USS Mispillion (AO-105) Class

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USS Mispillion (AO-105) in the late 1950s or early 1960s
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        MISPILLION (AO-105)
Design        MC T3-S2-A3
Displacement (tons):        7423 light, 25,400 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        553.0' oa, 525.0' wl x 75.0' e x 32.3' lim.
Original Armament:        1-5"/38 4-3"/50 4-40mmT 4-20mmT
Later armaments:
1-5"/38 4-3"/50 2-40mmQ 2-40mmT 4-20mmT (1947-49);
1-5"/38 4-3"/50 2-40mmQ 2-40mmT (1955);
4-3"/50 (1957-59)
Complement        --
Speed (kts.):        18.3
Propulsion (HP):        13,500
Machinery:        2 screws, Westinghouse turbines

Construction:

AO	Name	Acq.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
105	MISPILLION	29 Dec 45	Sun SB & DD	14 Feb 45	10 Aug 45	29 Dec 45
106	NAVASOTA	27 Feb 46	Sun SB & DD	22 Feb 45	30 Aug 45	27 Feb 46
107	PASSUMPSIC	1 Apr 46	Sun SB & DD	8 Mar 45	31 Oct 45	1 Apr 46
108	PAWCATUCK	10 May 46	Sun SB & DD	22 Mar 45	19 Feb 46	10 May 46
109	WACCAMAW	25 Jun 46	Sun SB & DD	28 Apr 45	30 Mar 46	25 Jun 46

Disposition:

AO	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
105	MISPILLION	1990	15 Feb 95	1 May 99	MA/T	5 Jan 12
106	NAVASOTA	1991	2 Jan 92	25 Oct 95	Sold	--
107	PASSUMPSIC	1991	17 Dec 91	18 Dec 91	MA/S	19 Dec 91
108	PAWCATUCK	1991	21 Sep 91	1 May 99	MA/T	26 Aug 05
109	WACCAMAW	1989	11 Oct 91	1 May 99	MA/T	26 Aug 05

Class Notes:
FY 1944. On 6 Jun 1944 the JCS asked the MC to modify its building program for the first half of 1945 to include the construction of 56 merchant type vessels as Naval auxiliaries including 12 oilers. The MC informed the JCS on 22 Jun 44 that it was able to provide for all of the requested 56 ships except for two of the 12 oilers. The deficit in this tanker program increased to four when two T2's were converted to distilling ships during construction (AW 3-4). On 16 Oct 44 the Navy representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that, to make up this deficit and to provide sufficient fast oilers to support fleet operations by the fourth quarter of 1945, the Maritime Commission building program for the last half of 1945 be modified to provide for the construction of nine merchant type AO's for the Navy. On 2 Nov 44 the MC added to its program the construction of four ships at Marinship to the T2-SE-A3 design and ordered under its Military Program five ships at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co, Chester, Pa. to the fast T3-S2-A3 design. On 11 Nov 44 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that these ships be acquired. The T3-S2-A3 design incorporated some minor changes that the Navy wanted made to the T3-S2-A1 design of the AO-51 class, but the two may be regarded as essentially identical.

WACCAMAW (AOR-109): The idea of building or converting a combined tanker and supply ship had been around since 1946, when the Navy acquired the ex-German troßschiff (supply ship) DITHMARSCHEN (IX-301), which already had some of these attributes, and redesignated her CONECUH (AO-110) in hopes of making her a prototype. The idea was dropped in late 1946 because of cost, but on 6 May 1949 SecNav approved a shipbuilding and construction request for FY-1951 that included the conversion of one AO to a replenishment oiler (AOR) according to specifications for conversion of an AO-105 class ship being developed by the Ships Characteristics Board as SCB Project 50. The basic concept was that in the future replenishments would have to be carried out in less time than had been available during World War II because of advances in both aircraft and submarines and that a single replenishment ship had to be capable of transferring various categories of fuel, ammunition, and stores during one alongside period. On 27 Jul 50 the project was included in a supplemental portion of the FY 1951 Shipbuilding and Conversion Program. AO-109 was selected for the conversion and was reclassified AOR-109 on 11 Dec 50. The Navy's tanker force was fully occupied by the demands of the Korean War, however, and on 29 Oct 51 CNO informed the Bureaus that "in view of the non-availability of a regular fleet oiler for the subject conversion, the USS CONECUH (AO-110) is tentatively designated for the AOR conversion provided for in the FY 1951 1st Supplemental Appropriations." The designation of AOR-109 had already been changed back to AO-109 on 7 May 51. CONECUH was reclassified AOR-110 on 4 Sep 52 and was activated at NSY Philadelphia as a prototype replenishment oiler between June 1952 and May 1953.

All five ships were jumboized in 1964-65 and as such are listed separately in the "Auxiliary Ships Since 1945" section of this site as the MISPILLION (AO-105-Jumbo) class. See that section for more details on their conversions including photographs.

Ship Notes:

AO	Name	MC	Notes
105	MISPILLION	2701	Jumboized at American SB, Lorain, Ohio, 1964-66. Decomm. and to MSTS 26 Jul 74. To NDRF 8 Feb 90. Departed Suisun Bay reserve fleet 5 Jan 2012 under domestic sale.
106	NAVASOTA	2702	Jumboized at the Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Co., Seattle, Wash., 1963-64. Decomm. and to MSC 13 Aug 75. Out of service 2 Oct 91, to NDRF 19 Nov 91. Withdrawn from NDRF 14 Nov 95 for delivery to Navy buyer.
107	PASSUMPSIC	2703	Jumboized at American SB, Lorain, Ohio, 1964-65. Decomm. and to MSTS 24 Jul 73. At Subic Bay during eruption of Mt. Pinatubo 15 Jun 91 and underway replenishment gear rendered unusable by corrosive ash. To NDRF 18 Dec 91 for immediate sale at Yokohama, Japan.
108	PAWCATUCK	2704	Jumboized at American SB, Lorain, Ohio, 1964-66. Decomm. and to MSTS 15 Jul 75. To NDRF 19 Sep 91. Withdrawn 19 Oct 05, scrapping completed 7 Oct 06.
109	WACCAMAW	2705	To AOR-109 11 Dec 50, conversion cancelled, to AO-109 7 May 51. Jumboized at the Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Co., Seattle, Wash., 1963-65. Decomm. and to MSC 24 Feb 75. To NDRF 11 Oct 89. Withdrawn 11 Oct 05, scrapping completed 20 Jun 06.