Search the Site with

General Characteristics

Crew List

Memorabilia

Cruise Books

Accidents aboard the Ship

History

Image Gallery

to end of page

USS Savannah (AOR 4)

USS SAVANNAH was the fourth WICHITA - class replenishment oiler and the fifth ship in the Navy to bear the name. After serving the fleet for more than 24 years, USS SAVANNAH was decommissioned on July 28, 1995, at Norfolk Naval Base and was stricken from the Navy list on October 29, 1998. Later, SAVANNAH was berthed at the James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, Va. She was sold for scrapping to Esco Marine, Brownsville, Tx., in January 2009.

back to top

go to the end of the page

back to top

go to the end of the page

Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS SAVANNAH. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

back to top

go to the end of the page

• Click here to see which USS SAVANNAH memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS SAVANNAH Cruise Books:

• Mediterranean Cruise Book 1973-74

back to top

go to the end of the page

Accidents aboard USS SAVANNAH:

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS SAVANNAH History:

The construction contract for USS SAVANNAH was awarded on July 6, 1966, and her keel was laid on January 22, 1969, at the Quincy Shipbuilding Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on April 23, 1970, sponsored by Mrs. Ralph L. Shifley, wife of Vice Admiral Ralph L. Shifley, and commissioned on December 5, 1970, with Captain Bernard P. Williams, Jr., in command.

Following commissioning, USS SAVANNAH conducted trials and shakedown training in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including operations from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She was photographed moored at Guantanamo Bay on February 28, 1971. On March 17, 1971, she arrived in her namesake city of Savannah, Georgia, for a six-day visit coinciding with the city's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Her passage from Norfolk had taken approximately 27 hours. USS SAVANNAH departed Savannah on March 22 and continued toward Guantanamo Bay for additional training and inspections. She arrived at her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, on May 12, 1971, and subsequently underwent post-shakedown maintenance and correction of deficiencies identified during her initial operating period. This availability was completed on August 9. On September 20, 1971, she departed Norfolk on her first Mediterranean deployment. During the passage toward Rota, Spain, she replenished ships participating in a Caribbean exercise before crossing the Atlantic. On October 8, she reported to the United States Sixth Fleet and joined Task Group 60.1. Her assignment was to furnish fuel and supplies to ships operating throughout the Mediterranean, where American carrier and surface forces maintained a continuous presence during the Cold War. By December 31, 1971, USS SAVANNAH had performed replenishment services for 178 ships during the deployment.

USS SAVANNAH continued Sixth Fleet support operations through the winter of 1971-1972. Captain Donald E. Moore relieved Captain Williams as commanding officer on March 3, 1972. The ship began her westbound return passage on March 9 and arrived at Norfolk on March 17. The period at home was short. On March 30, North Vietnam opened a large conventional offensive against South Vietnam, and the United States expanded its naval and air operations in Southeast Asia. Aircraft carriers and escorts operating off Vietnam required substantial quantities of aviation fuel, bunker fuel, ammunition and provisions to maintain their schedules.

USS SAVANNAH departed the Chesapeake Bay on April 25, 1972, crossed the Panama Canal on April 29 and proceeded across the Pacific. She arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on May 20. Over the next five months, she made six separate operational trips, known as line swings, from the Subic Bay logistics base to the Gulf of Tonkin. Her recorded Vietnam campaign service periods extended from May 27 to June 13, June 22 to July 7, July 16 to August 10, August 24 to September 4, September 13 to September 30, and October 16 to November 1, 1972. These dates identify periods of qualifying service and do not necessarily represent the exact dates of departure from or arrival at Subic Bay. Between assignments she normally spent four to six days loading fuel and other cargo at Subic Bay. Her at-sea replenishment work supported American naval forces involved in the response to the North Vietnamese offensive and in the continuing air and surface operations off the Vietnamese coast. She departed Subic Bay for home on November 5, transited the Panama Canal on December 4 and arrived at Norfolk on December 8, 1972. Her Vietnam service was recognized with one Vietnam Service Medal campaign star and a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

For most of 1973, USS SAVANNAH operated from Norfolk along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean, conducting replenishment training, local fleet support, maintenance and preparations for another overseas assignment. Captain Huntington Hardisty relieved Captain Moore on September 26, 1973. On December 3, she sailed from Norfolk for the Mediterranean and reported to the Sixth Fleet on December 12. Through the winter and spring of 1974 she supplied American naval forces operating in the region. This was the period immediately following the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, during which American and Soviet naval concentrations in the eastern Mediterranean had increased and diplomatic negotiations continued over the disengagement of opposing forces. USS SAVANNAH's task remained the routine logistical support of Sixth Fleet units. After remaining on station until late May, she returned to Norfolk on June 3, 1974.

