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NAVY FLEET OlLER
SS Esso Annapolis (I).
Eight delivery in the program of twelve National Defense Features tankers, the Esso Annapolis (first vessel so named) was turned over to the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey by the Bethle-hem Steel Company, Shipbuilding Division, on January 27, 1940. The vessel was immediately placed in service and sailed from New York on her malden voyage on January 28, with Captain Lester S. McKenzie as master and Chief Engineer Aaron V. Davis in charge of her engineroom.
The Esso Annapolis was sold to the United States Maritime Commission June 5, 1941 and was turned over by that agency to the U. S. Navy and renamed the USS Chemung.
About a year later, on May 4, 1942, the Esso Annapolis (second vessel so named), was completed and became, as she still is, a member of the Esso fleet.
The first Esso Annapolis, during the period of her commercial service, remained cxclusively in coastwise trade with the exception of one voyage from Guiria, Venezuela, to Aruba. She loaded fuel oil, crudes, and distillates at Gulf and Caribbean ports and discharged her cargoes at United States ports north of Cape Hatteras.
With her high speed, which often exceeded the 18 knots tor which she was guaranteed, the vessel was frequently able to steam the distance between Bay-town and New York in tour days. Her high pumping rate also contributed to her all-round efficiency; it was not uncommon for her to leave a discharge port the day after her arrival. These factors enabled the first Esso Annapolis to make a coastwise round trip in 12 to 14 days and occasionally in 11 days. In her 16 months and 9 days with the Esso fleet she completed the impressive total of 39 voyages and delivered cargoes amounting to nearly 5 million barrels.
This transportation record, summarized by years, was as follows:
The first SS Esso Annapolis, now the USS Chemung, was built in 1940 by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Shipbuilding Division, at Sparrows Point, Maryland. She is a sistership of the USS Platte and USS Sabine, ex Esso Albany (first vessel so named).
A twin-screw vessel of 18,355 deadweight tons ca-pacity on international summer draft of 31 feet, 81/3 inches, the tanker has an overall length of 553 feet, a length between perpendiculars of 525 feet, a moulded breadth of 75 feet, and a depth moulded of 39 feet. With a cargo carrying capacity of 146,024 barrels, she has an assigned pumping rate of 8,000 barrels an hour.
Her turbine engines, supplied with steam by four water-tube boilers, develop 13,500 shaft horsepower and give her an average speed, loaded, of 18 knots.
The first Esso Annapolis was commanded during her Company career by Captains, Lester S. McKenzie, Andrew L. Mellgard,
William R. Stewart, and Charles J. Stadelman.
Her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineers Aaron V. Davis and Robert E. Anderson.
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