Pamanset AO-85

Pamanset


(AO-85: dp. 21,650; 1. 523'6"; b. 68'; dr. 30~10"; s. 15.1 k.;

cpl. 267; a. 1 5" 4 3", 4 40mm., 12 20mm., cl. Suamico; T. T2-SE-A1)

Pamanset (AO-85) was laid down as MC hull 1264 by the Marinship Corp., Sausalito, Calif. under a Maritime Commission contract 30 March 1943; launched 25 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Murray; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 30 April 1944, Comdr. D. J. Houle in command.

Following shakedown, Pamanset sailed for Pearl Harbor and duty with the Pacific Fleet during the final months of World War II. Departing Pearl Harbor 24 July 1944, she steamed to the Marshall Islands, then to the Admiralty

Ielands where she spent the next several months refueling units of the 3rd Fleet. She continued her support of the 3rd Fleet during the Western Caroline and Philippine Islands engagements in the fall of 1944 as well as during the Formosa and China coast attacks early in 1945. Refueling operations in very heavy seas in January 1945, resulted in injuries to several of her crew. Pamanset arrived offIwo Jima 26 February and participated in that campaign until returning to Ulithi, 2 March, thence proceeding to San Pedro, Calif. for extensive repairs. She was underway again 4 June for the Western Pacific and serviced the 3rd Fleet in various fueling areas until the end of the war. After extensive operations in support of the occupation fleet in Japanese home waters, she departed Yokohama 8 November for San Francisco where she decommissioned 18 March 1946. She was struck from the Naval Register 28 March and transferred to the Maritime Commission 11 October.

Reacquired 10 February 1948, Pamanset was assigned to Military Sea Transportation Service 1 October 1949 and manned by a merchant crew. After necessary fitting out and trials, she added to her wartime record by rendering valuable service during the Korean conflict. She was struck from the Naval Register and transferred to the Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet 24 February 1956, reinstated 26 June for MSTS contract operations again, then struck again 26 September 1957. Subsequently converted to a container ship, she was sold by the Maritime Administration to Hudson Waterway Corp. and serves into 1970 as Seatrain Florida.