USS Ashtabula (AO-51)
Encyclopedia
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy
in service from 1943 to 1991. She survived three wars and was awarded eight battle stars for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War
service, and eight campaign stars for Vietnam War
service. In the mid-1960s Ashtabula became the lead ship of her class, when she and seven other Cimarron-class oilers were lengthened ("jumbozied").
Co.; launched on 22 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Adolph Augustus Berle, Jr., the wife of the Assistant Secretary of State; and acquired by the Navy on 7 August 1943; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. Louis J. Modave in command.
Following shakedown
in the Chesapeake Bay
, the oiler sailed for Aruba
on 10 September to take on fuel oil and aviation gasoline and then continued on, via the Panama Canal
, to the South Pacific. After arriving at Tutuila
, Samoa
, on 22 October, she operated as a member of Service Squadron (ServRon
) 8 in the South Pacific until 17 November. Ashtabula next sailed for the United States
and entered the Long Beach Navy Yard on 1 December for an availability period.
The oiler sailed for Pearl Harbor
on New Year's Day
, 1944, and remained there until 16 January when she sortied with Task Group
(TG) 58.1 for operations supporting the occupation of the Marshall Islands
. Ashtabula anchored at Majuro
lagoon
on 4 February and operated from that atoll
in support of the fast carrier task forces through mid June. The ship then began participating in the effort to take the Marianas. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea
and its aftermath, she fueled ships of Task Force 58 (TF 58) from 20 through 27 June and then retired, via Eniwetok, to the California
coast for yard work which began upon her arrival at Terminal Island
on 15 July.
The oiler got underway again on 28 August and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 September. She continued sailing westward and reached Eniwetok on the 17th. After a two-day respite, the vessel headed for the South Pacific and arrived at Purvis Bay
on the 24th where she spent the remainder of the month in fueling duties.
Ashtabula's next assignment was to support the first American forces to fight for the liberation of the Philippines
. She sailed, via Humboldt Bay and Kossol Roads
, to Leyte Gulf
and began fueling units of TG 77.2 on 23 October. Late the following afternoon, three Japanese
torpedo planes attacked the oiler. One of them dropped a torpedo
which hit Ashtabula's port side. Although the explosion caused no fires or personnel casualties, Ashtabula soon developed a 16-degree list to port. Skillful counter-flooding righted the ship and allowed her to resume operations. On 27 October, the vessel was detached from Task Unit (TU) 77.7.1 and headed for the west coast of the United States. Following stops at Kossol Roads, Humboldt Bay, and Pearl Harbor, she reached San Pedro, California, on 15 December and was drydocked at Terminal Island for repair of her torpedo damage.
The oiler departed the California coast on 28 January 1945, touched at Pearl Harbor on 3 February, and arrived at Eniwetok on 12 February. She reported to ServRon
10 for duty and remained there until 5 March, when the ship sailed for Ulithi
. On the 10th, Ashtabula was reassigned to ServRon 6; and, three days later, she got underway for fueling operations at sea for the warships of the Fast Carrier Task Force, TF 58.
On 5 April, Ashtabula’s bow struck Thornton (AVD-11) amidships and caused considerable damage to the seaplane tender
. Ashtabula returned to Ulithi on 9 April and underwent minor repair work from 10 to 17 April. There, the oiler once again returned to the control of ServRon
10.
For the duration of the war, Ashtabula operated in the Ulithi area. In mid-August, Japan capitulated; and, on the last day of the month, the oiler headed for Okinawa, but soon moved on to Jinsen, Korea
, where she arrived on 11 September. For the next six months, Ashtabula operated between ports in Korea, Japan, and China
while supplying and fueling American warships. In March 1946, the oiler made a cruise, via Singapore
and Ceylon, to Bahrain
. She returned to Japan in April. In June and July, she again visited a Mideastern port, Ras Tanura
, Saudi Arabia
, to replenish her oil bunkers. Ashtabula got underway for a voyage back to the United States. After pausing briefly at Pearl Harbor, the ship arrived at San Pedro, California, on 18 December.
