Cimarron class fleet replenishment oiler (1939)
Encyclopedia
The Cimarron class oilers were an underway replenishment
class of oil tankers which were first built in 1939 as "National Defense Tankers," United States Maritime Commission
Type T3-S2-A1, designed "to conform to the approved characteristics for naval auxiliaries in speed, radius and structural strength", anticipating their militarization in the event of war. Three of the original twelve ships were commissioned directly into the Navy at launch in 1939; the remainder entered merchant service with Standard Oil of New Jersey and Keystone Tankships before being acquired under the Two-Ocean Navy Act
of July 1940. A further eighteen were built for the Navy between 1943 and 1946, with five additional units, sometimes called the Mispillion class, built to the slightly larger Type T3-S2-A3 design.
Four of the Cimarrons were converted to escort carriers (CVE) in 1942; two others were sunk by enemy action.
, 1942; launched & commissioned 1939, decommissioned & struck 1970, scrapped 1971; ex-Esso Albany, launched & commissioned 1940, decommissioned 1970, struck 1971, sold 1983; ex-Esso Columbia, launched 1940, commissioned 1941, struck 1969, scrapped 1970; ex-Esso Richmond, launched 1939, commissioned 1940, decommissioned 1969, sold for scrap 1970; ex-Esso Annapolis, launched 1939, commissioned 1941, decommissioned 1970, struck 1971, scrapped; ex-Esso Raleigh, launched 1940, commissioned 1941, decommissioned 1974, struck & scrapped 1975; launched & commissioned 1943, jumboized 1968, decommissioned 1982, struck 1991, sunk as target 2000; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned, struck and sold for scrap 1973; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned & struck 1973, sold for scrap 1974; launched 1942, commissioned 1943, decommissioned 1969, struck 1976, sold 1982; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned, struck & scrapped 1970; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned 1970, struck 1976, scrapped 1992; launched 1943, commissioned 1944, transferred to MSC 1973, retired 1982, struck 1992, sold for scrapping 1995; launched & commissioned 1944, decommissioned, struck & sold for scrapping 1973; launched and commissioned 1944, torpedoed and sunk at Ulithi 1944; launched & commissioned 1944, decommissioned & struck 1973, sold for scrapping 1975; launched and commissioned 1944, decommissioned 1973, struck 1974, sold for scrapping 1975; launched and commissioned 1944, transferred to MSC 1972, struck 1992, to MARAD 1999; launched & commissioned 1944, struck 1973, sold 1974; launched & commissioned 1945, decommissioned, struck & sold for scrapping 1975; launched & commissioned 1945, decommissioned 1970, struck 1973, sold for scrapping 1976; launched & commissioned 1945, jumboized 1966, decommissioned 1990, struck 1994, at Hartlepool
UK awaiting scrapping as of 2010; launched & commissioned 1945, jumboized 1967, decommissioned 1989, struck 1992, at Hartlepool
UK awaiting scrapping as of 2010; launched 1945, commissioned 1946, decommissioned & struck 1972, sold for scrapping 1973
Converted to s in 1942:
Ashtabula, Caloosahatchee and Canisteo were jumboized after the Mispillions and were given a limited capacity for ammunition and dry stores as well as a new midships superstructure and full scantlings, whereas AO-105 through 109 retained their shelter-deck configuration.
and its ability to refuel the fleet at sea without returning to port was a major factor in its successful operations against the Japanese during the Second World War. As the largest and fastest of the Navy's oilers, the Cimarrons were the principal class employed in direct support of the task forces. Many of the Cimarron class continued to sustain this function through the Korean and Vietnam wars as well, with the "jumbos" serving right up to the Persian Gulf War.
US Navy captains
who had flight status ("wings") were eligible to command aircraft carriers, but it was a prerequisite that the officer in question first have a "deep-draft" command; accordingly the Navy assigned these officers to oilers which had a similar draft.
Underway replenishment
Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...
class of oil tankers which were first built in 1939 as "National Defense Tankers," United States Maritime Commission
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...
Type T3-S2-A1, designed "to conform to the approved characteristics for naval auxiliaries in speed, radius and structural strength", anticipating their militarization in the event of war. Three of the original twelve ships were commissioned directly into the Navy at launch in 1939; the remainder entered merchant service with Standard Oil of New Jersey and Keystone Tankships before being acquired under the Two-Ocean Navy Act
Two-Ocean Navy Act
The Two-Ocean Navy Act, was an American Act of Congress passed on July 19, 1940, to increase the size of the United States Navy by 70%, making it the largest naval procurement bill in U.S...
of July 1940. A further eighteen were built for the Navy between 1943 and 1946, with five additional units, sometimes called the Mispillion class, built to the slightly larger Type T3-S2-A3 design.
Four of the Cimarrons were converted to escort carriers (CVE) in 1942; two others were sunk by enemy action.
