USS Kanawha (AO-1) found in USS Helena CL-50 War Diary for 14 August 1942,

USS Kanawha (AO-1) Awards

Laid down: 8 December 1913
Launched: 11 July 1914
Commissioned: 5 June 1915 5 June 1934
Decommissioned: 18 December 1929
Struck: 19 May 1943
Honors and awards: World War I Victory Medal (with Transport clasp) -
American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)/American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Fate: Sunk on 8 April 1943 by Japanese aircraft off Tulagi, Solomon Islands

Class and type: -class fleet replenishment oiler
Displacement: 5,723 tons light 14,800 tons full load
Length: 475 ft 7 in (144.96 m)
Beam: 56 ft 3 in (17.15 m)
Draft: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
Speed: 14 knots
Complement: 317 officers and enlisted
Armament: 2 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber guns 2 × twin 40-mm. guns 2 × twin 20-mm. guns
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The third USS Kanawha (AO-1) (originally Fuel Ship No. 13) was the first purpose-built oiler of the US Navy.
She was laid down 8 December 1913 by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched 11 July 1914;
sponsored by Miss Dorothy Bennett; and commissioned 5 June 1915, Lt. Comdr. Richard Werner, USNRF, in command.

The oiler was at Mare Island undergoing overhaul at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Kanawha departed
San Pedro 21 March 1942 with a convoy loaded with supplies for Hawaii. She continued convoy runs from California to Pearl
Harbor until 18 May when she arrived Tongatapu for fueling operations in the South Pacific. Throughout the summer she
cruised to New Caledonia, Espiritu Santo, and Efate, providing fuel for destroyers and transports en route to the Pacific
campaigns. The oiler departed Pago Pago 12 October and put into San Francisco 29 October for repairs and overhaul.
Kanawha resumed fueling operations upon her return to Pago Pago 13 February 1943. For the next two months she serviced
ships engaged in the struggle in the Solomon Islands.

On 7 April a group of Japanese Vals slipped through fighter defenses and zeroed in on Kanawha as she awaited an escort
in Tulagi harbor. At 1502, shortly after clearing the harbor, the slow and vulnerable oiler came under bomb attack. The first five
planes hit an oil tank under the bridge, causing fires to spread rapidly along the deck. Lt. Comdr. Bock ordered the ship
abandoned to minimize danger to his crew from burning oil on the surface. After rescue operations were underway, volunteers
returned on board and extinguished fires amidst exploding ammunition. The tug Rail towed Kanawha to the west side of
Tulagi where she was beached shortly before midnight. However, she slid off into deep water and sank before daybreak 8 April.
Nineteen of her crew were lost. Kanawha received one battle star for World War II service.