USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)

300px Caloosahatchee fueling Leyte and Samuel B. Roberts in 1948
Career (US)
Name:	USS Caloosahatchee
Namesake:	The Caloosahatchie River in Florida
Ordered:	as T3-S2-A3 tanker hull; MC hull 2560
Laid down:	30 November 1944
Launched:	2 June 1945
Commissioned:	10 October 1945
Decommissioned:	28 February 1990
Struck:	18 July 1994
Fate:	Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 18 December 1998
General characteristics
Displacement:	7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length:	644 ft (196 m)
Beam:	75 ft (23 m)
Draught:	32 ft (9.8 m)
Propulsion:	steam turbines, four boilers, two shafts, 13,500 shaft horsepower , twin screws, 30,400hp.
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
Armament:	one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount; four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts; four twin 40mm AA gun mounts; four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) was an Cimarron-class fleet 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.

Caloosahatchee (AO-98) was launched 2 June 1945 by Bethlehem Steel-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc., Sparrows Point, Maryland, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. C. L. Andrews; acquired by the Navy 10 October 1945; commissioned the same day, Commander H. R. Livingston, USNR, in command; and reported to Commander, Service Force, Atlantic Fleet.

Cold War operations

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.

In this era when the U.S. Navy had perfected at-sea replenishment to greatly in crease 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 NATO Operation 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.

Final decommissioning

Caloosahatchee decommissioned, 28 February 1990, and was struck from the Naval Register, 18 July 1994. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration, 18 December 1998, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, Virginia. Final Disposition: she was sold for scrapping to Able UK, Hartlepool, Teeside, England, and removed from the Reserve Fleet, and during October 2003 was under tow to the United Kingdom.

Military awards and honors

Caloosahatchee’s crew were authorized the following medals:

• SecNav Letter of Commendation (1)
• Navy Unit Commendation
• American Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• National Defense Service Medal (2)
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic, 1-Grenada)

References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links

• Photo gallery of Caloosahatchee at NavSource Naval History
• Official Website of Caloos Veterans