Seekonk AOG-20

Seekonk
(AOG-20: dp. 2,255; 1. 220'6"; b. 37', dr. 13', s. 10 k.; cpl. 59; a. 1 3~', 2 40mm.; cl. Mettawee; T. T1-M-A1)

Seekonk was built in 1943 as Summit Springe (MC hull 902) under a Maritime Commission contract by the Marine Maintenance Corp., now East Coast Shipyards, Inc., Bayonne, N.J., launched on 24 May 1943

sponsored by Miss Gladys G. Merrick; and commissioned on 10 February 1944, Lt. (jg.) Albert E. Eldred, USNR, in command.

Seekonk was the fourth of a group of small, single screw, engine-aft, diesel propelled tankers accepted by the Navy during World War II. After fitting out at Staten Island, N.Y.; shakedown training in Chesapeake Bay; and post-shakedown availability at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Seekonk got underway in convoy on 22 March 1944 for Aruba, Netherlands West Indies. Putting into Nicolas Bay, Aruba, on 1 April, Seekonk loaded cargo, fuel, and aviation gasoline and departed the next day for the Canal Zone. On 10 April, the gasoline tanker departed Balboa for New Guinea, arriving at Finschaven on 1 June.

For the remainder of 1944, Seekonk operated off the coast of New Guinea, visiting such ports as Madang, Hollandia, Sansapor, Mios Woendi, Biak, and Morotai. On 31 October, aided by harbor guns, the small oiler fought off four attacking Japanese planes off Soemoe Island, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, and splashed two-possibly three-of the attackers.

From 7 January to 14 February 1945, Seekonk fueled a large share of the amphibious ships used in liberating Luzon and other islands of the Philippines. On the 18th, the gasoline tanker, towing Army crash boat, N6-1 took her position in convoy GI 11-(A) en route to Leyte Philippines, and arrived at San Pedro Bay on 4 March.

Seekonk operated in the Philippine area until the cessation of hostilities in August. During this period the ship served as harbor oiler at Mindoro Island, Subic Bay, and Lingayen. From 28 August to 9 October, the ship fueled Task Group 71.2 as it was engaged in sweeping Allied and Japanese-laid mines from the approaches to Shanghai.

On 10 October, Seekonk got underway with Task Group 73.14, assigned to clear the mines in Haiphong Harbor, French Indochina, and in the Hainan Strait. From 12 October, Seekonk had to be towed by Frament (DE-677) due to a piston seizure in her main engine. On the 20th, she anchored off Doson Peninsula, Tonkin Gulf. Continuing the fueling of the task group, Seekonk was towed to the Norway Islands, Tonkin Gulf, on 24 October, and to Hainan on the 29th. On 2 November the gasoline tanker was towed to Han Dau Island, using her own engine part of the time. On 11 November, she got underway with Task Group 74.4 for Hong Kong. Towed part of the way, Seekonk arrived there on 15 November.

On 21 December, her main engine repaired, Seekonk departed Hong Kong en route to Pearl Harbor. On 26 December, however, her main engine was again disabled, and she limped toward Okinawa, assisted into Buckner Bay by Cabuilla (ATF-152) on the 29th.

Seekonk reached San Francisco on 26 February 1946. She was decommissioned and stripped on 1 May 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 21 May 19i6. The small oiler was turned over to the Maritime Commission as a usable vessel on 28 August 1946.

Seekonk was fitted out and sold as a merchant vessel by the Maritime Commission. She served as such from 1947 until 7 June 1963, when she burned off Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.