Ashtabula began 1947 with a cruise to Guam
and returned to California on 27 January. For the next two years, she continued operations between the west coast, Hawaii
, and the Marshall Islands. This circuit was interrupted by a visit to Ras Tanura and Bahrain in June 1949. The oiler returned to the Orient in October 1948 and once again operated between the west coast and Hawaii from July 1949 until June 1950. During this time, she provided towing services from Pearl Harbor to southern California ports in addition to transporting fuel. On 28 June 1950, Ashtabula headed north from Long Beach, California
, bound for Alaska
. Upon arriving at Dutch Harbor, the ship fueled two survey vessels operating in the area. After a brief stop in Point Barrow
, Alaska, she returned to Long Beach on 19 August.
, Ashtabula was ordered to proceed immediately to Sasebo
, Japan. There, she loaded provisions for American troops stationed in Taiwan
, and then delivered them to Keelung
. Beginning in November, Ashtabula put to sea to supply fuel and provisions to ships of the U.S. 7th Fleet. She continued these activities until August 1951, when she returned to Long Beach.
The ship got back in action in the Far East in November, refueling bombardment forces around the 38th parallel and, later, assisted in the evacuation of Hungnam
, Korea. In March 1952, she sailed to Long Beach for an overhaul, but was back at Sasebo by early October.
That November, while in Sasebo for an availability, Ashtabula was damaged by twin explosions caused by acetylene
torches which ignited gasoline fumes. Three sailors were killed, and the forward well deck was seriously damaged. After three months of work at Sasebo, the ship sailed to Long Beach for further alterations. In September 1953, she returned to the western Pacific (WestPac) and resumed replenishment duties.
For the next 10 years, the oiler continued alternating deployments to WestPac
with periods of upkeep, overhaul, and training at her home port, Long Beach. Ports of call in WestPac included Subic Bay
and Manila
, Philippines; Hong Kong
; Sasebo, Kobe
, Nagasaki, Yokosuka, and Kagoshima, Japan
; Kaohsiung
, Taiwan, and Buckner Bay, Okinawa.
During the first half of 1964, Ashtabula continued her peacetime routine. On 2 August, she was in the Gulf of Tonkin
refueling destroyers Maddox
(DD-731) and Turner Joy
(DD-951) just a few hours after North Vietnam
ese torpedo boats attacked Maddox. She spent most of August fueling ships of the 7th Fleet in the South China Sea
. Upon completing her WestPac cruise, Ashtabula returned to Long Beach.
during her regular deployments to the Far East. She provided fuel and supplies to units of the 7th Fleet, while operating out of the ports of Subic Bay and Kaohsiung. Between tours in the Orient, she returned to Long Beach for leave and upkeep.
In 1968, Ashtabula underwent a major reconfiguration. A 400-foot midsection, built entirely new from the keel up, was inserted and welded between her original bow and stern. This replaced the old 310-foot midsection and increased the vessel's liquid cargo capacity by over one-third. Her new configuration closely resembled that of a more modern type of ship, the replenishment oiler. She continued her Vietnam service through August 1972, when she made her last line swing off Vietnam. The ship returned to Long Beach on 9 December.
Following an availability period at Long Beach and training exercises off the southern California coast, Ashtabula once again sailed west on 4 October 1973. While at Subic Bay, she received orders to proceed to the Indian Ocean
operating area. In early December, Ashtabula provided services to Hancock (CVA-19) and Oriskany (CVA-34) as well as other members of their task groups. After 51 continuous days at sea, Ashtabula arrived at Subic Bay on 5 January 1974.
Following a brief availability there, the oiler got underway to replenish a group of amphibious ships in the Gulf of Siam. On 7 March, she began a three-week voyage to her home port. She spent one month in upkeep, then sailed to her new home port, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and spent the rest of the year in overhaul and refresher training.
Ashtabula began another WestPac deployment on 8 February 1975. She took part in Operation Seafox, a joint SEATO exercise with six other nations. Her next assignments were Operation Eagle Pull
and Operation Frequent Wind
, held off the coast of Vietnam. On 11 May, she was ordered to Cambodia
to support the rescue of , an American merchant ship that had been captured by communist forces
. In late July, the oiler returned to her home port, where she spent the next 10 months in upkeep and local operations.
