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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Nespelen (AOG-55)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Zulu - Tango
 NCZT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (6-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Antarctic Service Medal (4) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba)
Patapsco Class Gasoline Tanker:
  • Laid down, 28 August 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T1-MT-M1) tanker hull, under a Maritime Commission contract, at Cargill, Inc., Savage, MN.
  • Launched, 10 April 1945
  • Commissioned USS Nespelen (AOG-55), 9 August 1945, at Naval Repair Base, Algiers, LA., LT. Thomas W. Purcell, USNR, in command
  • Decommissioned, 2 July 1975, at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1975
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration custody at Portsmouth, VA., 24 March 1976
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Union Minerals & Alloys, 24 March, 1976 (PD-X-1005 dated 16 March 1976 for $79,917.00, Removed ,16 April 1976, to Riverfront Development Corp., Kearny N.J.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,850 t.(lt) 4,335 t.(fl)
    Length 310' 9"
    Beam 48' 6"
    Draft 15' 8"
    Speed 14 kts.
    Complement
    Officers - 8
    Enlisted - 116
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    four 3"/50 dual purpose guns
    twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity
    Oils - 7,975 Bbls
    Gasoline - 410,500 Gals
    Fuel Capacity Diesel - 2,240 Bbls
    Propulsion
    four 980 hp 12-278A General Motors Diesel-electric engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
     two Diesel-drive 225Kw 120V/240V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 10Kw 240V D.C.
    two propellers, 3,300shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Nespelen 419k Nespelen (AOG-55) on the builders ways at Cargill, Inc., Savage, MN. prior to launch on 12 April 1945.
    US Navy Bureau of Ships photos    		 Jim Geldert
    Nespelen 39k
    Nespelen 373k Nespelen (AOG-55) heading downstream on the Mississippi River at Lock No. 15, 16 July 1945.
    US Army Corps of Engineers photo # 601-121-41    		 John Fitzgerald
    Nespelen 48k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) under way, circa March 1955 Photo by Larry Bohn
    Nespelen 29k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) under way in Antarctica waters,circa 1955-56 during Operation Deep Freeze I or II.
    US Navy photo from "US Navy Naval Aviation News" December 1955.    		 Robert Hurst
    Nespelen 41k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) moored to the ice at Antarctica, circa 1955-56 during Operation Deep Freeze I or II. Note the Locheed P2V-2 patrol plane belonging to Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6) parked on the ice.
    US Navy photo, courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 Robert Hurst
    Nespelen 157k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) probably under way in Antarctica waters,circa 1955-56 during Operation Deep Freeze I or II.. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Nespelen 47k USS Nespelen (AOG-55), probably under way in Antarctica waters,circa 1955-56 during Operation Deep Freeze I or II. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Nespelen 207k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) moored to the ice edge at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, 7 January 1956.
    US National Archives, Photo # USN 800633 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Green
    Nespelen 92k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) underway, date and location unknown. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Nespelen 52k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) at anchor, Dockyard Creek, Malta in March 1970. Photo by Anthony Vella
    Nespelen 144k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) under way, date and location unknown. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Nespelen 144k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) under way, date and location unknown. Paul Gryniewicz
    Courtesy Larry Sullivan
    Nespelen 308k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Nespelen 469k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) departing La Spezia, Italy, 21 September 1971. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Nespelen 55k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) and USS Noxubee (AOG-56) moored at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA. for decommissioning, 1 July 1975. SFC Peter Messineo USS Nespelen 1974-75
    Nespelen 62k
    Nespelen 83k USS Nespelen (AOG-55) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Tommy Trampp
    USS Nespelen (AOG-55)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Purcell Jr., Thomas Wilson, USNR9 August 1945 - 18 December 1945
    02LCDR. Connors, William J., USNR18 December 1945 - 25 February 1946
    03LT. Holly, David Chuncey, USNR25 February 1946 - 19 September 1946
    04LT. Chanik, Evan Martin (Marty), USN19 September 1946 - 10 April 1947
    05LT. Cadaret, James Jose, USN10 April 1947 - 9 November 1947
    06LT. Zehner, John Adolphus, USN9 November 1947 - 2 December 1947
    07LT. Anthony, Ronald, USNJune 1948 - June 1951
    08LT. Harris, William Frederick, USN (USNA 1939)June 1951 - June 1953
    09LT. Howard, William Meyer, USNJune 1953 - June 1955
    10LT. Sup, George Clarence, USNJune 1955 - July 1958
    11LT. Hibson Jr., Leo Anthony, USNJuly 1958 - 7 July 1960
    12LT. Cotten Jr., Thomas Randolph, USN (USNA 1952)7 July 1960 - 1962
    13LCDR. Sutherland Jr., Paul Edward, USN (USNA 1955) :RADM1962 - 1963
    14LCDR. Sigmond, Arie Christiaan A., USNJuly 1963 - 30 December 1964
    15LT. Rivera, Daniel Ralph USN30 December 1964 - 31 October 1966
    16LT. Rager, Richard Roland USN31 October 1966 - June 1968
    17LT. Boudreaux III, Numa A., USNJune 1968 - June 1969
    18LCDR. Greeson, Tommy Darell, USNJune 1969 - March 1971
    19LCDR. Bishop, Ronald Floyd, USN (USNA 1965)March 1973 - 2 July 1975
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    Fleet Tankers Association
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 1 September 2023