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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USNS Navasota (T-AO-106)
ex
USS Navasota (AO-106) (1946 - 1975)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Oscar - Papa NHOP
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Debark (Q)uebec - 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 (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean, Libya, Persian Gulf) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (9)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits, Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (14) - Korean Presidential Unit Citation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 22 February 1945, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 2702), at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock, Chester, PA.

Launched, 30 August 1945

Commissioned USS Navasota (AO-106), 27 February 1946, CDR. Davi H. McCluskey, USN, in command

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

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
24 August to 1 September 1946	5 to 16 September 1946
21 September to 25 October 1946	29 to 30 October 1946
8 to 14 January 1947	17 January to 4 June 1947
15 July to 11 August 1947	12 to 16 August 1947
17 to 21 August 1947	18 April to 22 June 1948
25 to 27 October 1948	29 October to 4 November 1948
6 to 20 November 1948	23 November to 29 December 1948
30 June to 21 July 1950	21 August to 9 September 1950
27 July to 20 August 1950	27 June to 29 July 1951
	21 July to 23 August 1952
	6 to 7 September 1954
	7 to 9 November 1954

During the Korean War USS Navasota (AO-106) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
North Korean Aggression 18 to 29 September 1950	Second Korean Winter 24 to 30 April 1952
Inchon Landing 15 to 17 September 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 1 to 9 and 15 to 29 May 1952 12 to 26 June 1952 7 to 16 July 1952 9 to 20 September 1952 29 September to 12 October 1952
First UN Counter Offensive 4 to 6 and 12 to 21 April 1951	Third Korean Winter 10 to 18 March 1953 1 to 9 and 25 to 30 April 1953
Communist China Spring Offensive 25 April to 2 May 1951 6 to 10 May 1951 22 May to 6 June 1951 13 to 19 June 1951	Korea, Summer-Fall 1953 1 to 2 and 17 to 26 May 1953 25 to 27 July 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 3 to 12 August 1951 28 August to 5 September 1951 16 to 25 September 1951

Deactivated, In Commission In Reserve, 2 December 1963 to 22 January 1965 for Jumboization at Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock Co., Plant No. 2, Harbor Island, Seattle, WA.

During the Vietnam War USS Navasota (AO-106) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnam Defense 15 to 24 September 1965 4, 6, 9 and 16 to 27 October 1965 9 to 18 November1965 30 November to 8 December 1965 17 to 24 December 1965	Tet 69/Counteroffensive 7 to 25 April 1969 6 to 17 May 1969 26 May to 8 June 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 25 December 1965 6 to 13 January 1966 26 January to 6 February1966 13 to 22 February 1966 7 to 22 March 1966 30 March to 5 April 1966 11 to 15 April 1966	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 to 10 June 1969 27 June to 11 July 1969 27 to 29 July 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 30 November to 9 December 1966 30 December 1966 to 5 January 1967 10 to 20 February 1967 27 February to 9 March 1967 7 to 13 and 19 to 26 April 1967 10 to 18 May1967	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 10 to 20 and 27 to 30 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 20 December to 29 January 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 1 to 14 July 1970 29 July to 6 August 1970 19 August to 5 September 1970 11 to 12 and 19 to 27 September 1970 6 to 14 October 1970 24 October to 2 November 1970 8 to 12 November 1970
Tet Counteroffensive 30 to 31 January 1968 24 March to 1 April 1968	Consolidation I 20 to 28 September 1971 15 to 17 October 1971 23 October to 5 November 1971 11 to 29 November 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 10 to 22 April 1968 8 to 17 May 1968 23 May to 1 June 1968 10 to 30 June 1968	Consolidation II 17 December 1971 to 1 January 1972 9 to 17 and 26 to 30 January 1972 6 to 11 and 16 to 22 February 1972 1 to 29 March 1972
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 to 6 and 10 July 1968	Vietnam Ceasefire 30 March to 8 April 1972 13 to 19 and 26 to 28 April 1972 4 to 16 May 1972 28 May to 2 June 1972

Decommissioned, 13 August 1975

Placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS Navasota (T-AO-106)