Ashtabula sailed for WestPac on 21 June 1976. Ports visited included Subic Bay; Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan; Hong Kong; and Keelung, Taiwan. The cruise was highlighted by a joint training exercise with ships of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The oiler arrived back m Pearl Harbor on 15 December and spent the first two months of 1977 providing services to ships in the Pearl Harbor area. In March, she headed west to rendezvous with and refuel a task group built around Coral Sea
(CV-43). On 2 April, the ship returned to Pearl Harbor and commenced an overhaul period which was completed on 28 February 1978.
Ashtabula sailed to Alameda, California
, on 10 March to hold a series of qualification trials, returned to Pearl Harbor on 14 April, and began refresher training. She got underway on 30 June for the Far East
and called at Song Kla and Pattaya
, Thailand
; Subic Bay; Sasebo; and Fremantle, Australia. While in Australia
, Ashtabula participated in Exercise "Sandgroper," which was held in conjunction with the Australian and New Zealand
navies. The oiler then proceeded to Singapore
and Hong Kong for liberty calls and closed the year in upkeep at Guam.
Back at Pearl Harbor on 18 January 1979, Ashtabula began eight months of underway training, local operations, and inspections. At the end of August, she embarked upon a six-week cruise to the west coast to conduct underway replenishment qualification trials and then participate in Exercise "Kernel Potlatch II," a joint United States-Canadian operation to test and evaluate plans for the common defense of North America
. At the conclusion of the exercise, the oiler called at Esquimalt, British Columbia
,on 6 October. After a three-day visit, she headed back to Hawaii on the 9th and arrived in Pearl Harbor on the 16th.
Local operations in the Hawaiian Islands occupied Ashtabula's time for nearly the entire first nine months of 1980. On 28 September, the oiler embarked upon another tour of duty in the western Pacific. Steaming by way of Guam in the Mariana Islands, she entered Subic Bay in the Philippines on 15 October. Her deployment was marred at its outset by engineering casualties that required a two-month repair period at Subic Bay. On 12 December, she completed repairs and, the following day, put to sea to begin underway refueling service to the ships of the 7th Fleet. For the next four months, Ashtabula operated in the South China Sea
, the East China Sea
, and the Sea of Japan
, refueling American warships assigned to the Far East. The oiler made visits to several Japanese ports—Sasebo, Yokosuka, and Iwakuni—as well as to Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands
and Chinhae in Korea. She also returned periodically to the base at Subic Bay. On 15 April 1981, Ashtabula departed the Philippines to return to Hawaii. She arrived in Pearl Harbor on the 30th.
Soon thereafter, Ashtabula began preparations for inactivation. Decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on 30 September 1982, she was subsequently towed to Suisun Bay, California, where she joined the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet
. As of the beginning of 1987, Ashtabula -- still property of the Navy and carried on the Navy list—remained berthed at Suisun Bay. Later she met her final fate and was disposed of as target 15 October 2000.
Ashtabula was awarded eight battle stars for World War II
service, four battle stars for the Korean War, and eight battle stars for duty in the Vietnam War
.
She was awarded the:
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in service from 1943 to 1991. She survived three wars and was awarded eight battle stars for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service, and eight campaign stars for Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
service. In the mid-1960s Ashtabula became the lead ship of her class, when she and seven other Cimarron-class oilers were lengthened ("jumbozied").
World War II
Ashtabula (AO-51) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 717) on 1 October 1942 at Sparrows Point, Maryland, by the Bethlehem SteelBethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Co.; launched on 22 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Adolph Augustus Berle, Jr., the wife of the Assistant Secretary of State; and acquired by the Navy on 7 August 1943; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. Louis J. Modave in command.
Following shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, the oiler sailed for Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
on 10 September to take on fuel oil and aviation gasoline and then continued on, via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, to the South Pacific. After arriving at Tutuila
Tutuila
Tutuila is the largest and the main island of American Samoa in the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Australia and over northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor,...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, on 22 October, she operated as a member of Service Squadron (ServRon
ServRon
A ServRon is a standard United States Navy abbreviation for "Service Squadron."A Service Squadron was a squadron of U.S. Navy ships that served the fleet. The squadron included ships such as tankers, oilers, refrigerator ships, ammunition ships, supply ships, repair ships, and the like...
