USS Aucilla

For about four years, the oiler operated along the U.S. East Coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean taking on oil at various oil ports and carrying it to the fleet. She also conducted independent ship's exercises and amphibious exercises both at Vieques Island near Puerto Rico and at Onslow Beach in North Carolina. At this time she was attached to MSTS. In 1950 she was deployed to Sasebo Japan to support the Korean War operation. She left Norfolk,Va in October 1950, where she was in for repairs at the Portsmouth Navy yard. Her home port was Mare Island Ca. She steamed through the Med. down through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and up into the Persian Gulf to Ras Tanura where she loaded bunker oil. Leaving this port she headed through the Indian Ocean, the Straights of Molacca, around Singapore and headed North for Sasebo where she unloaded her cargo. Headed south again to Bahrain for another load of oil. Again leaving, headed for Sasebo once again. Arriving Sasebo and unloading she headed for Pearl Harbor. leaving Pearl harbor and returning to Sasebo, Japan. She returned to San Francisco and was detached from MSTS and attached to the fleet as a fleet tanker. Returning to Norfolk via the Panama Canal, completing her round the world voyage and assumed her duties a fleet tanker.

In June 1952, Aucilla embarked upon the first of a long series of deployments to the Mediterranean. Four months later, she resumed operations along the eastern seaboard and in the West Indies. The first part of 1953 saw the oiler engaged in another series of training evolutions in the Puerto Rico-Vieques Island area.

June and July 1953 brought a midshipman cruise which took her to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Barbados in the British West Indies. In September, Aucilla deployed to the Mediterranean Sea once more. She completed that assignment late in January 1954 and returned to Norfolk on 3 February 1954. Following post-deployment standdown and participation in the annual fleet exercise, Operation Springboard, the oiler resumed fuel services for the U.S. 2nd Fleet from her base at Norfolk, Virginia. May brought rough weather fueling tests in the North Atlantic followed by a two-month overhaul at a civilian shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland.

In August, Aucilla departed Baltimore and steamed down Chesapeake Bay to rejoin the active units of the Atlantic Fleet. She performed normal logistics services and training operations out of Norfolk until November. Late that month, the oiler put to sea for Gonaïves, Haiti, to provide support for some unspecified tests conducted by the Operational Development Force for the Bureau of Ordnance. In the course of those operations, the oiler visited Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. When the ship returned to the United States early in December, she entered the Bethlehem Shipyard at Hoboken, New Jersey, for a three-month modification and repair period. Between mid-April and early May 1955, Aucilla completed refresher training out of Newport, Rhode Island. She then returned to Norfolk where she began preparations for an extended tour of duty with the 6th Fleet.

The oiler reentered Norfolk on 11 September 1961 and began post-deployment standdown. Following the leave and upkeep period, she started preparations for overhaul. On 20 November, she entered the yard at the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Aucilla completed her overhaul on 20 February 1962 and then set sail on 1 March for five weeks of refresher training in the West Indies. Upon completion of refresher training, the oiler joined an underway replenishment group to support the amphibious Exercise "Phiblex 1-62", also conducted in the West Indies. Later, she returned to United States' waters to participate in Fleet Exercise "Quick Kick." That summer, she conducted a midshipman training cruise and took part in convoy exercises off the eastern seaboard.

The oiler continued operations out of Norfolk through the end of 1962 and into 1963. On 7 March 1963, Aucilla left Chesapeake Bay on her way back to the Mediterranean. The deployment lasted just under four months. She was back in Norfolk by 1 July. Following post-deployment standdown, the oiler got underway on 6 August to participate in NATO Exercise "Riptide IV" conducted in the eastern Atlantic. As an adjunct to that mission, she visited Bremerhaven, Germany, and Rota, Spain, before returning to Norfolk on 11 September. For the remainder of 1963, Aucilla conducted local operations out of her home port.

Similar duty occupied her time during the first two months of 1964. On 3 March 1964, however, the oiler entered the yard at the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. for a regular overhaul. She completed repairs and modifications late in June and put to sea on 29 March for a month of refresher training in the Guantanamo Bay operating area. At the conclusion of refresher training, Aucilla voyaged north to New York where her crew members visited the World's Fair. The ship returned to Norfolk on 8 August and resumed local operations. That resumption lasted just one month. On 8 September, Aucilla got underway from Norfolk once more to participate in a series of NATO exercises in the eastern Atlantic. She visited Bremerhaven, Germany, again at the end of the exercises early in October. She returned to Norfolk on 23 October 1964.