Placed out of service in 1991

Struck from the Naval Register, 2 January 1992

USS Navasota earned nine battle stars for Korean War service and fourteen campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), 25 October 1995

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

Complement

Officers 22

Enlisted 282

Largest Boom Capacity 10t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity

NSFO 123,700Bbls

Gasoline 788,000Gals

Fuel Capacity 15,000 Bbls

Propulsion

two Bethlehem geared turbines

four Foster and 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.

two propellers, 13,500shp

"Jumboization" Specifications:
Displacement 12,840 t.(lt) 33,987 t.(fl)
Length 644"
Draft 34' 9"

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Navasota (AO-106)
	177k	Certificate presented to Robert R. Bensfield, 20 August 1946 aboard *USS Navasota* (AO-106)** for crossing the Equator.	Tommy Trampp
	69k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Valley Forge (CVA-45)** off the coast of Korea during the Korean War in 1950.	Gary Schreffler
	111k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Electra (AKA-4) off her starboard side and USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47)** off her port side, off San Diego in 1954.	Photo by Donald Ravey USS Electra
	142k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Electra (AKA-4) off her starboard side and USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47)** off her port side, off San Diego in 1954.	Photo by Donald Ravey USS Electra
	66k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) pulling away after refueling USS Electra (AKA-4) and USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47)** off San Diego in 1954.	Photo by Donald Ravey USS Electra
091910642	135k	Forward port quarter view of *USS Navasota* (AO-106)** underway after regular overhaul at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, 15 March 1956. San Francisco Naval Shipyard Photo # NY1-7522-l-3-56, from Wikipedia Commons, U.S. National National Archives and Records Administration at College Park, MD. - Still Pictures National Archives Identifier: 7573972.	Robert Hurst
091910646	263k	Stern view of *USS Navasota* (AO-106)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from Auk Visser's Famous T-Tankers	Robert Hurst
	67k	*HMAS Anzac* (D-59)refueling from the port side of USS Navasota (AO-106)** in the Yellow Sea south of Korea, 26 October 1957. Australian War Memorial, Photo No. 305588	Mike Green
	140k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CVA-16) and the destroyer USS Marshall (DD-676) in the eastern Philippine Sea during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis. Lexington*, with assigned Carrier Air Group 21* (CVG-21), was deployed to the Western Pacific from 14 July to 19 December 1958. U.S. Navy photo from the USS Lexington (CVA-16) 1958 cruise book.	Robert Hurst
091910644	180k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refuels the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19), in 1963. Hancock*, with assigned Carrier Air Group 21* (CVG-21), was deployed to the Western Pacific from 7 June to 16 December 1963. U.S. Navy photo from the USS Hancock (CVA-19) 1963 cruise book	Robert Hurst
	109k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Oriskany (CVA-34) and USS King (DLG-10)** in the South China Sea, circa early-1965.	Patrick J. Audinet Sr., STG-2, USS King (DLG-10) 7/62 to 7/65.
	46k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** at Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Co., Seattle, WA. undergoing Jumboization. The following newspaper article is from the 10 January 1964 issue of The Seattle Times: 90-ton Deckhouse Moved by Wayne Jacobi, Times Staff Reporter Bremerton, Jan. 10 --- The Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Co. yesterday completed the second stage of its chunk-style conversion of the Navy oiler Navasota---with an assist from the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. The Bremerton yard's 250-ton swing crane lifted the 190-ton deckhouse from the old hull of the Navasota, swung 1t 230 feet across a pier and set it own on the new hull. The new hull, consisting of the bow of the old Navasota and a Japanese-built midbody plus the old hull were then taken back to Seattle, where the stern section of the old hull will be cut free from the old midsection and welded to the new hull. Despite high winds and slashing rain, the Navy Yard crew brought off the heavy lift without a hitch. The Navasota is the first of two such fleet oilers being "jumboized" by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Co. The other is the Waccamaw. Both conversions are to be completed by June.The new mid-sections will increase the cargo-carrying capacities of the ships about 50 percent. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # None, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
091910635	284k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** underway in Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, WA. running Puget Sound Bridge & Drydock builder�s trials. US Navy photo.	Don Ellis USS Navasota 1963-65
091910643	166k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** directly astern, speed approximately 12 knots, underway in Puget Sound, 14 December 1964. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo from Wikimedia Commons, US National Archives and Records Administration at College Park - Still Pictures National Archives Identifier: 7573983.	Robert Hurst
