USS Peconic, AOG-68
A river in New York.
Builder: East Coast Shipyard, Bayonne, New Jersey
Length: 220' 6"
Beam: 37'
Draft: 17'
Displacement: 2,270 (fl)
Commissioned: 28 September 1945
Decommissioned: 4 January 1946
Disposition: Sold
Machinery: 720 hp diesel direct drive; single propeller
Top Speed: 10 knots
Complement: 62
Armament: 1 3"/50; 2 x 40mm; 3 x 20mm
HISTORY:
The USS Peconic was a Klickitat-Class gasoline tanker. She was laid down 31 January 1945 as MC hull 2628 by St. John’s River SB Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.; launched 14 May 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Mal Haughton, Jr.; acquired on a loan basis by the Navy from the Maritime Commission 28 September 1945; and commissioned 29 September 1945.
Peconic reported to Commander Service Force Atlantic at Norfolk, Va. 27 November. Because of reduced need following the war’s end, she decommissioned 4 January 1946 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, was struck from the Navy List 21 January, and returned to the Maritime Commission.
She went into merchant service in 1946 as SS Voshell operated by the Maritime Transport Lines Inc. until 4 April 1948, at which time she was turned over to the Naval Transportation Service as USNT Peconic (AOG–68) at Boston. Maritime Transport Lines Inc. continued to operate Peconic under contract for the Naval Transportation Service. NTS became MSTS 1 October 1949 and the ship was then designated USNS Peconic (AOG–68).
Peconic was reinstated to the Naval Vessel Register 28 April 1950 and she continued service in MSTS until 12 November 1957 when she transferred to the MarAd reserve fleet at Beaumont, Tex. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. Into 1970 Peconic remained assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet (MARAD) berthed at Beaumont.
Sources:
Cutter Files, Coast Guard Historian's Office
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.