During the following months, USS SAVANNAH continued Atlantic Fleet work and participated in replenishment operations associated with the NATO exercise Northern Merger in the North Atlantic and northern European waters. On September 11, 1974, she refueled USS NEWPORT NEWS (CA 148) while simultaneously servicing the carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66). Personnel were also transferred by highline during the operation. On September 12, she replenished USS McCLOY (DE 1038) during the exercise in rough seas. USS SAVANNAH again serviced USS NEWPORT NEWS on September 16. Strong winds and heavy seas initially prevented the ships from completing a replenishment on the planned course, but the evolution resumed after they turned onto a downwind heading. A fuel-line coupling separated aboard USS NEWPORT NEWS during the afternoon operation, causing an oil spill on parts of the cruiser's deck; the cruiser's crew cleaned the affected area. Further refuelings of USS NEWPORT NEWS by USS SAVANNAH followed on September 22 and September 25. The vessels were participating in a wider NATO program designed to practice sea-control operations and multinational coordination in the approaches to northern Europe. USS SAVANNAH also refueled USS NEWPORT NEWS on October 24, during the cruiser's return passage toward the United States.

Captain Richard P. Bordone took command on December 4, 1974. USS SAVANNAH returned to Mediterranean support operations in 1975, including work associated with the carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67) and Sixth Fleet escorts. In late April, she rendezvoused with several vessels crossing the Atlantic for their own deployments. USS CAPODANNO (DE 1093) departed Mayport on April 25, accompanied by USS LUCE (DLG 7) and USS STRIBLING (DD 867), and subsequently joined USS McCANDLESS (DE 1084), USS DONALD B. BEARY (DE 1085) and USS SAVANNAH for Exercise Trans-Atlantic 2-75. The exercise included underway coordination and replenishment procedures during the crossing. USS SAVANNAH was documented at sea in the Mediterranean in a Sixth Fleet disposition report on May 11 as part of the fleet's logistical support force. Later that year, on September 11, she again replenished USS CAPODANNO as that ship proceeded toward the Balearic Islands. The supply ship continued Sixth Fleet replenishment operations during the deployment and later returned to Atlantic Fleet duties.

On April 15, 1976, Captain Eugene M. Clemens relieved Captain Bordone. On July 4, 1976, USS SAVANNAH participated in the International Naval Review in New York Harbor, part of the United States Bicentennial celebrations. A contemporary official list of participating American warships included USS SAVANNAH alongside USS FORRESTAL (CV 59), USS DALE (CG 19), USS WAINWRIGHT (CG 28), USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC 20), USS KALAMAZOO (AOR 6) and USS SAN DIEGO (AFS 6), among others. President Gerald R. Ford observed the review from USS FORRESTAL, and American and foreign ships assembled in New York Harbor as part of the maritime celebrations.

Later in 1976, USS SAVANNAH entered a lengthy period of modifications at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Between December 1976 and August 1977, the aft portion of the ship was substantially altered to provide a hangar for two CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. The conversion included removal of the after 3-inch/50-caliber gun mount and gave the replenishment oiler an expanded capability for vertical replenishment, permitting stores to be transferred by helicopter as well as by alongside cargo rigs. Following the yard period, she returned to fleet operations and trained to employ the modified aviation facilities.

During the remainder of 1977 and through 1978, USS SAVANNAH conducted Atlantic Fleet and Mediterranean support operations. Captain Howard R. Jones, Jr., assumed command on February 14, 1978. Her work continued to include replenishment exercises with deploying surface forces and carrier groups, together with periodic maintenance and inspections. On May 9, 1979, USS SAVANNAH was involved in a collision with USS FORRESTAL during an underway replenishment in the Caribbean. A failure affecting the electrical supply of USS SAVANNAH's gyrocompass and its emergency changeover contributed to the ship's maneuvering problem. The two vessels came into contact and sustained minor damage, but no personnel were injured. USS SAVANNAH remained operational and later that afternoon replenished the nuclear-powered cruiser USS TEXAS (CGN 39). The incident occurred during the sort of close-quarters maneuver in which a receiving ship steams alongside an oiler to take aboard fuel or stores. Following repairs and the resumption of normal operations, USS SAVANNAH continued her Atlantic Fleet assignments.

