USS Escambia (AO-80)

USS Escambia (AO-80) was the lead ship of her subclass of the Suamico class of fleet oilers, acquired by the United States Navy for use during World War II. Her dangerous but essential role was to provide fuel to vessels in both combat and non-combat areas, mainly in the Pacific Ocean, earning her five battle stars for her brave efforts.

Escambia, built with a type T2-SE-A2 hull, was launched on 25 April 1943 by Marinship Corp. in Sausalito, California, and was commissioned on 28 October 1943. The ship’s first voyage took her from the U.S. West Coast to Pearl Harbor with an oil cargo in December 1943. Afterward, she departed San Francisco on 21 January 1944, arriving at Majuro on 9 February. She spent the next month fueling ships at Roi Namur and Majuro during the assault on the Marshall Islands.

From 15 March to 30 August, Escambia operated out of Espiritu Santo, fueling the fast carrier task force involved in raids on the Palaus and during the Hollandia operation. She then arrived at Manus on 14 September 1944, sailing to rendezvous at sea to fuel the carriers launching airstrikes leading up to the assault on the Philippines. Afterward, she moved to Ulithi on 25 October, fueling carrier task forces as they continued their operations in the Philippines.

After a voyage to Eniwetok to reload oil, Escambia returned to the U.S. West Coast for an overhaul, departing Ulithi on 11 December. She was back at Ulithi by 18 April 1945, where she remained for the rest of the war, using it as a base to fuel the carrier task forces supporting the Okinawa invasion, along with raids and bombardments on the Japanese home islands.

Escambia also made stops at Okinawa and Wakayama Wan to fuel ships at anchor there. Her wartime service culminated when she left Tokyo behind, homeward bound, on 4 November 1945. The vessel was subsequently decommissioned on 20 February 1946 and struck from the Navy List before being transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal in June. Her significant role in fueling various operations across the Pacific theatre made her a valuable asset to the U.S. Navy during a critical period in history.