Ships
; launched & commissioned 1939, decommissioned & struck 1968, sold for scrap 1969; launched & commissioned 1939, sunk during the Battle of the Coral SeaBattle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
, 1942; launched & commissioned 1939, decommissioned & struck 1970, scrapped 1971; ex-Esso Albany, launched & commissioned 1940, decommissioned 1970, struck 1971, sold 1983; ex-Esso Columbia, launched 1940, commissioned 1941, struck 1969, scrapped 1970; ex-Esso Richmond, launched 1939, commissioned 1940, decommissioned 1969, sold for scrap 1970; ex-Esso Annapolis, launched 1939, commissioned 1941, decommissioned 1970, struck 1971, scrapped; ex-Esso Raleigh, launched 1940, commissioned 1941, decommissioned 1974, struck & scrapped 1975; launched & commissioned 1943, jumboized 1968, decommissioned 1982, struck 1991, sunk as target 2000; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned, struck and sold for scrap 1973; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned & struck 1973, sold for scrap 1974; launched 1942, commissioned 1943, decommissioned 1969, struck 1976, sold 1982; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned, struck & scrapped 1970; launched & commissioned 1943, decommissioned 1970, struck 1976, scrapped 1992; launched 1943, commissioned 1944, transferred to MSC 1973, retired 1982, struck 1992, sold for scrapping 1995; launched & commissioned 1944, decommissioned, struck & sold for scrapping 1973; launched and commissioned 1944, torpedoed and sunk at Ulithi 1944; launched & commissioned 1944, decommissioned & struck 1973, sold for scrapping 1975; launched and commissioned 1944, decommissioned 1973, struck 1974, sold for scrapping 1975; launched and commissioned 1944, transferred to MSC 1972, struck 1992, to MARAD 1999; launched & commissioned 1944, struck 1973, sold 1974; launched & commissioned 1945, decommissioned, struck & sold for scrapping 1975; launched & commissioned 1945, decommissioned 1970, struck 1973, sold for scrapping 1976; launched & commissioned 1945, jumboized 1966, decommissioned 1990, struck 1994, at Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
UK awaiting scrapping as of 2010; launched & commissioned 1945, jumboized 1967, decommissioned 1989, struck 1992, at Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
UK awaiting scrapping as of 2010; launched 1945, commissioned 1946, decommissioned & struck 1972, sold for scrapping 1973
Converted to s in 1942:
- ex-Esso Trenton, launched 1939, commissioned 1940 as AO-28, decommissioned 1945, sold for commercial service 1948; ex-Markay, launched 1939, commissioned 1941 as AO-33, decommissioned 1947, sold for scrap 1961; ex-Esso New Orleans, launched 1939, commissioned 1941 as AO-31, decommissioned 1946, sold 1960; ex-Seakay, launched 1939, commissioned 1940 as AO-29, decommissioned 1946, struck 1959, scrapped 196
"Mispillion" and "Ashtabula" classes
There is some controversy about the MARAD Type T3-S2-A3 oilers being a class of their own, the Mispillion-class. This is further complicated by the fact that these ships were jumboized in the 1960s, together with , , and , for some then comprising the Ashtabula-class - sometimes with or without the Mispillions. Adding to the confusion, some sources refer to the 18 war-construction repeat Cimarrons as the Ashtabula-class.Ashtabula, Caloosahatchee and Canisteo were jumboized after the Mispillions and were given a limited capacity for ammunition and dry stores as well as a new midships superstructure and full scantlings, whereas AO-105 through 109 retained their shelter-deck configuration.
- launched & commissioned 1945, jumboized 1965, transferred to MSC 1974, retired 1990, struck 1995, NDRF; launched 1945, commissioned 1946, jumboized 1964, transferred to MSC 1975, retired 1991, struck 1992, sold for scrapping 1995; launched 1945, commissioned 1946, jumboized 1965, transferred to MSC 1973, retired, struck & sold for scrapping 1991; launched 1945, commissioned 1946, jumboized 1965, transferred to MSC 1975, retired & struck 1991, sold for scrapping 2005; launched 1945, commissioned 1946, jumboized 1965, transferred to MSC 1975, retired 1989, struck 1991, sold for scrapping 200
Importance
The US Navy's mastery of underway replenishmentUnderway replenishment
Underway replenishment or replenishment at sea is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way.-History:...
and its ability to refuel the fleet at sea without returning to port was a major factor in its successful operations against the Japanese during the Second World War. As the largest and fastest of the Navy's oilers, the Cimarrons were the principal class employed in direct support of the task forces. Many of the Cimarron class continued to sustain this function through the Korean and Vietnam wars as well, with the "jumbos" serving right up to the Persian Gulf War.
US Navy captains
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
who had flight status ("wings") were eligible to command aircraft carriers, but it was a prerequisite that the officer in question first have a "deep-draft" command; accordingly the Navy assigned these officers to oilers which had a similar draft.