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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Ponchatoula |
| Namesake | Ponchatoula Creek |
| Ordered | as T1-M-A2 tanker hull |
| Laid down | 7 June 1944 |
| Launched | 30 July 1944 |
| Commissioned | 6 October 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 24 April 1946 |
| Stricken | 31 May 1946 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5244871 |
| Fate | Fate unknown, but see also USS Ponchatoula (AO 148) |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 1,228 long tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Displacement | 846 tons(lt) 2,270 tons(fl) |
| Length | 220 ft 6 in |
| Beam | 37 ft |
| Draught | 17 ft |
| Propulsion | Diesel direct drive, single screw, 720 hp |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Complement | 62 |
| Armament | one single 3 in (76 mm) dual purpose gun mount, two 40 mm guns, three single 20 mm gun mounts |
USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
Ponchatoula was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1801) by the East Coast Shipyards, Inc., Bayonne, New Jersey, 7 June 1944; launched 30 July 1944; sponsored by Miss Cynthia Tenety; delivered to the Navy 30 September 1944; and commissioned 6 October 1944.