) 8 in the South Pacific until 17 November. Ashtabula next sailed for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and entered the Long Beach Navy Yard on 1 December for an availability period.
The oiler sailed for Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, 1944, and remained there until 16 January when she sortied with Task Group
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
(TG) 58.1 for operations supporting the occupation of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. Ashtabula anchored at Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
on 4 February and operated from that atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
in support of the fast carrier task forces through mid June. The ship then began participating in the effort to take the Marianas. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
and its aftermath, she fueled ships of Task Force 58 (TF 58) from 20 through 27 June and then retired, via Eniwetok, to the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast for yard work which began upon her arrival at Terminal Island
Terminal Island
Terminal Island is an island located in Los Angeles County, California between Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Originally a mudflat known to the Spanish as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, and later called Rattlesnake Island, it has officially been Terminal Island since 1918...
on 15 July.
The oiler got underway again on 28 August and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 September. She continued sailing westward and reached Eniwetok on the 17th. After a two-day respite, the vessel headed for the South Pacific and arrived at Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay
Purvis Bay is located in the Florida Islands, which are part of the Solomon Islands. The bay was used by the US Navy during World War Two....
on the 24th where she spent the remainder of the month in fueling duties.
Ashtabula's next assignment was to support the first American forces to fight for the liberation of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. She sailed, via Humboldt Bay and Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads, Palau is a large body of reef-enclosed water north of Babeldaob. During World War II, it was used by the United States Navy as the location of a floating resupply and repair base....
, to Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
and began fueling units of TG 77.2 on 23 October. Late the following afternoon, three Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
torpedo planes attacked the oiler. One of them dropped a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
which hit Ashtabula's port side. Although the explosion caused no fires or personnel casualties, Ashtabula soon developed a 16-degree list to port. Skillful counter-flooding righted the ship and allowed her to resume operations. On 27 October, the vessel was detached from Task Unit (TU) 77.7.1 and headed for the west coast of the United States. Following stops at Kossol Roads, Humboldt Bay, and Pearl Harbor, she reached San Pedro, California, on 15 December and was drydocked at Terminal Island for repair of her torpedo damage.
The oiler departed the California coast on 28 January 1945, touched at Pearl Harbor on 3 February, and arrived at Eniwetok on 12 February. She reported to ServRon
ServRon
A ServRon is a standard United States Navy abbreviation for "Service Squadron."A Service Squadron was a squadron of U.S. Navy ships that served the fleet. The squadron included ships such as tankers, oilers, refrigerator ships, ammunition ships, supply ships, repair ships, and the like...
10 for duty and remained there until 5 March, when the ship sailed for Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
. On the 10th, Ashtabula was reassigned to ServRon 6; and, three days later, she got underway for fueling operations at sea for the warships of the Fast Carrier Task Force, TF 58.
On 5 April, Ashtabula’s bow struck Thornton (AVD-11) amidships and caused considerable damage to the seaplane tender
Seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
. Ashtabula returned to Ulithi on 9 April and underwent minor repair work from 10 to 17 April. There, the oiler once again returned to the control of ServRon
ServRon
A ServRon is a standard United States Navy abbreviation for "Service Squadron."A Service Squadron was a squadron of U.S. Navy ships that served the fleet. The squadron included ships such as tankers, oilers, refrigerator ships, ammunition ships, supply ships, repair ships, and the like...
10.
For the duration of the war, Ashtabula operated in the Ulithi area. In mid-August, Japan capitulated; and, on the last day of the month, the oiler headed for Okinawa, but soon moved on to Jinsen, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, where she arrived on 11 September. For the next six months, Ashtabula operated between ports in Korea, Japan, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
while supplying and fueling American warships. In March 1946, the oiler made a cruise, via Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Ceylon, to Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. She returned to Japan in April. In June and July, she again visited a Mideastern port, Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura is a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located on a peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, to replenish her oil bunkers. Ashtabula got underway for a voyage back to the United States. After pausing briefly at Pearl Harbor, the ship arrived at San Pedro, California, on 18 December.
