USS Schuylkill
USS Schuylkill (AO-76) was a Suamico-class fleet replenishment oiler of the U.S. Navy, named for the Schuylkill River. She was built by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Chester, Pennsylvania, laid down in September 1942, launched in February 1943, and commissioned in April 1943.
After shakedown on the East Coast, Schuylkill sailed to fuel ships in the Pacific. She supplied oil to operations in the Aleutians, Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, Marianas, and western Carolines. On September 10, 1943, her bow struck her sister ship Millicoma, creating a large hole. She pumped water and shifted fuel to raise her bow, and continued fueling five ships that day. She then went to Manus for repairs.
From late 1944 to 1945, she supported campaigns in Lingayen Gulf, the Luzon invasion, and the Iwo Jima battle. In May 1945 she headed to the California coast for overhaul. After engine trouble and repairs, she returned to duty in the Pacific and later entered Tokyo Bay in September 1945 before heading to the western Pacific.
Schuylkill was decommissioned in 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Commission, but was later reacquired by the Navy and operated by the Military Sea Transport Service. She served widely in the Pacific, Persian Gulf, and Atlantic, including voyages during the Korean War to Pusan and Arctic resupply missions in 1957, and later served off Vietnam and along both U.S. coasts. She was anchored at Savannah in 1974 and remained in service until the late 1980s.
She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1986, sold for scrapping in 1988, and scrapped in Taiwan in October 1988. For World War II service she earned seven battle stars.
Schuylkill’s class carried about 21,500 long tons, was about 524 feet long, could make 15 knots, and could carry 140,000 barrels of fuel. Armament included a 5-inch gun, several anti-aircraft guns, and twin mounts for 40- and 20-millimeter weapons.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:11 (CET).