USS Patuxent ( AO - 44 ) USS " Patuxent " ( AO - 44 ) was a in the United States Navy during World War II . She was the second U . S . Navy ship named for the Patuxent River in Maryland . The type T2 - A tanker was laid down under Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 159 ) on 5 March 1942 as SS " Emmkay " by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co . ( hull number 228 ) at Chester , Pennsylvania , for the Keystone Co . She was launched on 25 July 1942 , sponsored by Mrs . W . H . Blanchard , acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 28 September 1942 , converted by the Maryland Drydock Company , Baltimore , Maryland , and commissioned on 22 October 1942 , Cmdr . Burton Davis in command . Service history . 1942 – 1944 . On 12 November 1942 , " Patuxent " reported to the U . S . Naval Base , Norfolk , Virginia , for duty . On 17 December she sailed for Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies and on 27 December transited the Panama Canal . Steaming across the Pacific , she operated with Task Group 62 . 9 during February 1943 in the capture and defense of Guadalcanal . During this campaign she supplied aviation gasoline to the Guadalcanal airstrips . She next sailed for the United States via the Fiji Islands arriving San Pedro , California , on 6 March . Following overhaul , she again departed for South Pacific . During the ensuing months , " Patuxent " fueled ships and airfields during consolidation operations in the southern Solomons . From 10 July to 20 November , she made runs between Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , and Guadalcanal and Florida Islands , with two cruises to Nouméa , New Caledonia . During these runs she fueled the fleet in Purvis Bay and Tulagi Harbor , Florida Island , and pumped aviation gasoline to Henderson Field and other fighter strips on Guadalcanal . She departed Nouméa on 20 November and carried gasoline to Wellington , New Zealand . " Patuxent " next made fueling runs which lasted throughout the month of December . On 30 December she got underway from Purvis Bay for her first rendezvous with major ships of the fleet for fueling - at - sea operations . Supporting strikes off Kavieng , New Ireland on 31 December 1943 to 1 January 1944 , she fueled two carriers and three destroyers . She sailed to Espiritu Santo on 10 January 1944 and steamed between Guadalcanal and the New Hebrides until 9 March . On 8 April 1944 , " Patuxent " proceeded to her second refueling - at - sea rendezvous . She then returned via Purvis Bay , to the States , reaching San Pedro , California on 10 May 1944 for overhaul . Departing the West Coast on 19 June , she joined the logistic support group in the Marianas campaign supporting the occupation of Saipan . She returned to Eniwetok on 8 August and joined a large group of fleet oilers , cargo ships , tugs , escorts and , 12 days later , sortied from Eniwetok for maneuvers , proceeding to Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands group . Departing Manus on 6 September , " Patuxent " steamed with the logistic support group for the Palau Island campaign . After a week fueling - at - sea , she returned to Seeadler Harbor . On the 18th she returned to the Palau area , fueled , and headed to rendezvous east of the Philippine Islands to fuel the fast carrier task force striking there on 9 – 24 September . She returned to Seeadler Harbor on 8 October . On 13 October she followed the Philippine invading forces out of Seeadler Harbor and proceeded to the Philippine area once more , participating in the logistic support operations off the east coast . " Patuxent " was with the task group off Luzon when the Japanese sent their fleet to wipe out the Leyte beachhead . Orders arrived to head east at flank speed . The task group raced to the Western Carolines , arriving at Ulithi on 30 October , " Patuxent " s home port for the next ten months . Returning to the Philippine area again 2 November , she operated with the logistic support group . Typhoon Cobra hit the fueling area on 18 December , sent three destroyers to the bottom and badly damaged several other ships . Although handicapped with a damaged boom , " Patuxent " fueled the storm - battered ships and then set course for Ulithi . 1945 – 1946 . " Patuxent " departed Ulithi on 7 January 1945 . She joined the Fast Carrier Task Group , then preparing for a sortie into the South China Sea . During this period the fleet struck the China coast and Formosa , and also supported operations at Lingayen Gulf , Luzon . Under the cover of night , the oilers entered the South China Sea and fueled the 3rd Fleet . Japanese Army camps were in sight on the shore , and unidentified aircraft passed overhead during the night . This cruise into the South China Sea ended " Patuxent " s part in the recapture and liberation of the Philippine Islands . " Patuxent " departed Ulithi on 8 February , for the Volcano Islands area and the Iwo Jima campaign . The task group swung southwest to standby while the combat ships went in to support the beachheads . After an explosion and fire forward , " Patuxent " steamed to Saipan for repairs , arriving on 19 February 1945 , then steamed to Ulithi . Departing there on 22 March she rejoined her task group in the logistic support of the fleet for the Okinawa invasion . In the next two months , " Patuxent " made four voyages from Ulithi to fueling areas off Okinawa . After Okinawa had been secured , " Patuxent " steamed to the Philippines , arriving at San Pedro Bay on 14 June , before joining the logistic group of the 3rd Fleet at Ulithi the 24th . " Patuxent " supported strikes against Japan from 10 July until 5 August . After replenishing at Ulithi the oiler was steaming to rejoin the support group off Honshū when the news of Japan ' s capitulation reached the ship . On 4 September , two days after the formal surrender ceremony there , she steamed into Tokyo Bay with the occupation forces . On 16 September she headed home via Eniwetok , arrived at San Francisco on 24 October and reported for inactivation to the Commandant of the 12th Naval District . On 18 January 1946 , she was moved to the Graham Shipyards , Oakland , and decommissioned there on 21 February 1946 . She was struck from the Navy List on 12 March 1946 , and transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal on 1 July 1946 . She was subsequently sold to the Pure Oil Co . , Chicago , Illinois , and operated out of Baltimore as SS " David D . Irwin " . Awards . " Patuxent " received eight battle star s for World War II service .