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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Whiskey - Bravo
 NHWB
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, 7 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-M-A2) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1801) at East Coast Shipyards Inc., Bayonne, N.J.
  • Launched, 30 July 1944
  • Delivered to the US Navy, 30 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38), 6 October 1944, LT. Wesley. G. Peyton, USNR in command.
  • During World War II USS Ponchatoula 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, 16 May to 30 June 1945
  • Decommissioned, 24 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 May 1946
  • USS Ponchatoula earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 9 December 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Merchant Service
    Sold to Sun Oil Co., Philadelphia PA., 6 May 1948, renamed MT Mystic Sun
    Sold to Frank Atmanchuk, 15 May 1969, converted to a barge
    Sold to Frank's Marine Service, New York, N.Y. in June 1969, name retained
    Final Disposition, sold, 6 May 1948, fate unknown
    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 Ponchatoula (AOG-38)
    Ponchatoula 302k USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Barry Litchfield courtesy Adam Schneider Y1/c USS Ponchatoula
    Merchant Service Sun Oil Co.
    Ponchatoula 78k Ex-USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38) under way while in Sun Oil Company service as MT Mystic Sun, circa 1947-1969.
    Photo by James E. Reynolds, Fairhaven, MA.    		 David Wright
    USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Peyton, Wesley George, USNR6 October 1944 - 5 November 1945
    02LT. Bertelsen, George W., USNR5 November 1945 - 22 March 1946
    03LT. Ruspino, William J., USNR22 March 1946 - 24 April 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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Gasoline Tanker (AOG) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 7 September 2018