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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
ex
 Mission Soledad (AO-136) (1947 - 1949)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Quebec - Oscar
 NHQO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Korean Service Medal (5) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Mission Buenaventura Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 12 July1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull under a Maritime Commission contract at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA.
  • Launched, 28 September 1943
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 16 January 1944, for charter to Pacific Tankers, Inc., for operations
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, mid-February 1946, for lay up in reserve at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA.
  • Acquired by the Navy, 16 October 1947
  • Placed in service by the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) as Mission Soledad (AO-136) under charter to Pacific Tankers, Inc., for operations
  • Control transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) 1 October 1949, redesignated USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
  • During the Korean War USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counteroffensive
    26 to 28 March 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    28 November 1951 to 4 January 1952
    8 to 10 January 1952
    12 to 15 March 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    2 to 10 May 1951
    22 June to 8 July 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    10 to 12 May 1952
    15 to 26 August 1952
    5 to 8 September 1952
    4 to 8 February 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    21 to 27 November 1951     		.

  • Placed out of service, struck from the Naval Register, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 31 October 1957
  • USNS Mission Soledad earned five battle star for Korean War service
  • Merchant Service
    Sold, 4 November 1966, to the Hudson Waterways Corp. for conversion to a container ship
    Renamed SS Seatrain California 7 November 1966
    Renamed SS Transontario, 21 February 1967
    Sold, 18 September 1969, to Greyhound Leasing and Financial Corp.
    Reflagged Panamanian, 21 August 1975
    Final Disposition, scrapped in 1979
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,532 t.(lt) 21,880 t.(fl)
    Length 523' 6"
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' 10"
    Speed 15.1 kts (trial)
    Complement
    52 CivMar
    17 US Navy Armed Guard
    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 15,300DWT
    Oil 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 825°

    Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 400Kw 450V A.C.
     two turbo-drive 85Kw 120V D.C.
     two 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 Contributed
    By
    Mission Soledad (War Shipping Administration)
    Mission Solidad
    091913607    		 213k
    Namesake
    Mission Nuestra Seņora de la Soledad - is a Spanish mission located near the present-day town of Soledad, CA. The mission was founded by the Franciscan order on October 9, 1791 to convert the Native Americans living in the area to Catholicism. It was the thirteenth of California's Spanish missions, and is named for Mary, Our Lady of Solitude. The town of Soledad is named for the mission. (Wikipedia)
    Photos by ©MARELBU    		 Tommy Trampp
    Mission Solidad 130k Mission Soledad at Dock B, Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA., 29 October 1943, 55 days after launching.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mission Solidad 115k Mission Soledad at Dock B, Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA., 26 November 1944, 63 days after launching.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 Robert Hurst
    USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
    Mission Solidad 1339k USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) underway near San Pedro. Note Long Beach Naval Shipyard can be seen in the far distance over the Quonset huts. David Buell
    Mission Solidad 1621k USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) underway in the Long Beach/San Pedro area, date unknown. David Buell
    Mission Solidad 64k USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) moored pierside, date and location unknow.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 David Buell
    Merchant Service Seatrain Corp.
    Mission Solidad 86k Ex-Mission Soledad in merchant service as SS Transontario underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo © Marc Piche, courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
    DANFS Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
    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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 February 2021