Aerial starboard bow view of part of Task Group 70 underway in the Philippine Sea, May 1982, during Exercise Readex '82. Ships are, left to right:
A Knox-class frigate; the combat stores ship USS San Jose (AFS-7), the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-61); a Spruance-class destroyer;
the guided missile destroyer USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16),  a Mispillion-class "jumboized" fleet oiler, possibly USNS Mispillion (T-AO-105) herself;
the command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19); the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41);
a Leahy-class guided missile cruiser, possibly USS Reeves (CG-24); a Spruance-class destroyer; and a Knox-class frigate.

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The Neosho and the five others of her class that followed were the first oilers in the U.S. Navy to be engineered specifically for underway replenishment. They were basically similar in design to the old Cimarron class except that they were larger and faster. They carried one-third more cargo. Unlike the Cimarron, which had been modified after construction to handle gasoline, the cargo tank arrangement of the new ships were designed expressly to meet particular needs of this liquid. since it was desirable to put saltwater ballast in the tanks normally used to carry gasoline, a design was devised that placed the tanks on the centerline amidships so that ballasting was not required of these compartments. A cofferdam was constructed around the gasoline tanks to prevent contamination anf the gasoline tanks were surrounded by black oil and diedel tanks to afford some protection to the highly volatile gasoline.
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Click image for full ship details details

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In recognition of the need to handle non-liquid cargo, the cargo deck (01 deck) on the new oilers estended from forecastle to the poop the full beam of the ship and was equipped with two midship transfer stations for moving dry cargo by Burtoning (yard and stay) or highline. Extra stowage space was provided below decks for additional provisions that could be issued to ships alongside on an emergency basis.

The cargo deck, which had a clear fore-and-aft passage to facilitate movement of cargo, also provided support for the eight fueling rigs designed dispense liquid fuels through a newly developed 7-inch lightweight collapsible hose. In 1965 a probe fueling device was put into use to relieve the dangerous restrictions imposed by hose end couplings. It consisted of a male fitting used by aircraft during in-flight refueling. The probe rides (flies) on a trolley and mates with a swivel elbow on the receiving ship. The probe has a poppet valve that locks on connection and closes on break-away.
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Fueling rig improvements were not included in the AO-143 design. A new rig was developed, with help of the Otis Elevator company, that could be used in extremely heavy weather with a counterweight system for tensioning the span wire, allowing the fueling ships to be separated by as much as 300 feet. It was installed on all oilers in 1956 as a "Ram Tension Span Wire". The improvements in these ten years reduces the manning requirements at each station from siz to two persons. AO-143 descriptions are by permission from the 1996 book "Gray Steel and Black Oil" by Thomas Wildenberg.

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Remember, duty on oilers is a 24/7 job, on call when ever their services are required
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Each commander that completes an UNREP, FEELS THE BURN of satisfaction.

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A museum needs to be established for the Neosho Class Oilers
Having the use of an actual ship seems to be out of the question!

View: "Oiler History"
There are several devices that standout on an oiler which can be memorialized within another museum. These items are described on a web page about "Disposing of Kawishiwi". Included for a museum would be a large model of the Neosho Class Oiler. Maybe six models could be created at the same time.

With this web page, I would like to request that the six carrier museums above consider haveing perhaps a 300 sq. ft. space made available on their hanger deck for such a museum. They could tie it in with their fueling requirements, how their supporting war ships are kept fueled and of course they could not perform there assignment with out an oiler.