1970 USS SAVANNAH. USS Savannah was one of a class of seven fleet replenishment oilers, led by the Wichita, which went into service with the
US Navy in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
THE WICHITA CLASS
Along with five of her six sisters, the Savannah (AOR4) was built by General Dynamics at Quincy, Massachusetts, the odd ship out being built by National Steel on the West Coast, in San Diego. Savannah was laid down in January 1 969, launched in April 1970 and commissioned in December of that year. She was taken out of commission on 24 August 1995, but held in reserve. As a fleet replenishment oiler, her task was to keep US warships supplied not only with fuel but also with all the other essential supplies. She could handle two clients at once, with three refuelling stations to starboard and four to port.
ARMAMENT
Her status as an auxiliary warship did not mean that Savannah was not armed. She was equipped with a Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile battery, together with its associated radar installation, to fight off an attack from the air, and with Phalanx as a defence against sea-skimming missiles. USS Savannah deployed to the eastern Mediterranean with the US Sixth Fleet during the war against Iraq in 1991.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Fleet replenishment oiler
Machinery: General Electric turbines giving a total of 32,000shp
Dimensions (overall): length, 200.9m (659ft); beam, 29.3m (9ft)
Draught: 10.lm (33.lft}
