| Chicopee-class oiler | |
|---|---|
 USS Chicopee (AO-34) underway in the Mediterranean en route to Casablanca, Morocco, 2 June 1944 | |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | Chicopee |
| Builders: |
Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Preceded by: | Cimarron-class oiler |
| Succeeded by: | Kennebec-class oiler |
| In commission: | 9 January 1942 - 11 March 1946 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Lost: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | oiler |
| Length: | 520 ft (160 m)[1] |
| Beam: | 68 ft (21 m)[1] |
| Draft: | 30 ft 10 in (9.40 m)[1] |
| Propulsion: |
geared steam turbine single screw 9,000 hp (6,700 kW)[2] |
| Speed: | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)[2] |
| Capacity: | 131,600 bbl (~18,000 t)[2] |
| Complement: | 279[2] |
| Armament: |
1 Ć 5"/38 caliber gun mounts 4 Ć 3"/50 caliber gun mounts 2 Ć twin 40 mm AA gun mounts 2 Ć twin 20 mm AA gun mounts[2] |
The Chicopee-class oilers were oilers operated by the United States Navy during World War II. There were two ships of the class, and both survived the war.
Description[]
The class consisted of two petroleum tankers that had been ordered by Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and were acquired by the U.S. Navy in early 1942. Chicopee (AO-34), the former Esso Trenton,[3] was acquired by the U.S. Navy shortly after launching, while Housatonic (AO-35), the former Esso Albany,[4] was acquired after making two voyages for Standard Oil.[1]
Operational history[]
The Chicopee oilers both operated in the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas from commissioning through late 1944, when they both were assigned to the Pacific theater.[1][3]
Both ships were returned to Standard Oil at decommissioning, and both were later converted to container ships.[2][4] The extant portions of the hull of the ex-Chicopee, were scrapped in 1963,[2] while the ex-Housatonic was scrapped some time after 1989.[4]
References[]
- ā 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Housatonic". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h8/housatonic-iii.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ā 3.0 3.1 "Chicopee". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c8/chicopee-ii.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- Wildenberg, Thomas (1996). Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/GSBO/index.html. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
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The original article can be found at Chicopee-class oiler and the edit history here.