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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Don Mc Grogan

USNS Escambia (T-AO-80)
ex
Escambia (AO-80) (1948 - 1950)
USS Escambia (AO-80) (1943 - 1948)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Tango - Uniform NJTU

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Escambia Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down in December 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1259) at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.

Launched, 25 April 1943

Assigned to the US Navy, 30 June 1943

Commissioned USS Escambia (AO-80), 28 October 1943, LCDR. John M. Paulsson, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Escambia was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Asiatic-Pacific Raids - 1944 Truk, Satawan, Ponape raid, 29 April to 1 May 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 30 June 1945 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto, 21 April to 8 June 1945
Hollandia operation, 21 to 24 April 1944	3d Fleet operations against Japan, 10 to 29 June and 9 to 15 August 1945
Western Caroline Islands operation Assaults on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944

Following World War II USS Escambia was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 5 November 1945

Decommissioned, 20 February 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 12 March 1946

Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, 30 June 1946

Reacquired by the Navy, 26 January 1948

Operated under contract to Naval Transportation Service

Placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS Escambia (T-AO-80), 18 July 1950

Placed out of service, date unknown

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA., 3 October 1957

Struck from the Naval Register in 1957

Acquired by the US Army, 26 April 1966 and converted to a Mobile Army Emergency Power Plant assigned to Vietnam service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping at Qui Nhon, Vietnam, 8 August 1971 (PD-X-912) to Chin Tai Steel Enterprise Co. Ltd, for $255,150.00

USS Escambia earned five battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 5,782 t.(lt) 22,380 t.(fl)
Length 523' 6"
Beam 68'
Draft 30' 10"
Speed 15.1 kts,

Complement

Officers 22

Enlisted 245

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal. dual purpose gun mount

four 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 15,300 DWT

Oil 120,400 Bbls

Gasoline 575,000 Gals

Fuel Capacity 9,235 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric turbo-electric engine

two Babcock & Wilcox D-type boilers, 600psi, 825°
Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
two turbo-drive 85Kw 120V D.C.
one turbo-drive 55Kw 120V D.C.
one turbo-drive 50Kw 450V A.C.

single propeller, 10,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
War Shipping Administration
	231k	Invitation to the launching of SS Escambia on 25 April 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.	Kassie Wilkerson
	51k	SS Escambia ready for launching, 25 April 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA. Marinship photos courtesy courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.	Robert Hurst
	44k		Robert Hurst
	57k	SS Escambia floats free after launching, 25 April 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA. Marinship photos courtesy courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.	Robert Hurst
USS Escambia (AO-80)
	82k	Stern plan view of Escambia (AO-80) at San Francisco, 17 July 1943, while she was undergoing conversion for Naval service. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5238-43.	Darryl Baker
	82k	Broadside view of *USS Escambia* (AO-80)** off San Francisco, 12 November 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5595-43.	Darryl Baker
	63k	Stern view of *USS Escambia* (AO-80)** off San Francisco, 12 November 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5598-43.	Darryl Baker
	50k	*USS Escambia* (AO-80)** underway , date and location unknown.	Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
	85k	*USS Escambia* (AO-80)** near Mare Island Navy Yard circa October-December 1943. This undated view shows the ship with her initial armament that included only two 40mm twin mounts. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # 19-N-63574, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
091908013	31k	*USS Escambia* (AO-80)** at anchor, date and location unknown. Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
091908014	62k	*USS Escambia* (AO-80)** underway, date and location unknown. Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst
	279k	*USS Escambia* (AO-80) refueling USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)**, 26 July 1945, as TG38.3. prepared for continuous raids against mainland Japan targets. Photos by George Silk, Life Magazine. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	John Chiquoine
	197k		John Chiquoine
USNS Escambia (T-AO-80)
	1182k	*USNS Escambia* (T-AO-80)** underway in the Long Beach CA. area, circa 1948-1949.	David Buell
091908015	80k	*USNS Escambia* (T-AO-80)** docked in Los Angeles harbor in 1950. Photo Waddingham, Francis / Los Angeles Maritime Museum. Courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers Pages	Robert Hurst

USS Escambia (AO-80)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Paulsson, John Marshall	28 October 1943 - 3 June 1944
02	CDR. Goorgian, Richard	3 June 1944 - 20 February 1946


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
USS Escambia (AO-80)
MARAD Vessel History Data Base

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 20 September 2024

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Escambia (T-AO-80)ex Escambia (AO-80) (1948 - 1950) USS Escambia (AO-80) (1943 - 1948)

USNS Escambia (T-AO-80)
ex
Escambia (AO-80) (1948 - 1950)
USS Escambia (AO-80) (1943 - 1948)