SS ''Mission Carmel'' was a Type T2-SE-A2 tanker built for the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war she was acquired by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

as USS ''Mission Carmel'' (AO-113). Later the tanker transferred to the

Military Sea Transportation Service Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

as USNS ''Mission Carmel'' (T-AO-113). She was a member of the and was one of two named for Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo located in

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

, the other being .

Service history

''Mission Carmel'' was laid down on 1 January 1944 under a

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

contract by

Marinship Corporation Marinship Corporation was a shipbuilding company of the United States during World War II, created to build the shipping required for the war effort. Founded in 1942, the shipyard built 93 cargo ships and oil tankers, before ending operations 194 ...

Sausalito, California Sausalito (Spanish language, Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, California, Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, California ...

; launched on 28 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Lardner; and delivered on 17 May 1944. Chartered to Pacific Tankers, Inc. for operations, she spent the remainder of the war providing fuel to allied forces overseas (during which time she was awarded the National Defense Service Medal). Returned to the Maritime Commission on 11 April 1946 she was laid up in the Reserve Fleet at

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. Acquired by the Navy on 21 October 1947 she was designated ''Mission Carmel'' (AO-113) and assigned to the Naval Transportation Service for operations. She continued with the Transportation Service until 1 October 1949 when the Naval Transportation Service and the ''Mission Carmel'' were absorbed into the new

. Redesignated USNS ''Mission Carmel'' (T-AO-113), she continued to supply US forces overseas with needed fuel products until 25 October 1957 when she was returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), struck from the Naval Vessel Register and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. European ...

. Her life of service not yet over, she was sold to Litton Industries on 7 November 1957 for conversion into a dry

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

. Renamed ''Houston'', into 1969 she continued her life of service under a new flag. She was resold on 28 February 1975 to Reynolds Leasing Corp. The ship was sold for scrap to Eastern Overseas Corp, and scrapped in Spain in 1983.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mission Carmel (T-AO-113) Type T2-SE-A2 tankers Ships built in Sausalito, California 1944 ships World War II tankers of the United States

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

Type T2-SE-A2 tankers of the United States Navy