Upon her return to her home port, she began preparations for another assignment with the 6th Fleet. Aucilla left Norfolk on 27 November and arrived in Rota, Spain, on 8 December. Another standard 6th Fleet tour of duty ensued with Aucilla fueling units of the fleet, participating in exercises, and visiting Mediterranean ports. She concluded the deployment with her arrival back in Norfolk on 11 May 1965. From late June to late July, Aucilla cruised the waters of the West Indies in support of U.S. 2nd Fleet units keeping an eye on the latest crisis to trouble the Dominican Republic.

She returned to Norfolk on 23 July and resumed local operations out of her home port. Those operations included support roles in the Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 space shots during October, November, and December. Aucilla reentered Norfolk on 23 December to begin her holiday leave and upkeep period.

Further upkeep and a tender availability period occupied her time during January and February 1966. Early in March, the oiler put to sea for another cruise with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She arrived in Cartagena, Spain, on 15 March and, for the next five months, provided logistics support for United States naval forces in the Mediterranean. Aucilla departed Rota, Spain, on 12 August and set a course for home. The oiler arrived in Norfolk on the 22d and remained there in a leave and upkeep status until the middle of October.

She put to sea again on 18 October to serve as a recovery ship for a U.S. Air Force Titan III-C heat shield qualification test. She returned to Norfolk from that mission on 21 November and remained in port for the rest of the year.

On 6 February 1967, Aucilla stood out of Norfolk once again on her way to the Mediterranean. She arrived in Rota, Spain, on the 17th and soon began making the rounds to ports in the "middle sea." The most notable event of that deployment was the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War to which units of the 6th Fleet -- Aucilla included—responded with alacrity. She and her colleagues moved quickly to the eastern Mediterranean early in June, out the rapidity with which the Arab forces collapsed allowed them to return to a more normal routine at mid-month. Thus, the oiler resumed port visits, exercise, and fueling operations. She completed turnover proceedings at Rota on 19 and 20 August and headed back to the United States on the latter day. Aucilla arrived back in Norfolk on 30 August. After post-deployment standdown, the oiler entered the yard at the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. for regular overhaul on 13 November.

Aucilla completed her overhaul by 5 April 1968. On that day, she stood out of Norfolk on her way to refresher training in the West Indies. The oiler completed that mission in May and returned to Norfolk on the 19th. Soon thereafter, she embarked upon a two-month voyage that took her to the Cape of Good Hope where she refueled the Vietnam-bound aircraft carrier Intrepid. In addition, Aucilla made port calls at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, Nassau in the Bahamas, and at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before returning to Norfolk on 10 August.

At that time, the oiler began a tender availability as well as a leave and upkeep period preparatory to overseas movement. Aucilla stood out of Norfolk on 23 September; and, on 3 October she relieved Kaskaskia at Rota. After almost five months fueling the ships of the 6th Fleet and making port visits throughout the Mediterranean, Aucilla departed Rota late in March 1969. She arrived back in Norfolk on 5 April. After the usual post-deployment standdown, the oiler began normal operations out of Norfolk. For the next 14 months, the ship cruised the waters along the eastern seaboard and the West Indies in support of the ships of the Atlantic Fleet. Aucilla returned to Norfolk from her last voyage early in July 1970.

In the middle of September 1970, she began preparations for inactivation. Aucilla was placed out of commission at Norfolk on 18 December 1970 being commanded by the senior ranking official on board at the time MMCM William F. Rember of FMAG (Fleet Maintenance Assistance Group). On 7 October 1971, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration for berthing with its James River, Virginia, facility. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 1 December 1976. She was subsequently withdrawn from MARAD twice for further stripping, and last returned to MARAD on 21 August 1985. Sold on 27 April 1992, she was scrapped on 25 October 1992.[1]

Aucilla earned five battle stars for her World War II service.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AO-56 Aucilla