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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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Mission San Miguel
(AO‑129: dp. 21,880; l. 524'; b. 68'; dr. 30'; s. 16.5 k.; cpl. 52; a. none; cl. Mission Buenaventura; T.T2‑SE‑A2)

A merchant name retained. A Franciscan mission in colonial California founded in 1797.

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Mission San Miguel was laid down 11 August 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by Marine Ship Corp., Sausalito, Calif.; launched 31 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. John W. Hardie; and delivered 19 February 1944.

Chartered to Pacific Tankers, Inc., for operations, she spent the remainder of the war carrying fuel to our forces overseas. She remained in this capacity until 20 May 1946, when she was returned to the Maritime Commission and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Mobile, Ala.

Acquired by the Navy on 4 November 1947, she was chartered to American Pacific Steamship Co., for operations, on the same date and placed under the operational control of the Naval Transportation Service as Mission San Miguel (AO‑129). Transferred to the operational control of the newly created Military Sea Transportation Service 1 October 1949, she was redesignated USNS Mission San Miguel (T‑AO‑ 129). She served with MSTS until 22 March 1950 when she was taken out of service and laid up in the U.S. Navy Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego. Her stay in reserve was short for on 24 July, she was once again placed in service by MSTS to aid supporting our troops in Korea. She served with MSTS until 28 May 1954, when she was placed in the San Diego group, Pacific Reserve Fleet for laying up. Reactivated and placed in service with MSTS 1 November 1956, she served until 8 October 1957, when she ran aground on Maro Reef, Hawaiian Islands, while running at full speed and in ballast. When she began to go down by the stern, her crew was taken off by USNS LST‑664, despite darkness, 8‑foot seas and numerous reefs. Declared unfit for further naval service and salvage, she was struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register 20 December 1957.