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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Yahara (AOG-37)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Victor - Yankee
 NHVY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 28 May to 8 July 1945, Okinawa)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Sequatchie Class Gasoline Tanker:
  • Laid down, 6 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-M-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1800) at East Coast Shipyards Inc., Bayonne, N.J.
  • Launched, 30 July 1944
  • Converted for Naval Service at Marine Basin Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Commissioned USS Yahara (AOG-37), 29 September 1944, LT. Nehemiah C. Biggs, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Yahara was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 28 May to 30 June 1945

  • Decommissioned, 21 May 1946, at New Orleans, LA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946
  • USS Yahara earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration, 5 November 1946
  • Merchant Service
    Acquired by the Texas Oil Co. in late 1947 for the company's Norwegian subsidiary, renamed M/V El Caribe reflagged Norwegian
    Subsequently sold in September 1952 to the Verbomilia Steamship Co. London, reflagged Great Britain, name retained
    Resold to Cousoltanker Co. Ltd. London in 1953, name retained,
    Resold to a Soc Meridionale d'Armement, in 1954 and reflagged French, rename retained
    Resold in 1957 to A. M. Printezis & G. A. Papadopoulos, reflagged Greece, renamed M/V Crysanthi P.
    Resold in 1961 to Cie de Tpts Maritimes de Petrole, renamed M/V Petro Bourg
    Resold in 1967 to NE Trais SA, renamed M/V Aghia Trias
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1974
    Specifications:
    Displacement 845 t.(lt), 2,270 t.(fl)
    Length 220' 6"
    Beam 37'
    Draft 13' 1"
    Speed 10 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 6
    Enlisted 56
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    three single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Largest Boom Capacity 4 t.
    Cargo Capacity 1,365 DWT
    Oil 12,100 Bbls
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 200 Bbls
    Propulsion
    Fairbanks-Morse Diesel 37E16 direct drive
    Ship's Service Generators
     one Diesel-drive 40Kw 120V D.C.
     two Diesel-drive 75Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 800shp
    .
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Yahara (AOG-37)
    Yahara
    09203706    		 249k
    Namesake
    Yahara - The Yahara River is a tributary of the Rock River in southern Wisconsin. It is about 62 miles long including the distance across intervening lakes, and drains an area of 536 square miles. Via the Rock River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The Yahara River links the lakes around which the city of Madison was built. (Wikipedia)
    Photo - The Yahara River in Viking County Park in Dane County, Wisconsin. Photo by ©Joshua Maye
    Map - The Yahara River and its watershed, in Dane, Columbia, and Rock counties Wisconsin. Map by ©Tim Kiser     		Tommy Trampp
    Yahara
    09203705    		 743k Overhead port side view of USS Yahara (AOG-37) underway, wearing camouflage 32/16D, in the Chesapeake Bay, 31 October 1944.
    US National Archives photo 80-G-289652, a US Navy photo by an airship from Lighter-than-Air Squadron ZP-24, courtesy Undazzle.com    		 Tommy Trampp
    Yahara65k USS Yahara (AOG-37) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo courtesy Auke Vissar's Famous T-Tanker Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    Yahara 44k USS Yahara (AOG-37) at anchor off Okinawa, circa May to December 1945.
    Note dented starboard bow which resulted from a collision with Beale (DD-471)    		 John S. Sandy for his father
    John Sandy MoMM3c, Yahara 9/44-5/46
    Merchant Service
    Yahara 40k M/V El Caribe (ex-USS Yahara (AOG-37) in merchant service tied up pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy courtesy Auke Vissar's Famous T-Tanker Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    Yahara 144k M/V Petro Bourg (ex-USS Yahara (AOG-37)) entering the port of Ouistreham, France, in 1964.
    Photo courtesy Francois Jouison from Auke Vissar's Famous T-Tanker Pages    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Yahara (AOG-37)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Biggs, Nehemiah Clark, USNR29 September 1944 - 16 February 1945
    02LT. Hilton, Frank Edward, USNR16 February 1945 - 9 March 1946
    03LTjg. Lussky, Vernon Momar, USNR9 March 1946 - 18 April 1946
    04LCDR. Modin, Benny C., USNR18 April 1946 - 21 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Fleet Tankers Association
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Yahara (AOG-37) Official History
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Postal Covers related to the ship
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 4 June 2021