Captain Jerry C. Breast relieved Captain Jones on February 9, 1980. The ship operated along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean and also underwent additional modernization during 1980-1981 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The alterations introduced NATO Sea Sparrow point-defense missiles and Phalanx close-in weapon systems, augmenting the ship's defenses against aircraft and missiles. In late 1980, USS SAVANNAH supported transatlantic movements associated with the carrier USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62) and its escorts, including USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG 2) and USS HARRY E. YARNELL (CG 17). American naval deployments at the time were influenced by the hostage crisis in Iran, the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in September 1980. The Indian Ocean and approaches to the Persian Gulf had assumed increased importance, and the conventional propulsion plants of the ships in USS INDEPENDENCE's group created significant fuel requirements. USS SAVANNAH continued its logistical role during these operations. Captain Eugene D. Conner assumed command on May 18, 1981.

Another overseas deployment began on December 8, 1982, when USS SAVANNAH departed Norfolk with USS AMERICA and USS KIDD (DDG 993). Other vessels, including USS MOOSBRUGGER (DD 980), USS BRUMBY (FF 1044) and USS SAND LANCE (SSN 660), participated in exercises during the passage. USS SAVANNAH refueled USS KIDD on December 13, December 19 and December 21. Between December 14 and December 17, elements of the force exercised with units associated with USS INDEPENDENCE. After reaching the Mediterranean, the American ships carried out operations against the background of continuing unrest in Lebanon following the Israeli invasion of June 1982 and the deployment of multinational forces to Beirut. USS SAVANNAH supplied fuel and stores to the vessels operating in the area while the carrier group continued its programmed movements and training.

On January 23, 1983, USS SAVANNAH, USS AMERICA and USS DALE arrived at Piraeus, Greece, for a five-day visit to the Athens area. Captain William R. McGowen relieved Captain Conner on January 24. USS AMERICA resumed her voyage on January 29, proceeding toward Port Said and the Suez Canal. USS SAVANNAH transited the Suez Canal on January 31 and entered the Red Sea. By February 4, she was operating in the Indian Ocean, where she remained employed until April 26. American naval forces were maintaining a presence in the Arabian Sea and surrounding waters during the Iran-Iraq War and amid continued regional security concerns. USS AMERICA's group took part in combined exercises, including the Beacon Flash series with Oman, and conducted operations over extensive areas of the Indian Ocean. On February 9, the carrier group conducted Beacon Flash 83-3; later that month the group also trained in the vicinity of Diego Garcia. USS SAVANNAH carried out the supply functions that permitted the participating warships to maintain their assigned schedules. A documented replenishment approach involving the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA PLUMLEAF (A78) during February illustrated cooperation between American and allied auxiliary vessels. After April 26, USS SAVANNAH returned toward the Mediterranean and Atlantic, completing the Indian Ocean operating phase of the deployment.

During the latter part of 1983 and through the first half of 1984, USS SAVANNAH resumed Atlantic Fleet training, maintenance and preparation for further Sixth Fleet service. Captain Bruce B. Bremner relieved Captain McGowen on June 30, 1984. On October 12, USS SAVANNAH deployed with the force centered on USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69). Ships involved in the carrier group's operations included USS MISSISSIPPI (CGN 40), USS WAINWRIGHT, USS SAMPSON (DDG 10), USS SPRUANCE (DD 963), USS ELMER MONTGOMERY (FF 1082), USS KOELSCH (FF 1049), USS VOGE (FF 1047) and the ammunition ship USS BUTTE (AE 27).

During November, the force participated in exercises intended to improve coordination among American and allied units. Exercise Sea Wind, conducted from November 5 to November 7, 1984, involved American and Egyptian forces in the Mediterranean. The exercise followed coordinated activities with the USS INDEPENDENCE battle group on November 3 and November 4. USS SAVANNAH supported the ships' fuel and material requirements as the groups conducted maritime and air operations. On January 26, 1985, she was photographed conducting an underway replenishment evolution with USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER and USS SPRUANCE. The deployment continued until April 1985, after which USS SAVANNAH returned to Atlantic Fleet duties. The ship received a Navy Battle Efficiency Award for its performance in 1985.

Captain John A. Pieno, Jr., assumed command on January 29, 1986. USS SAVANNAH continued support of carrier readiness exercises in the western Atlantic and Caribbean during the spring. On May 7, 1986, she conducted an extended replenishment operation with USS JOHN F. KENNEDY in the Puerto Rican operating area during the carrier's preparations for deployment. The evolution lasted approximately 13 hours and involved the transfer of about 390 loads of stores. Later that summer, USS SAVANNAH joined the force preparing to deploy with USS JOHN F. KENNEDY, which departed Norfolk on August 18 for the Mediterranean. American ships associated with the deployment included USS BAINBRIDGE (CGN 25), USS HARRY E. YARNELL, USS DAHLGREN (DDG 43), USS MOOSBRUGGER, USS ELMER MONTGOMERY, USS ROBERT G. BRADLEY (FFG 49), USS NICHOLAS (FFG 47) and USS SANTA BARBARA (AE 28). USS SAVANNAH supported fuel and stores transfers and operated with an embarked helicopter detachment capable of distributing provisions, equipment and mail to ships that were not alongside. From September 19 to October 13, 1986, elements of the American force participated in NATO Exercise Display Determination 86, a series of operations testing multinational naval and air coordination in the Mediterranean. The deployment continued into 1987 amid continuing tension in Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean.

On February 5, 1987, USS SAVANNAH was operating off Beirut, Lebanon, during a concentration of American carrier forces. A contemporary Navy photograph shows her with USS JOHN F. KENNEDY, USS NIMITZ (CVN 68), USS W. S. SIMS (FF 1059), USS KALAMAZOO and USS RICHARD E. BYRD (DDG 23). The United States maintained these forces in the eastern Mediterranean during a period of political instability and security concerns surrounding Lebanon. USS SAVANNAH and USS KALAMAZOO furnished replenishment support for the ships in the area. Following the conclusion of the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY deployment in March, USS SAVANNAH resumed her Atlantic Fleet schedule. Captain Daniel L. Rainey, Jr., relieved Captain Pieno on July 6, 1987. During the remainder of 1987 and in 1988 the ship continued a combination of training, replenishment assignments, maintenance and periodic overseas service.

Captain Theodore D. Hill, Jr., took command on January 12, 1989. In February, USS SAVANNAH joined the force assembled for Exercise North Star 89, operating with USS AMERICA, USS MOUNT WHITNEY, USS YORKTOWN (CG 48), USS KING (DDG 41), USS DAHLGREN and USS ROBERT G. BRADLEY. The force departed Norfolk on February 24 and proceeded toward northern European waters. Its operations in the North Sea and North Atlantic included coordinated exercises with NATO ships from Britain, the Netherlands, West Germany and Norway. The activities were designed to practice large-force operations in the waters approaching northern Europe, where conditions could be demanding for shiphandling and replenishment. USS SAVANNAH supplied the group's ships during the passage and exercise period. After the northern European deployment, the oiler resumed Atlantic Fleet activities and received another Battle Efficiency Award for 1989.

USS SAVANNAH departed Norfolk on March 8, 1990, for an overseas deployment that initially took her toward Rota, Spain, and the Sixth Fleet area in the Mediterranean. The deployment was affected by the civil war in Liberia, where fighting had begun in December 1989 and threatened foreign nationals in and around Monrovia. USS SAVANNAH's recorded participation in Operation Sharp Edge extended from June 14 to August 2, 1990. During this period, she furnished logistical support for American naval forces positioned in response to the deteriorating situation. The later noncombatant evacuation began on August 5, and the operation's wider naval force included USS SAIPAN (LHA 2), USS PONCE (LPD 15), USS SUMTER (LST 1181) and USS PETERSON (DD 969). On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and American and allied forces began deploying to the Middle East under Operation Desert Shield. USS SAVANNAH subsequently supported the American naval buildup related to this crisis. The buildup greatly increased replenishment demands in and around the Mediterranean and Red Sea. She returned to Norfolk on September 8, 1990. Captain Leslie G. Kappel had relieved Captain Hill on July 17, 1990, during the deployment.

During 1991, USS SAVANNAH continued Atlantic Fleet service, readiness exercises and maintenance, while American naval forces remained engaged in enforcing United Nations restrictions imposed on Iraq after the Gulf War. On December 2, 1991, she began another Mediterranean and Indian Ocean deployment with the carrier USS AMERICA. Ships associated with the force included USS NORMANDY (CG 60), USS MONTEREY (CG 61), USS SCOTT (DDG 995), USS JOHN HANCOCK (DD 981), USS THORN (DD 988), USS BOONE (FFG 28), USS SIMPSON (FFG 56) and USS SURIBACHI (AE 21).

