The only place where all 6 Neosho Class Oilers have made Port.
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The
3 tankers destined for a Pacific Ocean Career, AO-145, AO-146, and
AO-148 stopped here for a day or two after their commissioning and
proceeded through the Panama Canal to stay on the western side of the United
States.
The USS Neosho AO-143, The USS
Mississinewa AO-144, and the USS Truckee AO-147 used this port through out their Career.
Their 5 inch mounts were removed here in about 1961. Their engines were updated to use diesel
oil in about 1971. Dry dock work was accomplised here. Finally these three tankers were moored up
the James River.
USS Neosho AO-143, first of a class designed to combine speed and large cargo capacity for underway replenishment, reported at Norfolk for duty in the Atlantic Fleet 8 December 1954. On 25 May 1978, Neosho was decommissioned in Bayonne, New Jersey to become the USNS Neosho TAO-143. USS Truckee
AO-147 first reported here in Janurary of 1956, she spent February in
the Caribbean. Truckee worked
out of Norfolk throughout here career, making several
deployments all over the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, In 1966
Truckee received her eighth consecutive Combat Efficiency "E" Award.
She became one of the first ship to be converted to "burning the clean
fuel" on 19 February, 1971. In 1994, after more than 14 years with the
Military Sealift Command, Truckee T-AO-147 made her final journey up
the James River to the Mothball Fleet where today she awaits final
disposition. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/norfolk_st-juliens.htm
St. Julians Naval Depot |