USS Waccamaw
USNS Waccamaw (T-AO-109) in 1984
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Waccamaw |
Namesake | The Waccamaw River in South Carolina |
Builder | Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. |
Laid down | 28 April 1945 |
Launched | 30 March 1946 |
Commissioned | 25 June 1946 |
Decommissioned | 24 February 1975 |
In service | 1975 |
Out of service | 1989 |
Reclassified | T-AO-109 (1975) |
Stricken | 1991 |
Identification | IMO number: 7737169 |
Honors and awards |
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Fate | Transferred to the Military Sealift Command, 1975. Retired and assigned to the Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet, 1989. Sold for scrap and towed to Brownsville, TX, 11 October 2005. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | fleet replenishment oiler |
Type | T3-S2-A3 tanker hull |
Displacement | 23,235 long tons (23,608 t) full load |
Length | 553 ft (169 m) |
Beam | 75 ft (23 m) |
Draft | 32 ft 4 in (9.86 m) |
Speed | 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) |
Capacity | 146,000 barrels (23,200 m3) |
Complement | 304 |
Armament |
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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).
Waccamaw was laid down on 28 April 1945 by the
Atlantic Fleet operations
After completing shakedown and training at Norfolk, Virginia, and Guantanamo Bay, Waccamaw spent her first two years engaged in transporting oil from the Persian Gulf to the United States. In September 1948, she was assigned to duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean and, in the spring of 1949, was transferred to the 2nd Fleet for exercises in the Caribbean. A second tour of the Mediterranean followed in the early part of 1950 and a third in 1951, the latter extending to nine months.[1]
After a shipyard overhaul at
After returning from the Mediterranean, Waccamaw operated in the Caribbean for two months, participated in the International Naval Review at
During September and October 1957, Waccamaw, as a member of the underway replenishment group, supported the international fleet participating in the NATO fall exercises. These exercises were designed to test the ability of the navies of the Atlantic community to cooperate in mutual defense. In the course of these operations, Waccamaw played a novel role in the rapidly developing character of the Fleet; she was the last oiler to fuel USS Wisconsin, the last of the battleships, and the first to fuel the new super carriers, USS Forrestal and USS Saratoga.[1][2]
Supporting U.S. landing in Lebanon
In the winter of 1957 and 1958, Waccamaw underwent an overhaul at Boston, followed by training at
After a brief rest in December 1958, Captain Thomas H. Henry brought Waccamaw back to her assigned mission by fueling
On 20 April 1959, Waccamaw departed for another Mediterranean tour. This seventh tour, however, was shorter than those previous, and she returned to Newport in June. Upon her return, the ship continued her familiar role of logistic support to the
After completing refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, the ship returned to
The spring months of 1961 were spent supporting the
In June 1962, Waccamaw again resumed support of the 2nd Fleet; and, in August, she set sail for the Mediterranean on her ninth tour with the
Search for USS Thresher
During the period from March through June, Waccamaw held a dependents' cruise; supported the fruitless
Waccamaw spent most of the fall in Newport, with scattered brief commitments and type training periods underway. Much time was devoted to the administrative inspection for fiscal 1964 which was held in November. At the year's end, preparations were hard underway on board Waccamaw for the most extensive yard period in the ship's 17-year history. She was scheduled to enter the Puget Sound Bridge and Dry-dock Co. in Seattle, Washington on 29 February 1964.[1]
West Coast operations
On 27 January 1964, Waccamaw got underway for Seattle, Washington, and arrived on 21 February. During a seven-month yard period, she received the oiler equivalent of "framming", "jumbo conversion."[1] During this conversion the midsection of the ship (all the cargo tanks) was removed and a new midbody (100 feet longer than the original was inserted. All the steam winches were removed and replaced with "state-of-the-art" replenishment equipment including new cargo pumps.
