7,470 t.(lt) 25,450 t.(fl) as built 16,500 t. (lt) 36,500 t.(fl) Jumboized
Length
553ft (169m) as built 664ft (202m) Jumboized
Beam
75ft (23m)
Draught
32ft (9.8m)
Propulsion
steam turbines, four boilers, two shafts, 13,500shp (10,100kW) , twin screws, 30,400hp (22,700kW).
Speed
18 knots
Capacity
Liquid 8,000,000 gallons, Ordnance cargo cap. 400 tons, Provision cargo cap. 525 tons (Support for 3,000 men for 30 days)
Complement
22 officers, 335 enlisted
Crew
12 officers, ~300 enlisted
Armament
one single 5in (130mm)/38 dual purpose gun mount; four single 3in (76mm)/50 dual purpose gun mounts; four twin 40 mm AA gun mounts; four twin 20 mm AA gun mounts
USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) was a Cimarron-classfleet oiler constructed for the U.S. Navy for use in World War II but commissioned too late for service in that conflict. However, she had a lengthy career during the Cold War that followed. She was the only U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Caloosahatchee, after the Caloosahatchee River in southwest Florida.
Caloosahatchee cruised off the U.S. East Coast, transporting oil and fueling ships at sea, and made a voyage to Iceland from Norfolk, Virginia, during her first two years of operations. On 14 August 1947, she sailed for her first tour of duty with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, a deployment that marked almost every year of her operations from that time into 1960.
Caloosahatchee fueling Leyte and Samuel B. Roberts in 1948.
In this era when the U.S. Navy had perfected at-sea replenishment to greatly increase mobility, flexibility and efficiency, Caloosahatchee played a key role in increasing the enormous power for peace represented by the mighty U.S. 6th Fleet.
Among other widespread operations, Caloosahatchee participated in NATOOperation Mariner off Greenock, Scotland, from 16 September to 20 October 1953, and provided summer training for future naval officers in midshipman cruises to Le Havre, France, in 1954, and to Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1956. In fall 1957 and again in summer 1958, the oiler sailed with forces calling at ports in England, Scotland, France, and Portugal.
Caloosahatchee's constant readiness for emergency deployments or other challenges to her operational capability was developed and maintained through training operations along the east coast, and participation in such large-scale Atlantic Fleet exercises as Operation Springboard held in the Caribbean, which operations continued through 1960.[1]
Between 1966 and 1968 Caloosahatchee, along with her sister ships Ashtabula and Canisteo, underwent "jumboization". A 27 m (400-foot) midsection, built entirely new from the keel up, was inserted and welded between her original bow and stern. This replaced the old 310-foot midsection and increased the vessel's liquid cargo capacity by over one-third. Her new configuration closely resembled that of a more modern type of ship, the replenishment oiler. Caloosahatchee was recommissioned on 27 September 1969 and assigned to Service Squadron 2 (SERVRON 2), homeported in Newport, Rhode Island (USA).
Caloosahatchee being undocked after her lengthening, 1968.
During September 1970, Caloosahatchee participated in the naval blockade off the coast of Lebanon during the Black September in Jordan. The conflict was fought between the two major components of the Jordanian population, the Palestinians represented by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) under the leadership of Yasser Arafat and the native Jordanians represented by the Jordanian Armed Forces under the leadership of Hussein of Jordan.[2] In 1974 Caloosahatchee was transferred to the Bethlehem shipyard for a seven-month overhaul. While approaching dock facilities, the ship struck a dockside chock and bent the starboard shaft. The ship spent seven months effecting repairs to the starboard shaft. In addition, twin screws were transported by truck to replace the existing worn out screws.
By February 1975, Caloosahatchee changed homeport to Norfolk, Virginia and was transferred to Service Squadron 4. She deployed to the Mediterranean Sea via the North Atlantic, North Sea, and Baltic Sea. On the way Caloosahatchee was temporarily assigned to 2nd Fleet for operations off the coast of Norway, eventually transiting the Arctic Circle. During the Mediterranean cruise, Caloosahatchee visited, Palma, Majorca, Rota, Spain, Brest, France, Liverpool, Loch Striven and Loch Ewe, United Kingdom and eventually Naples, Italy for approximately one and one half months.[citation needed]
While in the Mediterranean in 1975, Caloosahatchee was involved in a collision with USSInchon to port and USSHermitage to starboard. The ship suffered a gash to the port side along with the loss of the port anchor. A shoring party effected repairs. Caloosahatchee proceeded to Genoa, Italy, to effect repairs to ensure seaworthiness. Due to Navy stand down orders, Caloosahatchee proceeded to Naples, Italy, to finish repairs. The ship spent approximately one and one half months in Naples for repairs.
In 1977, Caloosahatchee collided after a refueling with USSRich (DD-820) off Puerto Rico due to a steering casualty onboard Rich. Rich was eventually determined to be damaged beyond economical repair and scrapped. [3]
Later in 1977 Caloosahatchee again deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, visiting Marseille, France, and Palermo, Sicily.
In 1978, Caloosahatchee underwent an eight-month major extended regular overhaul in Brooklyn, New York City. Following overhaul and after refresher training in August 1979, Caloosahatchee departed a month later with Commander United States Second Fleet for Northern Europe and NATO exercises to be conducted in the North Atlantic, North Sea, and the Baltic Sea where the oiler replenished 116 ships. In 1980, Caloosahatchee participated in various exercises, which involved two deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and a five-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. Over 170 replenishments were completed in 1980, a new record for the ship. In the following year, the oiler deployed to the Caribbean and for six months to the Mediterranean Sea.
During 1988, Caloosahatchee made her last deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, where she recorded 191 underway replenishments. In 1989, she participated in exercise UNITAS XXX and crossed the equator.[4]
Caloosahatchee and three other decommissioned Navy ships, Canisteo, Canopus and Compass Island all arrived at Able UK under the same contract and came to be known as the "Hartlepool Four". Local protests and legal challenges, alleging unacceptable amounts of toxic substances contained on and in the vessels, delayed scrapping until Able UK secured the appropriate waste management licensing in August 2008.[5] Scrapping of Caloosahatchee commenced in November 2009 and was complete by April 2010.
Military awards and honors
Caloosahatchee's crew were authorized the following medals:
USS Sampson (DDG-10), named for Admiral William T. Sampson USN (1840–1902), was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy.
USS Semmes (DDG-18), was the second Navy ship named for Commander (USN), Rear Admiral (CSN), Brigadier General (CSA) Raphael Semmes (1809–1877). Semmes was a Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer of the United States Navy. Entering service in 1962, Semmes spent most of her career in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theaters. Decommissioned in 1991, Semmes was transferred to the Hellenic Navy and renamed Kimon. The destroyer was decommissioned for the final time in 2004 and sold for scrap in 2006.
USS Barry (DD-933) was one of eighteen Forrest Sherman–class destroyers of the United States Navy, and was the third US destroyer to be named for Commodore John Barry. Commissioned in 1954, she spent most of her career in the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Mediterranean, but also served in the Vietnam War, for which she earned two battle stars. Another notable aspect of her service was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
The second USS Seattle (AOE-3), a Sacramento-class fast combat support ship, was laid down on 1 October 1965, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington; launched on 2 March 1968; sponsored by Mrs. William M. Allen, chairman of the board of the Children's Orthopedic Hospital Association, Seattle; and commissioned on 5 April 1969.
USS Warrington (DD-843) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy from the end of World War II to the Vietnam War, when she was damaged by two underwater explosions, causing her to be listed as "beyond repair" and excessed to the Navy of the Republic of China.
USS Detroit (AOE-4) was the fourth and last Sacramento-class fast combat support ship built for the United States Navy. She was laid down on 29 November 1966 by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington; launched 21 June 1969; and commissioned on 28 March 1970. She is the fifth United States Navy ship named after Detroit, Michigan, the largest city in the state of Michigan, and the river of the same name.
USS Myles C. Fox (DD/DDR-829) was a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II and the years following. She was named for Myles C. Fox, a USMC lieutenant who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for actions during World War II.
USS Sylvania (AFS-2), a Mars-class combat stores ship, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named Sylvania.
USS Rich (DD-820/DDE-820) was a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. She was the second ship named in honor of Lieutenant Ralph McMaster Rich (1916–1942), who was awarded the Navy Cross for his leadership as a naval aviator aboard USS Enterprise during the Battle of Midway.
USS Neches (AO-47) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy during World War II and the Vietnam War. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the Neches River in eastern Texas.
USS Waccamaw (AO-109) was a Cimarron-class replenishment oiler in the United States Navy. She was named after Waccamaw River. The original capacity was 146,000 barrels (23,200 m3).
USS Marias (AO-57) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Ocean Theatre of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For performing this dangerous task, she was awarded eight battle stars during World War II, and one campaign star during the Vietnam War for her bravery in combat areas.
USS Allagash (AO-97) was an Cimarron-class oiler constructed for the U.S. Navy for use in World War II. She had the dangerous task of supplying fuel and ammunition to ships in and near combat area.
USS Canisteo (AO-99) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler constructed for the United States Navy in the closing days of World War II. Commissioned too late for service in that conflict, she had a lengthy career in the Cold War that followed. She was the only U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Canisteo, after the Canisteo River in New York.
USS Chukawan (AO-100) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler constructed for the U.S. Navy in the closing days of World War II.
USS Alstede (AF-48) was an Alstede-class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.
USS Truckee (AO-147) was a Neosho-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy in service from 1955 to 1994. The ship was named after the Truckee River in the U.S. states of California and Nevada.
USS Neosho (AO-143) was the lead ship of her class of fleet oilers of the United States Navy, in service from 1954 to the early 1990s.
USS Mississinewa (AO-144) was a Neosho-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy in service from 1955 to the early 1990s.
USS Pawcatuck (AO-108) was a T3 Ashtabula class replenishment oiler tanker that served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1975, then transferred to the Military Sealift Command to continue in non-commissioned service with a civilian crew as United States Naval Ship USNS Pawcatuck (T-AO-108). She was the only United States Navy ship to bear the name Pawcatuck.
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