History

United States
Name	USS Chewaucan
Namesake	Chewaucan River in Oregon
Builder	Cargill, Inc., Savage, Minnesota
Launched	22 July 1944
Commissioned	19 February 1945
Decommissioned	1975
Stricken	1 July 1975
Fate	Sold to Colombia, 1 January 1976
History
Colombia
Name	ARC Tumaco (BT-7)
Acquired	1 January 1976
General characteristics
Class and type	Patapsco-class gasoline tanker
Tonnage	2,120 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Displacement	1,846 long tons (1,876 t) light 4,130 long tons (4,196 t) full load
Length	310 ft 9 in (94.72 m)
Beam	48 ft 6 in (14.78 m)
Draft	15 ft 8 in (4.78 m)
Propulsion	4 × General Electric diesel engines, electric drive, twin shafts, 3,300 hp (2,461 kW)
Speed	14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement	131
Armament	4 × 3"/50 caliber guns 12 × 20 mm AA guns

USS Chewaucan (AOG-50) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1975. She was then transferred to the Colombian Navy, her final disposition being unknown.

World War II service

Chewaucan was launched 22 July 1944 by Cargill, Inc., Savage, Minnesota; sponsored by Mrs. O. K. Greathouse; and commissioned 19 February 1945.

Laden with oil, vital fluid of war, Chewaucan cleared Baytown, Texas, 22 March 1945, and reached Pearl Harbor 6 May. Attached to the Hawaiian Sea Frontier she carried oil among the Hawaiian Islands, Midway, Johnston, Canton, and Christmas Islands until 16 June 1946 when she sailed for San Pedro, California, arriving 25 June.

Post-war operations

Between 23 September 1946 and 4 July 1947, Chewaucan operated out of Seattle, Washington, on cargo duty to various Alaskan ports, then sailed in the Pacific Ocean, calling at Pearl Harbor and Kwajalein and ferrying oil until 6 January 1948. She sailed from San Pedro, California, 8 January 1948 and entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 4 February for conversion to a combination oiler-tanker.

Converted to oiler-tanker

Chewaucan put out from Norfolk, Virginia, 7 July 1948 to become one of the original 12 ships of the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Home ported at Naples, Italy, in support of the 6th Fleet, she remained in the Mediterranean except for periodic overhauls in the United States through 1960.

Her duty changed from direct replenishment of the 6th Fleet to supplying various shore storage facilities when, on 2 August 1957, she was transferred from the 6th Fleet to Commander, Naval Activities, Italy, for operational control.

Decommissioning

Chewaucan was decommissioned (date unknown) and struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1975. She was sold under the Security Assistance Program to Colombia, 1 January 1976, and renamed ARC Tumaco (BT-7). Final disposition: fate unknown.