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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

T-AO-118 Mission Purisma

(AO-118: dp. 21,880; l. 524'; b. 68'; d. 30'; s. 16.5 k.; cpl. 52; a. none; cl. Mission Buenaventura; T. T2-SE-A2)

Mission Purisma was laid down on 10 June 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by Marinship Corp., Sausalito, Calif.; launched 25 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. John Collins; and delivered 23 November 1943.

Chartered to Deconhill Shipping Co., for operations, she carried fuel to our forces in the Pacific and the Atlantic theaters until 27 April 1946 when she was returned to the Maritime Commission and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, Calif.

Acquired by the Navy on 15 October 1947, she was placed in service with Naval Transportation Service as Mission Purisma (AO-118) and continued serving in the Transportation Service until taken over by the new Military Sea Transportation Service on 1 October 1949 and designated USNS Mission Purisma (T-A0-118). She served with MSTS until 16 May 1955 when she was returned to the Maritime Administration and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Wash. She was struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register on the same date.

Reacquired by the Navy on 26 June 1956 she was placed in service with MSTS and served until returned to MARAD on 4 December 1957 and laid up at the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, Calif. Struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register on the same date, she remains berthed at Suisun Bay, Calif., into 1969.

Submitted by Ramon Jackson