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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mascoma (T-AO-83)
ex
 USS Mascoma (AO-83) (1944 - 1950)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Uniform - Bravo
 NJUB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation
Fourth Row - Philippines Liberation Medal (1) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Escambia Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 31 January 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1262) at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
  • Launched, 31 May 1943
  • Commissioned USS Mascoma (AO-83), 3 February 1944, CDR. Cyril C. Eden in command
  • During World War II USS Mascoma (AO-83) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July to 15 August 1944     		Leyte operation
    Luzon attacks, 14 to 16 December 1944
    Tinian capture and occupation, 20 July to 10 August 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto operation, 19 April to 4 June 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Assault on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944     		3d Fleet operations against Japan, 11 to 29 July and 9 to 15 August 1945

  • Following World War II USS Mascoma was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 25 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 17 December 1945, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 January 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 27 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Leased to Trinidad Corp., 10 October 1947
  • Reacquired by the Navy, 4 February 1948
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange, TX.
  • Reactivated, 27 July 1950 and placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS Mascoma (T-AO-83), operated under charter
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 18 June 1959 and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group. Lee Hall, VA.
  • USS Mascoma earned six battle stars for World War II service
  • Merchant Service
    Transferred to Hudson Waterways Corp., 4 November 1966, under the MARAD Exchange Program
    Renamed SS Seatrain Oregon in December 1966
    Renamed SS Transchamplain in 1967
    Converted to a containership, 29 August 1969
    Sold, 10 September 1969 to C.I.T. Corporation
    Sold to American Pacific Container Line Inc, in 1980
    Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Keun Hwa Iron & Steel Works, Kaohsiung, 7 November 1980.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,532 t.(lt) 22,380 t.(fl)
    Length 523' 6"
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' 10"
    Speed 15.1 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 245
    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
    twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 15,300 DWT
    NSFO 120,400 Bbls
    Gasoline 575,000 Gals
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 9,235 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric turbo-electric engine
    two Babcock and Wilcox D-type boilers, 600psi 800°
    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
    SS Mascoma (War Shipping Administration)
    Mascoma 46k SS Mascoma ready to launch, 31 May 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
    US Maritime Commission photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    Mascoma
    091908313    		 87k SS Mascoma after launch, 31 May 1943, at Marinship, Sausalito, CA.
    US Maritime Commission photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Mascoma (AO-83)
    Mascoma 94k Forward plan view of USS Mascoma (AO-83) at Alameda, CA., 5 April 1944, during conversion for Naval service. She has been newly painted in camouflage scheme Measure 32 Design 3AO.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2142-44    		 Darryl Baker
    Mascoma 73k Stern plan view of USS Mascoma (AO-83) at Alameda, CA., 5 April 1944, during conversion for Naval service.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2156-44    		 Darryl Baker
    Mascoma 66k Bow on view of USS Mascoma (AO-83) underway in San Francisco Bay, 8 April 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2221-44    		 Darryl Baker
    Mascoma 63k Stern view of USS Mascoma (AO-83) underway in San Francisco Bay, 8 April 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2222-44    		 Darryl Baker
    Mascoma 95k Broadside view of USS Mascoma (AO-83) underway in San Francisco Bay, 8 April 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2224-44    		 Darryl Baker
    Mascoma 70k USS Mascoma (AO-83) underway in San Francisco Bay, 8 April 1944.
    US Navy photo from the San Francisco NARA, Mare Island Navy Yard Ship Files.    		 Tracy White
    Mascoma 63k
    Mascoma 582k USS Mascoma (AO-83) underway off the coast of Northern California in April 1944.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 775 -5-44    		 David Buell
    Mascoma
    091909314    		 158k Overhead view of USS Mascoma (AO-83) underway underway, date and location unknown.
    Courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    Mascoma 67k USS Mascoma (AO-83) at anchor with LCT-1453 alongside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Kenneth Becker MoMM2/c USS Mascoma
    USNS Mascoma (T-AO-83)
    Mascoma 87k USNS Mascoma (T-AO-83) operating as a civilian-manned MSTS tanker during the 1950s.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. None, courtesy of Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Merchant Service Seatrain Corp.
    Mascoma 143k ex-USNS Mascoma (T-AO-83) while in service as the Sea-Land container carrier SS Transchamplain in port while working cargo at Sand Island Terminal, Honolulu, HI., in the circa 1967-69.
    US Maritime Commission photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Mascoma (AO-83)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Eden, Cyril Cliveden3 February 1944 - 29 May 1944
    02LCDR. Wickham, Joseph Francis29 May 1944 - 6 June 1944
    03LCDR. Timmers, Henry Paul6 June 1944 - 17 December 1945
    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 Data Base
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 1 November 2024