USNS Walter S. Diehl

The Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers were preceded by the shorter Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oilers. Walter S. Diehl has an overall length of 206.5 metres (677 ft 6 in) and a beam of 29.7 metres (97 ft), with a draft of 11 metres (36 ft). The oiler has a displacement of 41,353 tonnes (40,700 long tons; 45,584 short tons) at full load. It has a capacity of 180,000 imperial barrels (29,000,000 L; 6,500,000 imp gal; 7,800,000 US gal) of aviation fuel or fuel oil. She can carry a dry load of 690 square metres (7,400 sq ft) and can refrigerate 128 pallets of food. The ship is powered by two 10 PC4.2 V 570 Colt-Pielstick diesel engines that drive two shafts; this gives a power of 25.6 megawatts (34,800 PS; 34,300 shp).[2]

The Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers have maximum speeds of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). They were initially built without armaments, but are equipped with small arms and can be fitted with close-in weapon systems if required. The ship has a helicopter platform but not any maintenance facilities. Walter S. Diehl is fitted with five fuelling stations; these can fill two ships at the same time and the ship is capable of pumping 900,000 US gallons (3,400,000 L; 750,000 imp gal) of diesel or 540,000 US gallons (2,000,000 L; 450,000 imp gal) of jet fuel per hour. She has a complement of 89 civilians (nineteen officers), 29 spare crew, and 6 United States Navy crew.[2]

Walter S. Diehl, the seventh ship of the Henry J. Kaiser-class, was laid down at Avondale Shipyard, Inc., at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 7 August 1986 and launched on 2 October 1987. She entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service under the control of the Military Sealift Command with a primarily civilian crew on 13 September 1988.

Walter S. Diehl was assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet, serving in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf regions.

On 23 April 2002, Walter S. Diehl was passing through the Strait of Hormuz when six small motorboats sped alongside in an aggressive and threatening manner. Walter S. Diehl fired flares to warn the boats off, but they did not move away. She then opened fire with a .50-caliber (12.7-mm) machine gun and the boats sped off.

On 20 November 2014, Walter S. Diehl collided with the USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6) during an underway replenishment operation. No injuries were reported. [3]

She was taken out of service and placed in reserve on 1 October 2022.[1]

• This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMO 8511495.

• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive: USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO-193)
• USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193)
• Wildenberg, Thomas (1996). Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. Retrieved 28 April 2009.