USNS Cedar Creek (T-AO-138)

USNS Cedar Creek (T-AO-138) was a Suamico-class Fleet Oiler that served both the United States Navy and the Soviet Union from 1943 to 1954. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1957 and scrapped in September 1975.

USNS Cedar Creek (T-AO-138)
USNS Cedar Creek
History
United States
Name: USNS Cedar Creek
Builder: Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
Laid down: 20 September 1943
Launched: 15 December 1943
In service: 1943
Out of service: 1954
Stricken: 1956
Fate: Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type: Suamico-class oiler
Displacement: 21,880 tons (full)
Length: 523 Feet, 6 Inches
Beam: 68 feet
Draft: 30 feet
Propulsion: Turbo-electric, single screw. 8,000hp
Armament:
  • one 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
  • four 3"/50 guns
  • four twin 40mm gun mounts
  • four twin 20mm gun mounts

Ship History

Cedar Creek was laid down on 20 September 1943, as a Type T2-SE-A1 tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Pennsylvania. She was launched on 15 December 1943 and subsequently delivered to the Maritime Commission on 27 December 1943.

Soviet Union

On 30 April 1944, she was lent to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) as SS Taganrog under the Lend-Lease Program. She served in this capacity until she was returned to the Maritime Commission in March 1948.[1]

U.S. Service

Taganrog was acquired by the U.S. Navy in July 1948, where she was redesignated as (AO-138) and operated under charter for the Naval Transportation Service. In October 1949, she was assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Cedar Creek (T-AO-138) and continued operations with a civilian crew. On 28 September 1954, she was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at San Diego, California—where she remained until 1 November 1956—when she again transferred to the MSTS.[2]

Fate

She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and turned over to the Maritime Administration on 14 October 1957. She was sold for scrap on 2 September 1975 to Zidell Explorations Inc. for $261,898.99.[3]

Ship Awards

The Cedar Creek received the National Defense Service Medal for honorable service during the Korean War.

References
  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002214331/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c5/cedar_creek.htm
  2. http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/19/19138.htm
  3. https://www.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/850
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