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Mobil Tankers
Wellesley - (1943-1945)
See also : Saucon (I) - (1945-1964)

The first "Saucon",  as seen here, was built in 1943, as "Wellesley".
Renamed in 1945 as "Saucon". Scrapped at Bilbao 1964.

Saucon  -  ex Wellesley 1945
LOA 5017" , Beam 68' , Depth 37' , 16,543 DWT 133,813 bbls
Bethlehem turbines, cross-compound, Falk reduction gears, developing 7000 SHP at 85 RPM 15.0 knots

Launched 6 November 1943 under the name Wellesley, and commissioned 14 December at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Sparrows Point, Maryland. Delivered to Socony-Vacuum eight days later as final ship in the first barter contract. Wellesley was obtained in return for Standard Arrow and Vacuum.
Wellesley served under WSA requisition, first in transatlantic convoys to the UK and the Mediterranean, then in the Pacific, mostly lifting war cargoes out of Abadan, Iran, for Australia and New Guinea.
A typical deck cargo for this ship was 20 P51 aircraft. Occasionally - and for an oil tanker this was something new - she carried mail. Her name was changed to Saucon upon her return home in November 1945.
Saucon was the name of an Indian village, presumably Costanoan, connected with the Dolores Mission in San Francisco, California.
As Saucon this vessel entered into coastal employment, with excursions into foreign waters in 1949, 1950 and 1951.

T3-S-A1
Built December 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.,
as "Wellesley - (1943-1945)" # 527, for Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York.
1945 - SAUCON   s/o
1955 - Socony Mobil Oil Co., Inc., New York
1964 - Allegheny Ventura Corp., New York
Broken up at Bilbao 1964, arrived11.1964, work began 1.12.1964.

The Miramar Ship Index for "WELLESLEY"
IDNo:
2244796
Year:
1943
Name:
WELLESLEY
Keel:
Type:
Tanker
Launch Date:
6.11.1943
Flag:
USA
Date of completion:
12.1943

Tons:
9933
DWT:
16100
Yard No:
4389
Length overall:
152.9
Ship Design:
T3-S-A1
LPP:
148.6
Country of build:
USA
Beam:
20.7
Builder:
Bethlehem-Sparrows Point SY
Material of build:
Location of yard:
Sparrows Point
Number ofscrews/Mchy/Speed(kn):
1ST-15

Subsequent History:
1945 SAUCON

Disposal Data:
Scrapped at Bilbao 1.12.1964.

History:
ON
LR/IMO
ID
Year
Name
Tons
Change
Registered Owner
244796
2244796
1943
WELLESLEY
9933
Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc.
244796
2244796
1943
SAUCON
9933
1945
Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc.
244796
531467
2244796
1943
SAUCON
9933
1955
Socony Mobil Oil Co Inc.
244796
531467
2244796
1943
SAUCON
9933
1964
Allegheny Ventura Corp.