Unique Oilers and Tankers of the United States Navy - USS Big Horn, USS Victoria, USS W. L. Steed, USS Atascosa, USS Arethusa (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 28. Chapters: SS Mount Washington (T-AOT-5076), USNS American Explorer (T-AOT-165), USNS Potomac (T-AO-181), USS Arethusa (AO-7), USS Atascosa (AO-66), USS Big Horn (AO-45), USS Carondelet (IX-136), USS Conecuh (AOR-110), USS Dawn (IX-186), USS Hisko (ID-1953), USS J. M. Guffey (ID-1279), USS Los Angeles (ID-1470), USS Octorara (IX-139), USS Robert L. Barnes (AO-14), USS Sara Thompson (AO-8), USS Shikellamy (AO-90), USS Standard Arrow (ID-1532), USS Sylvan Arrow (ID-2150), USS Victoria (AO-46), USS W. L. Steed (ID-3449), USS William Isom (ID-1555), USS Winifred (ID-1319), USS Yucca (IX-214). Excerpt: USS Victoria (AO-46) was an oiler for the United States Navy in World War II, and the second ship to bear the name. She was built in 1917 as SS George G. Henry in San Francisco for the Los Angeles Petroleum Company. During World War I, the ship was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy and employed as USS George G. Henry (ID-1560). Between the two world wars and at the beginning of the second, she served as a civilian tanker, initially under American registry, but later under Panamanian registry. The second USS Victoria was originally built in 1917 as the steel-hulled, single-screw tanker George G. Henry. Constructed at San Francisco, California, by Union Iron Works, the ship was chartered by the United States Navy from her original owners, the Los Angeles Petroleum Co., on 23 August 1918; and commissioned at New York City the same day, Lt. Comdr. George F. Weeden, USNRF, in command. Designated Id. No. 1560, George G. Henry departed New York on 29 August 1918, bound for European waters carrying aviation gasoline and Army medical stores. After discharging that cargo at Le Havre, France, the tanker touched at Spithead and Plymouth, England, before setting out across the Atlantic on her way back to the east coast of the United States. At 08:50 on 29 September, George G. Henry sighted the German submarine U-152 on the surface, 5,000 yards off her port beam, went to general quarters, and opened fire at once with her forward gun. Attempting to keep the submarine directly astern, the tanker steered a northerly course and brought her after gun to bear on the enemy. George G. Henry's gunners at the after mount managed to hurl 21 rounds at the enemy, landing several shells close aboard and forcing the surfaced submarine to maneuver radically. At 09:05, U-152 managed to score a hit on the tanker. The German shell pierced the American ship's after deck, damaging the steering gear and destroying the after magazine. While flames enveloped the fantail, George G. Henry steered to bring he