USS Yahara (AOG-37) was a Mettawee-classgasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
Yahara was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1800) on 6 June 1944 at Bayonne, New Jersey, by the East Coast Shipyard, Inc.; launched on 30 July 1944; sponsored by Miss Cynthia Tenety; converted for naval service at Brooklyn, New York, by the Marine Basin Co.; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 29 September 1944.
Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor on 2 January 1945, the ship joined Service Squadron (ServRon) 8. Departing Pearl Harbor on 5 January for the Phoenix group, she delivered her cargo of aviation gas and oil to Canton Island on the 13th and returned to Pearl Harbor two days later.
She continued her fuel shuttle operations in the Hawaiian chain through most of February, making runs to Johnston Island and Maui. The tanker sailed for the Marshalls on the 25th as part of Task Unit 16.8.13. En route, she delivered a cargo of aviation gasoline to the naval air station at Johnston Island for use by planes engaged in the search for Lt. Gen. Millard F. Harmon, whose plane had been lost at sea. The ship arrived at Eniwetok on 13 March and, after waiting four days for a convoy bound for the Western Carolines, got underway on St. Patrick's Day and proceeded independently to Ulithi.
Joining ServRon 10 a week later, she took on a cargo of gasoline, diesel oil, and lubricating oil. However, she stood by at Ulithi, awaiting instructions through all of April and the first half of May before the long-awaited orders arrived and directed her to join Task Force 51.
Okinawa operations
On 19 May, Yahara got underway for Kerama Retto, in company with Convoy UOK 16. Rerouted en route, to the beachhead at Hagushi, the tanker arrived off Okinawa on 28 May. She remained in the Okinawa area through the cessation of hostilities in August, at Naha, le Shima, Chimu Wan, and Buckner Bay. During this period, she provided shuttle tanker services, transporting fuel from large tankers offshore to shore installations, and served as a small craft fueling center.
Typhoon damage
In the course of her operations, she weathered three typhoons (19 July to 21 July; 1 August to 3 August; 16 September to 18 September) and, after the September "blow", was forced to assume emergency harbor duty, as all of the smaller yard oilers had been driven aground by the fury of the storm. A fourth typhoon struck on 9 October; and Yahara, while riding it out, lost her starboardanchor when its chain parted. The ship dragged her port anchor some three miles while winds in excess of 125 knots (232km/h) lashed Buckner Bay.
World War II ends
Her duty completed and the war over, Yahara sailed for home on 14 December, in company with sister ship Ponchatoula(AOG-38). Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 5 January 1946, Yahara resumed her voyage to the U.S. West Coast on the 9th and arrived at San Francisco, California on the 20th. She spent the remainder of the month on the California seaboard before heading for the Panama Canal and the U.S. East Coast.
Late in 1947, Yahara was acquired by the Texas Oil Company and renamed El Caribe. She subsequently operated under a succession of flags — Norwegian, British, and French — into the 1950s before her documentary trail becomes cloudy. Homeported at Oslo, Norway, from 1947 to 1952, she served the Texas Oil Company's Norwegian subsidiary and then sailed under the British flag with first the Verbomilia Steamship Co. and later with the Cousotanker Co., Ltd. (both of London) in 1953 and 1954. Her last recorded registry was French; and, still as El Caribe, she homeported at Marseilles, France, from 1954 to 1958, with the Societe Meridionale d'Armement. Renamed Crysanthi P, she is carried on the American Bureau of Shipping's Record from 1958 to 1960 under this name but without any clue as to her nationality or ownership. Thereafter, all trace of the ship seems to have disappeared.
USS Patapsco (AOG–1) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She saw service during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Patapsco was the sixth ship of the US Navy to be named for the Patapsco River in Maryland. After decommissioning she was converted to a fishing vessel under the name Arctic Storm, and is currently in operation.
USS Wabash (AOG-4) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Sebec (AO-87) was a Escambia-class fleet oiler acquired by the United States Navy for use during World War II. She had the dangerous but necessary task of providing fuel to vessels in combat and non-combat areas primarily in the Pacific Ocean. For her valiant efforts, she received six battle stars during the war.
USS Ashtabula (AO-51) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy in service from 1943 to 1991. She survived three wars and was awarded eight battle stars for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War service, and eight campaign stars for Vietnam War service. In the mid-1960s Ashtabula became the lead ship of her class, when she and seven other Cimarron-class oilers were lengthened ("jumboized"). She has been the only U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Ashtabula, after the City of Ashtabula which was named after the Ashtabula River in northeast Ohio.
USS Kern (AOG-2) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Genesee (AOG-8) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Seekonk (AOG-20) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Sequatchie (AOG-21) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Wautauga (AOG-22) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker of the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Ammonusuc (AOG-23) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Kanawha (AOG-31) was a T1-M-A2 Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Narraguagas (AOG-32) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Oconee (AOG-34) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Ontonagon (AOG-36) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Ponchatoula (AOG-38) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Towaliga (AOG-42) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Wakulla (AOG-44) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Waupaca (AOG-46) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Chehalis (AOG-48) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations. The vessel was named after the Chehalis River located in Washington state.
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