The deployment combined regular Sixth Fleet activities with operations in the Red Sea and adjacent waters where American forces were enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. In addition to carrier support, USS SAVANNAH supplied smaller warships employed in maritime interception patrols. She replenished USS BOONE on February 4, 1992, while the frigate was conducting maritime interception duties in the northern Red Sea. USS SAVANNAH was photographed transiting the Suez Canal on February 22 and replenished USS BOONE again on February 28 after the frigate returned to patrol duty. The carrier force also participated in a series of multinational exercises during the deployment, including Beacon Flash and other regional training activities. These missions took place in the continuing aftermath of the 1990-1991 Gulf crisis and involved monitoring traffic and enforcing restrictions intended to prevent prohibited shipments to or from Iraq. The deployment ended on June 6, 1992, when USS SAVANNAH returned to the United States.

The remaining months of 1992 and opening months of 1993 were devoted to training, maintenance and preparations for another deployment. Captain Donald S. Vtipil assumed command on December 17, 1992. On February 3, 1993, USS SAVANNAH conducted an underway replenishment with USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) during the carrier's training period. Captain Robert E. Besal relieved Captain Vtipil on April 30 and became the ship's final commanding officer. On August 11, 1993, USS SAVANNAH deployed again with the USS AMERICA battle group.

The first phase of the deployment took place in the Mediterranean, where American and allied naval forces were participating in international measures related to the wars following the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Under Operation Sharp Guard, NATO and Western European Union warships enforced United Nations sanctions and an arms embargo in the Adriatic. Aircraft operating under Operation Deny Flight enforced a no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In October 1993, serious fighting involving American forces in Mogadishu, Somalia, led to reinforcements and changes in the deployment of American naval units. USS AMERICA's carrier group was redirected from the Mediterranean toward the Indian Ocean to support United Nations operations off Somalia. USS AMERICA transited the Suez Canal on October 29, followed by USS SAVANNAH and USS SIMPSON on November 1. The force took station off Somalia and relieved ships of the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) carrier group. American forces were assisting the United Nations operation in Somalia following the collapse of the Somali government, while naval forces offshore supported the security of American personnel and the military presence ashore. USS SAVANNAH sustained the deployed warships with fuel and supplies during this period. Her Mediterranean and Indian Ocean deployment continued through the remainder of 1993 and into early 1994. She returned to Norfolk on February 5, 1994, concluding approximately six months overseas.

After her return, USS SAVANNAH resumed Atlantic Fleet support work and underwent training and maintenance. In 1994, American naval forces began preparing for Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, where a military government had displaced the elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in 1991. The United States assembled naval and amphibious forces in the Caribbean before an agreement with the Haitian military authorities permitted the entry of American troops on September 19, 1994. USS SAVANNAH supported the naval preparations and operations through underway replenishment. USS SAVANNAH also replenished USS WASP (LHD 1) during September 1994 while the amphibious assault ship was engaged in Caribbean operations connected with preparations for the Haiti mission. On December 15, 1994, USS SAVANNAH again serviced USS WASP during exercises in the Virginia Capes operating area. USS SAVANNAH's support associated with Haiti qualified for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. These operations occurred in a period when the Navy was increasingly required to support limited interventions, multinational operations and humanitarian missions alongside its regular maritime training.

USS SAVANNAH continued Atlantic Fleet operations during the first half of 1995 while the Navy proceeded with post-Cold War force reductions. During the year, she made a final visit to her namesake city of Savannah, Georgia. Municipal photographic records identify this as the ship's last call and document her presence near the riverfront and Union Camp facilities. The visit recalled her earlier call in March 1971.

USS SAVANNAH was decommissioned at Naval Station Norfolk on July 28, 1995, ending almost 25 years of commissioned service. Her final commanding officer was Captain Robert E. Besal and her recorded decorations included the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Battle Efficiency awards, Navy Expeditionary Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and Kuwait Liberation Medal.

Following decommissioning, the former USS SAVANNAH was placed in inactive status and moved to the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. She was subsequently transferred to the National Defense Reserve Fleet at the James River anchorage near Fort Eustis, Virginia. On October 29, 1998, she was formally stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. After additional years in inactive storage, she was designated for disposal. On January 27, 2009, the United States Maritime Administration entered into a contract with ESCO Marine of Brownsville, Texas, for her dismantling, with a reported contract value of $515,726. The ship was transferred to Brownsville and broken up. The dismantling process was documented for an episode of the National Geographic television program Break It Down, broadcast on July 8, 2010.

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS SAVANNAH Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by Thomas Zera and shows the SAVANNAH at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., in July 1986.

back to top

Back to Replenishment Oilers list.

Back to Ships list.

Back to Selection Page.

Back to 1^st Page.