US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Misc. U.S. Tankers (IX-139 etc.)

S.S. Valerian Kuybyshev, later USS Marmora (IX-189) circa 1943
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        MISC. U.S. TANKERS (IX-139 etc.)
Design        Tankers, 1911-1921
Displacement (tons):        4,500 light, 15,800 full load
Dimensions (feet):        445.0' oa, 430.0' wl x 59.0' x 26.5' full load
Original Armament:        1-5"/51 1-3"/50 8-20mm (IX-192)
Later armaments:
2-3"/50 8-20mm (IX-139)
1-4"/50 1-3"/50 8-20mm (IX-187); 1-4"/50 1-3"/50 6-20mm (IX-189);
Complement        70 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        10
Propulsion (HP):        2,600
Machinery:        1 screw, vertical triple expansion

Construction:

IX	Name	Acq.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
139	OCTORARA	11 Sep 44	Southwestern SB	--	10 Sep 21	11 Sep 44
187	BELUSAN	11 Feb 45	Howaldtswerke, Kiel	--	Apr 20	14 Feb 45
189	MARMORA	13 Dec 44	Ames SB	15 Nov 17	8 Jun 18	13 Dec 44
192	FLAMBEAU	8 Jan 45	Sun SB & DD	23 Aug 18	14 Jun 19	8 Jan 45
219	--	--	Not selected	--	--	--
220	--	--	Not selected	--	--	--

Disposition:

IX	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
139	OCTORARA	8 Apr 46	1 May 46	8 Apr 46	MC/D	12 Dec 46
187	BELUSAN	7 Jan 46	21 Jan 46	7 Jan 46	MC/D	2 Feb 48
189	MARMORA	11 Feb 46	26 Feb 46	11 Feb 46	MC/D	12 Dec 46
192	FLAMBEAU	5 Apr 46	17 Apr 46	5 Apr 46	MC/D	2 Dec 46
219	--	--	--	5 Dec 45	Canc.	--
220	--	--	--	5 Dec 45	Canc.	--

Class Notes:
FY 1943 (IX-139), 1944 (others). The specifications above are for IX-192, those for the others, which varied widely, are in the Ship Notes. Ships to become IX 219 and 220 were never selected.

-- IX-139: LA PURISIMA (later IX-139) was built at a World War I emergency shipyard that built freighters for the EFC and then completed private orders in 1921 for five tankers including this one before closing later in 1921. This yard reopened to build destroyers during World War II. On 12 Oct 43 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that 15 old tankers be acquired for use as floating storage at advanced bases. See the IX-132 class for full details on this directive, which covered IX 131-145. LA PURISIMA was the third ship designated IX-139. The first was SS ORMONDALE, for which the designation was approved on 3 Nov 43. SS CHAS. KURZ was substituted on 13 Nov 43. This ship arrived at Pearl Harbor with over 8,000 barrels of salt water in her cargo tanks due to leaks and was sent back to the West Coast as beyond the capability of Pearl Harbor to repair. LA PURISIMA, which had just been returned by the Soviets, was allocated by WSA around 15 Jun 44 to replace CHAS. KURZ. ORMONDALE was a relatively small 375-foot Dutch-built German-owned tanker built in 1913 and taken over by WSA on 3 Nov 41, while CHAS. KURZ was a 415-foot tanker built in 1918 as AVONDALE by Merchant SB, Chester, Pa.

-- IX-187: VISTULA (later IX-187) was one of many ships built overseas for foreign affiliates of Standard Oil of New Jersey and, because of their foreign construction, registered overseas (in this case in the free city of Danzig, then Germany). She was transferred to U.S. registry when that became legal in 1941. She was originally built with vertical triple expansion engines but was re-engined with 2 Krupp diesels (3,200 BHP) in 1926. On 12 Aug 44 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that 4 operating tankers suitable for shuttle service be acquired from WSA. See the IX-131 class for full details on this directive, which covered IX 184-187.

-- IX-189: MONTROLITE (later IX-189) was one of two tankers built at a World War I emergency shipyard and inserted in 1918 for Standard Oil of New Jersey between a British order for three freighters and an EFC order for 25 more freighters. The yard closed in 1920. On 12 Aug 44 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that 6 tankers suitable for use as mobile storage tankers be acquired at a rate of one a month beginning in September. See the IX-137 class for full details on this directive, which covered IX 188-193.

-- IX-192: S. B. HUNT (later IX-192) was one of 32 10,000 dwt., 445-foot tankers built in 1917-1921 by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. at Chester, Pa., during its very first years of operation. The first ship of this class was Sun's Hull #1. On 12 Aug 44 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that 6 tankers suitable for use as mobile storage tankers be acquired at a rate of one a month beginning in September. See the IX-137 class for full details on this directive, which covered IX 188-193.

-- IX 219-20: On 23 Feb 45 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that the three commercial tankers that became IX-210, 213, and 214 be acquired for use as storage tankers and that three other similar vessels also be acquired. See the IX-179 class for full details on this directive. The acquisition of IX 219-20 was cancelled by SecNav on 5 Dec 45.

Ship Notes:

IX	Name	Notes
139	OCTORARA	Ex merc. LA PURISIMA, ex TAGANROG (USSR) 1944, ex LA PURISIMA 1943 (ID-4647, completed Oct 21). 11,579t full load; 407.4' oa, 392.0' wl x 51.0' x 25.5' full load; 2,800 hp, 10.5 kts., 1 screw, vert. triple expansion. Acquired at Oakland, Calif. Merc. LA PURISIMA (MC) 1946. To buyer 28 Feb 47, scrapped by 22 Aug 47.
187	BELUSAN	Ex merc. VISTULA (completed Jan 21). 20,000t; 517.5' oa, 500.0' wl x 64.0' x 28.3' full load; 3,200 hp, 10.5 kts., 2 screws, Krupp diesels (replaced vertical triple expansion steam engines in 1926). Acquired at Brisbane, Australia. To MC at Subic Bay 1946 as VISTULA, to buyer there 3 Mar 48 and scrapped at Shanghai.
189	MARMORA	Ex merc. J. C. FITZSIMMONS, ex VALERIAN KUYBYSHEV (USSR) 1944, ex J. C. FITZSIMMONS 1942, ex MONTROLITE 1926 (ID-3356, completed 12 Aug 18). 14,000t full load; 436.5' oa, 419.7' wl x 57.2' x 24.0' full load; 2,800 hp, 9 kts., 1 screw, vert. triple expansion. Acquired at Pearl Harbor. Merc. J. C. FITZSIMMONS (MC) 1946. To buyer 1 Feb 47, scrapped by 3 Nov 47.
192	FLAMBEAU	Ex merc. S. B. HUNT (ID-4233B, completed 13 Aug 19). See specifications above. Acquired at Pearl Harbor. Merc. S. B. HUNT (MC) 1946. To buyer 27 Dec 46, scrapped by 20 May 48.
219	--	Authorized but ship not selected.
220	--	Authorized but ship not selected.