Escambia-class oiler

The Escambia-class oilers were a class of twelve T2-SE-A2 tankers that served in the United States Navy, built during World War II. The ships were named for United States rivers with Native American names. They were very similar to the Suamico class (of which they are sometimes accounted a subclass), differing principally in having the more powerful turboelectric plant of the P2-SE2 transports which developed 10,000 shp.

Escambia in November 1943
Class overview
Builders	Marinship, Sausalito, California
Operators	United States Navy
Built	1942–1945
In commission	1943–1946
Completed	12
General characteristics
Type	T2 Tanker
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 10 in (9.40 m)
Propulsion	turbo-electric transmission, single screw, 8,000 shp (5,966 kW)
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity	140,000 barrels (22,000 m3)
Complement	267 officers and enlisted
Armament	1 × 5"/38 caliber dual purpose gun 4 × 3"/50 caliber guns 4 × twin 40 mm guns 4 × twin 20 mm guns

All of the ships were decommissioned and transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service in the post-war period. Several were later transferred to the United States Army and converted to floating electricity generating stations, and served in that role in Vietnam.

Ships

• USS Escambia (AO-80), 1943
• USS Kennebago (AO-81), 1943
• USS Cahaba (AO-82), ex-Lackawapen, 1944
• USS Mascoma (AO-83), 1944
• USS Ocklawaha (AO-84), 1943
• USS Pamanset (AO-85), 1943
• USS Ponaganset (AO-86), 1944
• USS Sebec (AO-87), 1944
• USS Tomahawk (AO-88), 1944
• USS Pasig (AO-91), ex-Mission San Xavier, converted to AW-3
• USS Abatan (AO-92), ex-Mission San Lorenzo, converted to AW-4
• USS Soubarissen (AO-93), ex-Mission Santa Ana, converted to water supply ship.
• USS Anacostia (AO-94), ex-Mission Alamo, 1945
• USS Caney (AO-95), ex-Mission Los Angeles, 1945
• USS Tamalpais (AO-96), ex-Mission San Francisco, 1945

See also

• Suamico-class replenishment oiler
• United States Navy oiler
• T2 tanker

Bibliography

• Silverstone, Paul H. (2008). The Navy of World War II, 1922-1947. The U.S. Navy Warship Series. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-97898-9.