091910640	234k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** outbound to sea from the port of San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©george Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	65k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** underway in 1965, location unknown. Note UH-46A Sea Knight in foreground. US Navy photo.	Robert Hurst
091910636	109k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) alongside USS Kity Hawk (CVA-63)** during an underway replenishment in WestPac, circa 1965-66. Photo by ADJ3 David Elfver from USS Kitty Hawk	Bob Canchola
091910637	302k		Bob Canchola
	440k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Basilone (DD-824) and USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14)** off Vietnam, circa May 1966. Note the last deployment of CVW-5, tail code "NF", aboard Ticonderoga was in May 1966. US Navy photo.	Chris Stanley and the collection of CDR Thomas B. Ray USS Essex.
	104k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** underway, date and location unknown.	CDR. Louis D Chirillo USN Ret
	49k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) moored, pierside with USS Hamner (DD-718)** at Sasebo, Japan in 1969.	Photo by LT. William P. Jones MD USNR USS Niagara (AFS-3)
	78k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** underway off Subic Bay, Philippines, 1969.	James Furst Jr.
	85k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Duncan (DD-874) to starboard and USS America (CVA-66)** to port while underway in the South China Sea in 1970. Photo taken from Bausell (DD-845).	Photo by Lee Noland STGC USN Ret. USS Bausell
	107k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS America (CVA-66) in the South China Sea during 1970. Photo taken from USS Bausell (DD-845)**.	Photo by Lee Noland STGC USN Ret. USS Bausell
	821k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) takes position as USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5)** prepares to come alongside for refueling in the Gulf of Tonkin in November 1971.	Photos by LTjg. Henry Walters USS Oklahoma City
	1032k
	1227k
091910638	524k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) and USS George K. MacKenzie (DD-836)** in February 1972, location unknown. Photo by Dick Hanover USS Coral Sea	Bob Canchola
	165k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) alongside USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during the carrier's 12 November 1971 to 17 July 1972 Vietnam cruise. Photo was likely taken before 9 April 1972, as the A-6A Intruder whose tail can be seen on the lower left corner is #505. The plane with this side number was BuNo 155652 and was shot down over Laos on said date--as far as is known by Navsource, it was not replaced during this cruise. Squadron was the US Marine Corps. All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 (AW)** "Bengals". If this is actually BuNo 155652, its pilot was Maj Clyde D. Smith, who survived and was rescued after 4 days, thanks to one of the most intensive and best known SAR efforts of the war. Sadly, however, the plane's B/N, 1st Lt Scott Douglas Ketchie, apparently could not eject and was KIA,	Dick Hanover via Jeff Kerr, USAF (Ret)
091910639	243k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106) refueling USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)** circa 1972, off the coast of Vietnam. Photo by Dick Hanover USS Coral Sea	Bob Canchola
	106k	*USS Navasota* (AO-106)** passing Point Loma while outbound to sea from San Diego, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
USNS Navasota (T-AO-106)
	290k	*USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106) underway during a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) of USS Somers (DDG-34) in 1981, location unknown. Photo taken from USS Constellation (CV-64)**	Photo by Paul Jarvis USS Constellation
	197k	*USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106) underway during a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with USS Constellation (CV-64) in December 1981, location unknown. Photo taken from USS Constellation (CV-64)**	Photo by Paul Jarvis USS Constellation
	351k
	165k
	104k
	114k
	247k
	145k
	70k	Aerial view of *USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106) and USS America (CV-66)** during an underway replenishment operation in the Indian Ocean, June 1981. DOD photo # DNSC8507724, a US Navy photo by PH2 Collins USN.	Defense Visual Information Center
091910608	70k	*USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106) underway during a Replenishment at Sea of USS Midway (CV-41) and USS England (CG-22) . Photo was taken in late 1983. (Note - Midway has SPS-48 and SPS-49 radars, but no SPS-43A and F-4 Phantoms on deck, the last F-4s deployed aboard Midway** in January-March 1986).	Photo # 091910608 by James Furst Jr. IC2 USN 091910641 from USS Midway 1981 Cruise Book, Robert Hurst
091910641	125k
	1519k	*USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106)** underway, 2 March 1987, location unknown. Defense Imagery photo VIRN: DN-SC-87-10707, a US Navy photo by PH3 E. Martens now in the collections of Defense Imagery.	Robert Hurst
	143k	*USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106)** underway in February 1991 during exercises off the coast of southern California. The fueling station forward of the bridge was removed from this class to clear more room on the bow for helicopter operations. Note the reappearance of the large bow hull numbers. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # DN-SC-92-08694, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
091910645	477k	*USNS Navasota* (T-AO-106)** underway date and location unknown. US Navy photo from Auk Visser's Famous T-Tankers	Robert Hurst

