USS Pecos (AO-65)

USS Pecos
History
United States
Name	USS Pecos
Namesake	Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas
Laid down	20 April 1942
Launched	17 August 1942
Acquired	29 August 1942
Commissioned	5 October 1942
Decommissioned	14 March 1946
In service	18 July 1950
Stricken	23 April 1947
Reinstated	20 March 1950
Fate	Scrapped July 1975
General characteristics
Type	Suamico-class fleet replenishment oiler
Displacement	5,782 long tons (5,875 t) light 21,880 long tons (22,231 t) full
Length	523 ft 6 in (159.56 m)
Beam	68 ft (21 m)
Draft	30 ft (9.1 m)
Propulsion	Turbo-electric, single screw, 8,000 hp (5,966 kW)
Speed	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Capacity	140,000 barrels (22,000 m3)
Complement	251
Armament	1 × 5"/38 caliber guns 4 × 3"/50 caliber guns 4 × twin 40 mm AA guns 4 × twin 20 mm AA guns

USS Pecos (AO–65) was laid down 20 April 1942 by the

, as Corsicana (MC hull 325); launched 17 August acquired by the Navy 29 August 1942; and commissioned 5 October 1942.

Bora Bora

After operations along the

after undergoing repairs and loading with oil and supplies.

Escort

Pecos departed

Palaus

in late March and early April.

The Pacific

For ten hours on 10 July, shells from marine "Long-Tom" cannons flew over Pecos as she lay at anchor off

. In September, she participated in the Palau invasion, fueling the bombardment and transport groups.

On 2 January 1945, Japanese aircraft attacked the tanker as she steamed from

Negros Island

.

A single engine Japanese plane dove out of the sun on the ship's starboard quarter 7 January 1945, releasing a bomb that struck the water 100 feet off her port bow before a tanker ahead of Pecos shot this plane down. During the next weeks, Pecos fueled the huge task force steaming up the South China Sea for the Lingayen landings. General Quarters became as routine an affair as fueling, as enemy planes continued to operate in the Mindoro area.

The veteran oiler next steamed to Mangarin Bay to supply aviation gasoline for an Army Air Force unit based there 18 February. Previously, fuel for the squadron's P–38 fighters had been flown in by transport aircraft, but the planes now were virtually grounded for lack of gasoline. At the month's end, Pecos departed the Philippine area for

, She spent April and May at sea in the fueling area off Okinawa transferring oil and gasoline to 3rd Fleet ships.

Pecos spent two hectic days outside of

, Japan, which had just been occupied by American naval forces, fueling the vessels in the harbor.

Decommissioned

Pecos decommissioned 14 March 1946. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission 1 April 1947 and struck from the Navy List 23 April 1947. By directive dated January 1948, Pecos was reacquired by the Navy. She was reinstated on the Navy List 20 March 1950. She was then taken over by the Military Sea Transportation Service 18 July 1950 to be operated by a merchant crew. USNS Pecos was operated by Mathiasen's Tanker Industry Inc under contract to the U.S. Government until 1975. Commodore Larry Wade was CO from March 13, 1972, until October 19, 1972, during which time she traded in the Caribbean and made trips to the Arctic assigned to the 1st Naval District. In October 1957, while on a voyage to the

.

She was scrapped in July 1975.

Pecos received seven Battle Stars for World War II service.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
• navsource.org USS Pecos (AO-65)