MV Louden

History
Name	Louden Piscataqua
Namesake	Piscataqua River
Ordered	as type (T1-M-BT1) hull, MC hull 2630
Awarded	26 July 1944
Builder	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida[2]
Cost	$1,022,203.48[1]
Yard number	89
Way number	3
Laid down	24 March 1945
Launched	26 May 1945
Completed	16 July 1947
Acquired	Acquisition canceled, 26 August 1945
Renamed	Piscataqua
Identification	Hull symbol: AOG-70
Fate	Sold for commercial use, 16 July 1947
United States
Name	Louden
Owner	International Tankers
Fate	Sold, 1948
United States
Name	Transwel
Fate	Sold 1950
Mexico
Name	Salamanca
Owner	Petroleos Mexicanos SA
Fate	Scrapped, 1972
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	Klickitat-class gasoline tanker
Type	Type T1-MT-BT1 tanker
Displacement	1,980 long tons (2,012 t) (light) 5,970 long tons (6,066 t) (full load)
Length	325 ft 2 in (99.11 m)
Beam	48 ft 2 in (14.68 m)
Draft	19 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power	1 × Enterprise DNQ-38 Diesel engine 800 shp (600 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Westinghouse main reduction gears 1 × shaft
Speed	10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Capacity	10,465 bbl (1,663.8 m3) (Diesel) 871,332 US gal (3,298,350 L; 725,536 imp gal) (Gasoline)
Complement	80
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual-purpose (DP) gun 2 × 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft (AA) gun mounts 3 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannon AA gun mounts

MV Louden was acquired by the Maritime Commission (MARCOM) on a loan charter basis and renamed USS Piscataqua (AOG-70), she was to be a type T1 Klickitat-class gasoline tanker built for the US Navy during World War II. She was named after the Piscataqua River, between New Hampshire and Maine. Piscataqua (AOG-70) was never commissioned into the US Navy.

Construction[edit]

Louden (AOG-70) was laid down on 24 March 1945, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2630, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was renamed Piscataqua, but acquisition by the US Navy was cancelled 26 August 1945.^[2][1]

Piscataqua was launched on 26 May 1945, and was about 80.3% complete when, due to the end of World War II, the ship's US Navy reassignment was canceled. She reverted to her original name of Louden. The unfinished ship was completed by the Maryland Drydock Company, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1947, and sold to the International Tankers, 16 July 1947.^[4][3]

Career[edit]

Louden was resold in 1948, and renamed Transwel. Transwel was resold in 1950, and renamed Salamanca. Salamanca was scrapped in 1972.^[3]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

Photo gallery of USS Piscataqua (AOG-70) at NavSource Naval History