Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages | home
Ashtabula
T3-S2-A3
Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:
Laid down (date unknown) as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission
contract (MC hull 717), at Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard., Inc., Sparrows Point, MD.
Launched, 22 May 1943
Acquired by the Navy, 7 August 1943
Commission USS Ashtabula (AO-51), 7 August 1943
Decommissioned, and struck from the Naval Register, 6 September 1991
Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal (date unknown)
Final Disposition, disposed of as target 15 October 2000.
( See photos below )
Specifications:
Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 25,450 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32' 4"
Speed 18 kts.
Complement 19 Officers, 284 Enlisted
Armament four single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts, four single 40mm gun mounts,
four twin 40mm gun mounts, eight single 20mm gun mounts
Propulsion four Foster-Wheeler boilers, steam turbines, twin screws. 13,500shp.
Jumboized Specifications Changes:
Displacement 16,500 t.(lt) 36,500 t.(fl)
Length 644'
Complement 20 officers, 350 enlisted
Armament four single 3"/50 gun mounts
Cargo Capacity 145,000 barrels.
View the Ashtabula (AO-51)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
The Miramar Ship Index for "ASHTABULA"
IDNo:
|
6114723
|
Year:
|
1943
|
Name:
|
ASHTABULA
|
Keel:
|
1.10.1942
|
Type:
|
Tanker
|
Launch Date:
|
22.05.1943
|
Flag:
|
USA
|
Date of completion:
|
7.08.1943
|
Tons:
|
12155
|
Link:
|
-
|
DWT:
|
18230
|
Yard No:
|
4397
|
Length overall:
|
168.6
|
Ship Design:
|
T3-S2-A1
|
LPP:
|
160.0
|
Country of build:
|
USA
|
Beam:
|
22.9
|
Builder:
|
Bethlehem-Sparrows Point SY
|
Material of build:
|
|
Location of yard:
|
Sparrows Point
|
Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
|
2ST-18
|
|
|
Subsequent History:
-
Disposal Data:
Final Disposition, disposed of as target 15 October 2000.
History:
ON
|
LR/IMO
|
ID
|
Year
|
Name
|
Tons
|
Change
|
Registered Owner
|
AO-51
|
|
6114723
|
1943
|
ASHTABULA
|
12155
|
-
|
U.S. Navy
|
USS Ashtabula (AO-51).
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) fully loaded circa 1944. Her anti-aircraft armament has been upgraded to include four 40mm twin mounts.
( Photo thanks to Robert Hurst )
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) underway in 1957, location unknown.
( Photo thanks to Richard Miller )
USS Hornet (CVA-12) conducting an UNREP with USS Ashtabula (AO-51) and USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887), probably during her1958 WestPac deployment (2 January–2 July), with Air Task Group (ATG) 4 aboard.
( US Navy photo )
Broadside view of USS Ashtabula (AO-51) off Mare Island, 30 October 1956. USS Ashtabula
was undergoing repairs at Mare Island from 15 August. to 31 October 1956.
( Photo collection Darryl Baker )
US Ashtabula (AO-51) refuels USS Boxer (CV-21) and a destroyer in heavy seas, during
operations off the Korean coast. Photo is dated 10 April 1951.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) refuels USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) refueling while operating off the
coast of Vietnam, circa early 1966.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) underway in port, date and location unknown.
( Photo thanks to Tommy Trampp )
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) underway at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., date unknown.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) after Jumboization, 1968.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) at anchor at Hong Kong in 1975.
( Photo courtesy of Karsten Petersen, Sailor-Global Images )
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) underway in the Gulf of Tonkin, circa 1970s.
( Photo thanks to Richard Miller )
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) after Jumboization.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) at anchor at Hong Kong in 1975.
( Photo courtesy of Karsten Petersen, Sailor-Global Images )
Ex-USS Ashtabula as target ship. In all, USS Ashtabula was subjected to eight Harpoon missiles,
two standard (SM-2) missiles, three Sea Skua missiles, four bombs from S-3 Vikings, and over 100
rounds of gunfire from 3", 100mm, and 5" guns.
Despite the terrific pounding she suffered from a force of seven US, British and French ships on October
14th, ex USS Ashtabula remained afloat the next day. She was finally sent to the bottom by demolition char-
ges. The frigate in the background is Thach (FFG 43).
MARAD's official repository of NDRF ships of Ashtabula
From the Department of Transportation / Maritime Administration (USA).