norfolk, VA. to Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1952. Photo from USS Putnam (DD-757)**	Photo by Stan Cochran USS Putnam
	96k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) with USS Deuel (APA-160) alongside, circa 1952, at Thule, Greenland during "Operation Blue Jay". Note the hole in Chipola**'s bow.	George Panos, QMS2C USS Earle B. Hall
	155k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** underway, circa 1950s, location unknown. US National Archives Identifier (NAID) 7573632, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the holdings of the US National Archives.	Robert Hurst
	935k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) alongside USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during an underway replenishment in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo was taken during Coral Sea's 1954 Med Cruise (7 July to 20 December 1954). Note USS Benner (DDR-807) in the third picture astern of Chipola**	JP. MTC(SS) for his father-in-law Joseph A. Wolfe USN Ret. USS Coral Sea
	977k
	953k
	250k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** underway, 12 July 1954 off Toulon, France.	Mike Smolinski
	209k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** at anchor at Hong Kong in 1962. It looks like she may have gotten her hull painted while there.	Ron Reeves
	145k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** under way, 17 April 1964, in the Pearl Harbor channel. Three of her after refueling stations (two to port and one to starboard) have been strengthened by providing heavier kingposts with large angled tops. The ship's armament has been reduced to two 3"/50 guns, both aft. US Navy photo # KN 9500.	Photo - Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. Caption - Robert Hurst, courtesy Shipscribe.com
	160k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** under way, circa 1965, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Ron Reeves
	207k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) delivers NSFO to USS Bennington (CVS-20) and USS O'Brien (DD-725) while underway in Pacific Ocean in the spring of 1964. Photo was taken from USS Eversole (DD-789)**. The destroyer on the extreme right is unknown.	Photo by Travis Moffat ETR2, submitted by Larry Backus USS Bausell
	440k	*USS Eversole* (DD-789) comes alongside USS Chipola (AO-63)** to receive fuel while underway in the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 1964.	Photo by Travis Moffat ETR2 USS Eversole, submitted by Larry Backus USS Bausell
	205k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) delivers NSFO to USS Bennington (CVS-20)** while underway in the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 1964.	Photo by Travis Moffat ETR2 USS Eversole, submitted by Larry Backus USS Bausell
	228k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) delivers NSFO to USS Bennington (CVS-20)** while underway in the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 1964.	Photo by Travis Moffat ETR2 USS Eversole, submitted by Larry Backus USS Bausell
	72k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) delivers NSFO to USS Bausell (DD-845)** while a helo delivers the mail during an UNREP in the Gulf of Tonkin in February 1966.	Photo by Larry Backus USS Bausell
	45k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** at Pearl Harbor, March 1968	Photo by Jim McCoy
	92k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) refueling USS Princeton (LPH-5)** during operations in the Pacific, 25 June 1968. US Navy photo #USN 1142529 by PH3 Carty, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	96k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) delivers fuel, supplies, movies and mail to USS Eversole (DD-789)** in the Pacific Ocean, circa late-1968s-early 1970s	Steve Beech USS Bausell
	104k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** in bound from sea to the Port of Wellington New Zealand, 19 November 1972.	Photo from the Chris Howell collection with copyright
	165k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** moored pierside in the Port of Wellington New Zealand, 19 November 1972.	Photo from the Chris Howell collection with copyright
	2381k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** outbound to sea from Wellington, New Zealand, 20 November 1972.	Photo from the Chris Howell collection with copyright
	48k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** under way, date and location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
	70k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Paul L. Adkisson MMCM USN Ret.
	159k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63) moored pierside at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., date unknown. Moored opposite side of the pier is USS Kawishiwi (AO-146)**. Photo by Michael Longseth.	Ron Reeves
	179k	*USS Chipola* (AO-63)** drydocked at Naval Shipyard Pearl Harbor, HI., date unknown.	Ron Reeves
	164k	Command Master Chief Paul L. Adkisson MMCM USN presents the *USS Chipola* (AO-63)** Commissioning Pennant to the ship's last commanding officer CDR. Terry G. Caston USN during decommissioning ceremonies, 14 August 1973, at Pearl Harbor, HI.	Paul L. Adkisson MMCM USN Ret.

Crossing the Equator

Polliwogs

Shellback

Initiation

Beauty Queens Contestants

Beauty Queen Winner

For more photos and information about USS Chipola, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
MARAD Vessel History Database
Oregon Atomic Veterans
Welcome Aboard circa 1971-73
Contributed by the USS Chipola's last Command Master Chief Paul L. Adkisson MMCM USN Ret.

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Genthner, Elmore G. USNR	30 November 1944 - 30 March 1946
02	CAPT. Green, Thomas Chandler	30 March 1946 - 23 August 1947
03	CAPT. Heerbrandt, Paul Frederick	23 August1947 - 14 July 1948
04	CDR. Weigle, Claude Lee	14 July 1948 - 23 August 1949
05	CAPT. Gilliam, Charles Robert :RADM	23 August 1949 - 24 March 1951
06	CDR. Hutchings, Charles Slack	24 March 1951 - 7 June 1952
07	CAPT. Dixon Jr., Duncan Patterson	7 June 1952 - 22 March 1953
08	CDR. Finnigan Jr., Oliver Davis	22 March 1953 - 15 November 1954
09	CDR. Butler, Kenneth Lloyd	15 November 1954 - 1 August 1955
	Decommissioned	1 August 1955 - 26 December 1956
10	CDR. Graham Jr., Selwyen Harrison	26 December 1956 - 7 November 1957
	Decommissioned	7 November 1957 - 17 December 1960
11	CAPT. Rynd, Robert Wheeler	17 December 1960 - 20 December 1961
12	CAPT. Westhoff, William Edward	20 December 1961 - 13 April 1963
13	CAPT. Horner, Thomas Leo	13 April 1963 - 6 May 1964
14	CAPT. Harnish, William Max, USN (USNA 1943) :RADM	6 May 1964 - 24 June 1965
15	CAPT. Grace II, Joseph Allain	24 June 1965 - 2 July 1966
16	CAPT. Baldwin, Robert Bemus, USN (USNA 1945) :VADM	2 July 1966 - 1 June 1967
17	CAPT. Kelley, Lawrence Welsford	11 June 1967 - 7 November 1968
18	CAPT. Sharer, Keith Woods	7 November 1968 - 29 April 1970
19	CAPT. Christensen Jr., Charles Stahl, USN (NYMA-1947)	29 April 1970 - 9 October 1971
20	CDR. Caston, Terry Glynn	9 October 1971 - 14 August 1973


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 11 March 2022