USNS Potomac (T-AO 181) Class

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USNS Potomac (T-AO 181).
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Class: POTOMAC (T-AO 181)
Design: Private
Displacement (tons): 34,800 full, 7,761 light
Dimensions (feet): 620 oa, 591.25 pp x 83.5 x 32.0
Armament: none
Accommodations: 49
Speed (kts.): 18
Propulsion (SHP): 20,460 max, 18,600 normal
Machinery: Geared steam turbines, 2 boilers (600psi/850deg), 1 screw

Construction:

T-AO	Name	Acq	Builder	Keel	Launch	Charter
181	POTOMAC	11 Dec 1964	Newport News SB	26 May 1964	23 Oct 1964	11 Dec 1964

Disposition:

T-AO	Name	T	End charter	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale/Depart
181	POTOMAC	T	26 Sep 1983	None?	29 Jun 2001	MA/T	5 Sep 2012/D

Class Notes:
The original POTOMAC (T-AO 150, q.v.) was destroyed by fire and explosion at Morehead City, NC, on 26 September 1961 and was declared a constructive total loss (CTL) effective that date. Her stern containing her propulsion equipment was sold to Keystone Shipping Co by MSTS on 10 July 1963 by a contract requiring rebuilding the ship and bareboat chartering her back to MSTS. A new midbody/bow section was built by Newport News (dates above) and the old stern was joined to it. The resulting ship was renamed SHENANDOAH and duly bareboat chartered by Keystone back to MSTS on 11 December 1964. The rebuilt ship followed the new trend for large bulk carriers and tankships of having all their superstructure aft including the navigating bridge. In almost all disasters involving earlier tankers men had been trapped in the amidships bridge section. In addition the big T5's of the T-AO 149 class had trimmed down by the bow, making it uneconomical to maintain their tanks to full capacity during normal operations. Removing the heavy forward house and adding cargo space aft enabled them to sail on an even keel or even with a slight drag.

A memo of 4 December 1975 based on a MSC message of 3 December 1975 stated that MSC bareboat chartered tankers were then designated as "Active status, In service" United States naval ships, and that in order to enhance this designation and the status of the ships as U.S. public vessels the names of T-AO 181 to 185 would be changed in the near future. Still owned by Keystone, SS SHENANDOAH (T-AO 181) was renamed POTOMAC by MSC on 14 January 1976 effective 12 January 1976 because the Navy had a destroyer tender named SHENANDOAH, and she was also transferred to a new contract operator. She rejoined her former three sisters of the AO 149 class in the category of MSC T5 tankers. In 1978 the navy created the new classification symbol AOT, "Transport Oiler," for the MSC tankers, including the T5s and older T2s, that carried oil from point to point rather than delivering it to fleet units, and on 14 Sepember 1978 effective 30 September 1978 CNO reclassified AO 181 to AOT 181.

On 26 September 1983, POTOMAC was taken out of MSC service and on 4 March 1984 she was transferred to MARAD custody at Suisun Bay in Ready Reserve Fleet status. She reportedly reverted to the name SHENANDOAH at this time but this is not reflected in other records. On 5 April 1985 POTOMAC was withdrawn from Suisun Bay to serve as the prototype vessel for conversion to an Offshore Petroleum Discharge System (OPDS) Tanker, returning to the Reserve Fleet, this time at Beaumont, on 29 April 1986. She was ordered activated on 9 December 1990 to provide tanker support for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and during 1991, operated by Bay Ship Management under charter to the Navy, she was assigned to the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) based at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. This remained her home port for the next decade. During 1994 POTOMAC assisted in humanitarian relief efforts during a famine in Rwanda, in which she transported food and safe drinking water. She also assisted forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina and participated in sorties, convoy exercises, and training activities. She returned to the RRF in the Beaumont, Texas, reserve fleet in December 2001 after deactivation.

Ship Notes:

T-AO	Name	MA	Notes
181	POTOMAC		Title from Keystone to MA 2 May 1980 under the Trade-In and Build program, continued under MSC contract operation. Redelivered to MSC by contract operator and to MA custody 5 Mar 1984 (RRF in SBRF, to BRF at Beaumont, Tex., 29 Apr 1986 after OPDS trials). Deployed with MSC afloat prepositioning force at Diego Garcia Dec 1990 for Operation Desert Shield/Storm and remained there until reassigned to RRF status in BRF Jun 2001. To NDRF retention Jul 2006, non-retention Oct 2007. Withdrawn from NDRF 5 Sep 2012 and departed to breakers under domestic sale.