On 26 February 1965, the ship returned to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. At that time, her status was changed from "in commission, in reserve" to "in commission, active." Following a fitting out and ready-for-sea period, Waccamaw departed the Puget Sound area and proceeded to San Diego, arriving there on 23 April. After stopping at Acapulco, Mexico, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, the ship returned to Newport, Rhode Island, on 12 May 1965.[1]
Reassigned to homeport of Norfolk
During the period between 14 May and 17 June, Waccamaw engaged in shakedown training at
Waccamaw got underway on 10 January 1966 for the Caribbean and Operation "Springboard." During this exercise, she refueled 42 ships and conducted gunnery exercises and other at-sea trials before returning to Craney Island on 4 February. Upon her return, she operated in the Virginia Capes area and began making preparations for overseas deployment.[1]
On 4 May 1966, Waccamaw departed Norfolk destined for the Mediterranean. She was the first "jumbo oiler" to operate with the 6th Fleet. During her Mediterranean cruise, she steamed in excess of 20,000 miles (32,000 km), refueled 256 ships, and pumped more than 32 million US gallons (120,000 m3) of fuel oil. On 20 October, she returned to the Naval Station Norfolk, then proceeded to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to repair the damage sustained in a minor collision with USS Noa.[1]
The ship took part in Exercise "Lantflex 66" in the Caribbean on 28 November. Waccamaw returned to the Norfolk Navy Station on 15 December and remained until the end of the year for tender availability and holiday leave.[1]
After refueling ships of the 2nd Fleet and lifting fuel at Craney Island, Waccamaw departed on 27 February 1967 to escort six destroyers to the Azores. She returned on 21 March, then got underway again on 10 April for Operation "Clovehitch III" which lasted through the end of the month. On 1 May, the ship returned to Norfolk for upkeep and tender availability.[1]
On 12 June 1967, Waccamaw departed for a midshipman training cruise to the Caribbean and returned to
Searching for the lost submarine USS Scorpion
Waccamaw departed on 13 November for her 11th Mediterranean cruise. At the close of 1967, Waccamaw was at Naples, Italy, for a holiday liberty and upkeep period. This cruise ended on 23 April 1968 when the ship arrived at Norfolk, Virginia. On 28 May, she participated in the search for the nuclear submarine USS Scorpion. This was followed by exercises in the Jacksonville, Florida, and Virginia Capes operating areas and participation in NATO exercise "Silvertower" with the British and Canadian Navies. During "Silvertower", Waccamaw refueled 69 ships before returning to Norfolk on 15 October. The ship then operated off the Virginia and Florida coasts until 21 November when she underwent tender availability at Craney Island, Virginia, and returned to Norfolk on 18 December 1968 to finish the year in liberty and upkeep.[1]
Waccamaw began the year 1969 in her home port of Norfolk, Virginia, and, on 2 January, arrived at the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Baltimore, for routine hull maintenance followed by regular overhaul at Home Bros. Shipyard, Newport News, Virginia. After conducting exercises in the Virginia Capes operating area, she completed refresher training in Guantanamo Bay on 20 June. The next month was spent in operations off the Virginia and Florida coasts. On 21 August, the ship moved to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, to make final preparations for deployment.[1]
North Atlantic operations
On 2 September 1969, Waccamaw got underway for deployment to the North Atlantic. From 17 to 23 September, she participated in NATO Exercise "Operation Peacekeeper". Wacamaw returned to the Naval Station, Norfolk, on 11 December and remained there until the end of 1969 for leave and upkeep.[1]
During January and February 1970, Waccamaw continued a period of tender availability. After a fuel lift at
Supporting Jordan Crisis operations
On 18 June 1970, USS Eugene A. Greene lost steering and collided with Waccamaw while refueling in the eastern Mediterranean. Neither ship was seriously damaged and continued their deployments.[citation needed]
The ship arrived at
Collision with USS Detroit
In 1971 Waccamaw was in restricted availability status in Norfolk, Virginia. After sea trials on 10 February and a fuel lift at Craney Island on 16 February, Waccamaw got underway for operations on 20 February. Three days later, she collided with USS Detroit during an underway replenishment but sustained very little damage. However, she returned to Norfolk for repairs which lasted from 24 February to 9 March.[1]
During the next month, Waccamaw operated in the Jacksonville, Florida, operations area. Upon her return to Norfolk, the ship remained in port for repairs until 28 June.[1]
On 28 June 1971, Waccamaw deployed to the North Atlantic to support the
Waccamaw departed on 3 January 1972 for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. She returned to Norfolk on 12 February, after having visited
On 30 May 1972, Waccamaw set sail from
Waccamaw found herself working again early in the new year. On 4 January 1973, a milestone was reached: Waccamaw refueled USS Lang, her last of 246 commitments off the coast of Vietnam. The ship returned to Subic Bay, thence to Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal, and, finally, Norfolk, Virginia. She arrived at her home port on 17 February 1973, after circumnavigating the world.[1]
Return to East Coast assignments
On 9 April, Waccamaw got underway to provide services NATO forces operating off the coast of Greenland. Upon her return to Norfolk, the ship underwent restricted availability from 4 May until 16 July. After extensive repairs, Waccamaw got underway on 8 December 1973 to operate off the coast of Virginia. She returned to Norfolk one week later and spent the last weeks of 1973 in her home port area.[citation needed]
On 8 January 1974, Waccamaw got underway for
Decommissioning, civilian service and disposal
On 6 December 1974, Waccamaw returned to Norfolk, Virginia, where she prepared for decommissioning. The ship was decommissioned by the Navy on 24 February 1975. Waccamaw transferred to the Military Sealift Command, where she continued in non-commissioned U.S. Navy service with a civilian crew as United States Naval Ship USNS Waccamaw (T-AO-108).[1]
On 3 April 1978, USS Fort Snelling and Waccamaw received structural damage in a collision north of Corsica when Waccamaw lost steering control during refueling. Both proceeded under their own power to Naples, Italy, for repairs.
On 21 November 1978, Waccamaw collided with USS Saratoga which was operating with the 6th Fleet, during a refueling operation 50 miles (80 km) south of Crete, suffering minor damage and no injuries.
On 24 September 1981 USS Guadalcanal and Waccamaw collided during underway replenishment south of Sardinia, Italy, causing minor damage but no injuries.
Waccamaw was retired from service and returned to the Navy in 1989. She was then transferred to the custody of
Awards
Waccamaw received one award of the
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery of Waccamaw at NavSource Naval History
- U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ship Images, AO, AR, AS & AV Archived 8 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine