Pasquotank AO-18

Pasquotank
(AO~18: dp. 2,225; 1. 220'6"; b. 37'; dr. 13'; s. 10 k.; cpl.
62; a. 1 3", 2 40mm.; cl. Mettawee; T. T1-M-A1)

Pasquotank (AO~18) was laid down as SS Tongue River MC hull 900, on 13 August 1942 by East Coast Shipyard Inc., Bayonne, N.J.; launched 28 November 1942, originally elassified as YOG~48, she was Reclassified AOG-18, 25 March 1943 and named Pasquotank the same day, acquired by the Navy 15 April 1943; and commissioned 26 August 1943, Lt. Alford B. Norris USNR in command.

After shakedown, Pasquotank sailed from New York Harbor, in convoy for Aruba, Netherlands West Indies, where she loaded fuel oil and proceeded, via the Panama Canal, to Bora Bora, Soeiety Islands, in the South Pacific. She arrived Bora Bora, 3 December 1943, and from there, through February 1944, she traveled extensively in the Fiji, New Hebrides, and Solomon Islands, carrying aviation gas and diesel fuel. She unloaded fuel for Marine air groups at perimeter strips in the Torokina area during March, while they were under siege by the Japanese. In May she set up a shuttle service for the Air Force which was oondueting raids against Truk, Rabaul, and Kavieng from Green and Treasury Islands.

Through July she operated in the New Guinea area, and in August began a seven month stint as station tanker at Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralties, servicing escort carriers and oruisers. Pasquotank was detached from this assignment 20 March 1945 and sailed for Leyte.

At Leyte, she operated from San Pedro Bay into August, servicing small craft, and was at Manus on V-J Day. During September she fueled transports in Hollandia Bay, and returned to San Pedro Bay for shuttle service into November.

She then returned to San Francisco in late December, and decommissioned 27 March 1946.

Pasquotank was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 21 May 1946, transferred to the Maritime Commission 1 July 1946 and served as SS Tongue River until scrapped in 1964.