USS Navasota Miscellaneous Memorabilia

Contributed by Tommy Trampp

For more photos and information about USS / USNS Navasota, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
USS Navasota General Plans from the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association

Reactivation Program

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. McCluskey, Davi Henry, USN	27 February 1946 - December 1946
02	CAPT. Hazen, Joseph Truman, USN (USN 1927)	December 1946 - December 1947
03	CAPT. Carpenter, Harlow Jesse	December 1947 - October1948
04	CAPT. Jackson, Paul	October 1948 - March 1950
05	CAPT. Strange Sr., Robert Orris	March 1950 - January 1951
06	CAPT. Peterson, Richard Ward :RADM	January 1951 - February 1952
07	CAPT. Lewellen, Bafford Edward :RADM	February 1952 - 15 August 1952
08	CAPT. Galantin, Ignatius Joseph (Pete), USN (USNA 1929) :ADM	15 August 1952 - 1 July 1953
09	CAPT. Fabian, Rudolph Joseph	1 July 1953 - July 1954
10	CAPT. Dingfelder, Frank Arthur :RADM	July 1954 - July 1955
11	CAPT. Costello, Joseph Patrick :RADM	July 1955 - August 1956
12	CAPT. Parker, Jefferson David	August 1956 - September 1957
13	CAPT. Leeman, Robert Whitney	September 1957 - August 1958
14	CAPT. Amme Jr., Carl Henry, USN (USNA 1936)	August 1958 - 23 July 1959
15	CAPT. Hessel, Edward William, USN (USNA 1937)	23 July 1959 - May 1960
16	CAPT. Rogers, Leon William	May 1960 - May 1961
17	CAPT. Daniels III, James Ganson	May 1961 - 4 June 1962
18	CAPT. Lindbeck, John August, USN (USNA 1942)	4 June 1962 - 4 June 1963
19	CAPT. McDonald, Maxwell D., USN	4 June 1963 - 1 December 1963 (Jumbo Conversion)
20	LT. Hagen, Elmer Clarence, USN	1 December 1963 - June 1964 (Jumbo Conversion)
21	CAPT. Smith, Charles Edward, USN (USNA 1942)	June 1964 - 19 December 1965 (Reactivation)
22	CAPT. Tate, Benjamin Colonna, USN	19 December 1965 - 22 January 1967
23	CAPT. Wills, James Keith, USN	22 January 1967 - 22 July 1968
24	CAPT. Robbins, Spencer Everett, USN (USNA 1943)	22 July 1968 - 13 November 1969
25	CAPT. Sisson, Luther Boyd, USN (USNA 1947)	13 November 1969 - February 1971
26	CAPT. Marvin, Stephan Dale, USN (USNA 1947)	February 1971 - June 1972
27	CAPT. Mathews, Richard Louis	June 1972 - November 1973
28	CDR. Campbell, John Richard	November 1973 - 13 August 1975


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

Additional Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 5 July 2024

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Navasota (T-AO-106)ex USS Navasota (AO-106) (1946 - 1975)

USNS Navasota (T-AO-106)
ex
USS Navasota (AO-106) (1946 - 1975)