Ashtabula began 1947 with a cruise to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and returned to California on 27 January. For the next two years, she continued operations between the west coast, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and the Marshall Islands. This circuit was interrupted by a visit to Ras Tanura and Bahrain in June 1949. The oiler returned to the Orient in October 1948 and once again operated between the west coast and Hawaii from July 1949 until June 1950. During this time, she provided towing services from Pearl Harbor to southern California ports in addition to transporting fuel. On 28 June 1950, Ashtabula headed north from Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, bound for Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Upon arriving at Dutch Harbor, the ship fueled two survey vessels operating in the area. After a brief stop in Point Barrow
Point Barrow
Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow. It is the northernmost point of all the territory of the United States, at...
, Alaska, she returned to Long Beach on 19 August.
Korean War operations
The vessel lay at anchor there until 27 September, when she sailed for Pearl Harbor with a load of aviation gasoline and fuel oil. Due to the growing Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Ashtabula was ordered to proceed immediately to Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan. There, she loaded provisions for American troops stationed in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and then delivered them to Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
. Beginning in November, Ashtabula put to sea to supply fuel and provisions to ships of the U.S. 7th Fleet. She continued these activities until August 1951, when she returned to Long Beach.
The ship got back in action in the Far East in November, refueling bombardment forces around the 38th parallel and, later, assisted in the evacuation of Hungnam
Hungnam
Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...
, Korea. In March 1952, she sailed to Long Beach for an overhaul, but was back at Sasebo by early October.
That November, while in Sasebo for an availability, Ashtabula was damaged by twin explosions caused by acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
torches which ignited gasoline fumes. Three sailors were killed, and the forward well deck was seriously damaged. After three months of work at Sasebo, the ship sailed to Long Beach for further alterations. In September 1953, she returned to the western Pacific (WestPac) and resumed replenishment duties.
For the next 10 years, the oiler continued alternating deployments to WestPac
Westpac
Westpac , is a multinational financial services, one of the Australian "big four" banks and the second-largest bank in New Zealand....
with periods of upkeep, overhaul, and training at her home port, Long Beach. Ports of call in WestPac included Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
and Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines; Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
; Sasebo, Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Nagasaki, Yokosuka, and Kagoshima, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan, and Buckner Bay, Okinawa.
During the first half of 1964, Ashtabula continued her peacetime routine. On 2 August, she was in the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
refueling destroyers Maddox
USS Maddox (DD-731)
USS Maddox , an was named for Captain William A. T. Maddox, USMC. She was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corporation at Bath in Maine on 28 October 1943, launched on 19 March 1944 by Mrs. Harry H...
(DD-731) and Turner Joy
USS Turner Joy (DD-951)
USS Turner Joy was one of 18 s of the United States Navy. She was named for Admiral Charles Turner Joy USN . Commissioned in 1959, she spent her entire career in the Pacific...
(DD-951) just a few hours after North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese torpedo boats attacked Maddox. She spent most of August fueling ships of the 7th Fleet in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. Upon completing her WestPac cruise, Ashtabula returned to Long Beach.
Vietnam War operations
For the next eight years, the oiler continued to serve in waters surrounding VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
during her regular deployments to the Far East. She provided fuel and supplies to units of the 7th Fleet, while operating out of the ports of Subic Bay and Kaohsiung. Between tours in the Orient, she returned to Long Beach for leave and upkeep.
Following an availability period at Long Beach and training exercises off the southern California coast, Ashtabula once again sailed west on 4 October 1973. While at Subic Bay, she received orders to proceed to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
operating area. In early December, Ashtabula provided services to Hancock (CVA-19) and Oriskany (CVA-34) as well as other members of their task groups. After 51 continuous days at sea, Ashtabula arrived at Subic Bay on 5 January 1974.
Following a brief availability there, the oiler got underway to replenish a group of amphibious ships in the Gulf of Siam. On 7 March, she began a three-week voyage to her home port. She spent one month in upkeep, then sailed to her new home port, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and spent the rest of the year in overhaul and refresher training.
Ashtabula began another WestPac deployment on 8 February 1975. She took part in Operation Seafox, a joint SEATO exercise with six other nations. Her next assignments were Operation Eagle Pull
Operation Eagle Pull
Operation Eagle Pull was the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 12 April, 1975. At the beginning of April 1975, Phnom Penh, the last remaining stronghold of the Khmer Republic, was surrounded by the Khmer Rouge and totally dependent on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport...
and Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind was the evacuation by helicopter of American civilians and 'at-risk' Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, on 29–30 April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War...
, held off the coast of Vietnam. On 11 May, she was ordered to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
to support the rescue of , an American merchant ship that had been captured by communist forces
Mayagüez incident
The Mayaguez incident between the Khmer Rouge and the United States from May 12–15, 1975, was the last official battle of the Vietnam War. The names of the Americans killed, as well as those of three Marines who were left behind on the island of Koh Tang after the battle and who were subsequently...
. In late July, the oiler returned to her home port, where she spent the next 10 months in upkeep and local operations.
Ashtabula sailed for WestPac on 21 June 1976. Ports visited included Subic Bay; Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan; Hong Kong; and Keelung, Taiwan. The cruise was highlighted by a joint training exercise with ships of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The oiler arrived back m Pearl Harbor on 15 December and spent the first two months of 1977 providing services to ships in the Pearl Harbor area. In March, she headed west to rendezvous with and refuel a task group built around Coral Sea
USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career...
(CV-43). On 2 April, the ship returned to Pearl Harbor and commenced an overhaul period which was completed on 28 February 1978.
Ashtabula sailed to Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, on 10 March to hold a series of qualification trials, returned to Pearl Harbor on 14 April, and began refresher training. She got underway on 30 June for the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and called at Song Kla and Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
; Subic Bay; Sasebo; and Fremantle, Australia. While in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ashtabula participated in Exercise "Sandgroper," which was held in conjunction with the Australian and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
navies. The oiler then proceeded to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Hong Kong for liberty calls and closed the year in upkeep at Guam.
Back at Pearl Harbor on 18 January 1979, Ashtabula began eight months of underway training, local operations, and inspections. At the end of August, she embarked upon a six-week cruise to the west coast to conduct underway replenishment qualification trials and then participate in Exercise "Kernel Potlatch II," a joint United States-Canadian operation to test and evaluate plans for the common defense of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. At the conclusion of the exercise, the oiler called at Esquimalt, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
,on 6 October. After a three-day visit, she headed back to Hawaii on the 9th and arrived in Pearl Harbor on the 16th.
Local operations in the Hawaiian Islands occupied Ashtabula's time for nearly the entire first nine months of 1980. On 28 September, the oiler embarked upon another tour of duty in the western Pacific. Steaming by way of Guam in the Mariana Islands, she entered Subic Bay in the Philippines on 15 October. Her deployment was marred at its outset by engineering casualties that required a two-month repair period at Subic Bay. On 12 December, she completed repairs and, the following day, put to sea to begin underway refueling service to the ships of the 7th Fleet. For the next four months, Ashtabula operated in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
, and the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
, refueling American warships assigned to the Far East. The oiler made visits to several Japanese ports—Sasebo, Yokosuka, and Iwakuni—as well as to Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
and Chinhae in Korea. She also returned periodically to the base at Subic Bay. On 15 April 1981, Ashtabula departed the Philippines to return to Hawaii. She arrived in Pearl Harbor on the 30th.
Final operations
Following a two-month, post-deployment standdown, the ship resumed local operations in the Hawaiian Islands at the end of June. She remained so employed until the end of October when she stood into Pearl Harbor to conclude her last underway period for 1981. The oiler spent the first four months of 1982 carrying out missions in the Hawaiian operating area. On 30 April 1982, she embarked upon her final deployment to the Far East. That tour of duty lasted a little more than three months; she returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 August.Soon thereafter, Ashtabula began preparations for inactivation. Decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on 30 September 1982, she was subsequently towed to Suisun Bay, California, where she joined the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
. As of the beginning of 1987, Ashtabula -- still property of the Navy and carried on the Navy list—remained berthed at Suisun Bay. Later she met her final fate and was disposed of as target 15 October 2000.
Ashtabula was awarded eight battle stars for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service, four battle stars for the Korean War, and eight battle stars for duty in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
She was awarded the:
- Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (8)
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal (4),
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (4-Quemoy-Matsu, 9-Vietnam, 1-Korea, 1-Op. Frequent Wind)
- Vietnam Service Medal (8)
- Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Frequent Wind, 1-Snowgo, New York),
- Philippines Liberation Medal
- United Nations Service Medal
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
- Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)