USS Winooski (AO-38)
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The second USS Winooski (AO-38) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy
.
Winooski was laid down as Calusa on 23 April 1941 at Sparrows Point, Maryland, by the Bethlehem Steel Company under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 144); launched on 12 November 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Laurence B. Levi; taken over by the Navy on 5 January 1942. She was renamed Winooski (AO-38) on 9 January 1942; and commissioned at Baltimore, Maryland, on 27 January 1942, Commander Walter C. Ansel in command.
, Winooski embarked upon her first mission in mid-February. She arrived in Baytown, Texas
, on 25 February and began loading a cargo of fuel. The oiler departed Baytown on 2 March and arrived in Norfolk, Virginia
on the 7th. The next day, Winooski got underway for Newport, Rhode Island
, where she remained until the 25th. On that day, the ship got underway in company with and , bound for Iceland
. She and her consorts arrived in Reykjavík
on 1 April and remained there until the 4th, at which time she returned to sea. The oiler arrived back at Norfolk on 13 April. Four days later, she stood out to sea en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. She loaded fuel at Baton Rouge from 23 to 25 April and then set a course back to Norfolk in which port she arrived on the 29th. She discharged her cargo at Craney Island
and, on 4 May, embarked upon another voyage to Baytown. The oiler loaded fuel at Baytown from 9 to 11 May and stood out to sea on the return voyage. She reentered Norfolk on the 16th. Four days later, the ship steamed out of Chesapeake Bay again, on her way to NS Argentia
, Newfoundland
. She arrived at her destination on the 23rd and began almost a month of harbor fuelling duty there. On 15 June, Winooski cleared Argentia for Norfolk where she arrived on 29 June. After a nine-day availability at the Norfolk Navy Yard, the oiler resumed duty, starting out on a voyage to Deer Park, Texas
, on 8 July. She returned to Norfolk from Deer Park on 21 July but, two days later, headed back to Argentia where she resumed duty as station oiler from 26 July to 13 August. She returned to Norfolk on 16 August and remained there until 2 September at which time she got underway for Iceland once again. She stopped at Reykjavík for one week, from 10 to 17 September, and reentered Norfolk on the 25th.
Following a yard availability, Winooski began preparations for the amphibious assault on the Moroccan
coast. In addition to her cargo of fuel oil, the ship deck-loaded two high-speed fire support boats for use in the invasion. On 24 October, she rendezvoused with the other ships of Task Force (TF) 34 and set a course for North Africa
. The fleet arrived off Fedhala
early in the morning of 8 November. Winooski launched the fire support boats and, while they moved in to assist the troops assaulting the beaches, she proceeded to fuel the ships in the anchorage. She continued fueling operations unmolested until 11 November when the enemy launched a series of submarine counterattacks against the invasion fleet. At about 2000 hours that evening, a torpedo
struck the oiler just abaft of the bridge, punching a hole in her number 6 tank and damaging several other compartments as well. Winooski listed about eight degrees, but she corrected it almost immediately by shifting cargo and resumed her duties the following day. Further submarine attacks occurred on the 12th, but Winooski emerged unscathed and quickly put farther out to sea where she and the other ships maneuvered evasively to avoid submarine attacks. On 15 November, she put into port at Casablanca
and resumed fueling operations. She remained in that port until 23 November at which time she got underway for Gibraltar
for a three-month repair period.
. She arrived in Beaumont on 26 March and began loading cargo. Winooski returned to Norfolk on 2 April and remained there for five days. On the 8th, she got underway again, bound for Aruba
in the Netherlands West Indies. At Aruba
on the 13th, the oiler loaded cargo again and headed back to Norfolk, where she arrived on the 18th. After a brief yard period, during which four PT boats were deck-loaded on board her, Winooski departed Norfolk on 25 April for New York, there to join a convoy bound for the Mediterranean Sea
. The convoy put to sea on 28 April. Winooski arrived in Casablanca on 16 May, loaded additional fuel oil — she had refueled escorts on the transatlantic run — and departed Casablanca on the 18th. The following day, she entered port at Oran
, Algeria
. That evening, her anchorage came under enemy air attack. The oiler brought every gun on board — including the light ma-chineguns on the deck-loaded PT's — to bear on the attackers but failed to score a kill. The enemy, however, did little better, for the harbor suffered very little damage. The oiler remained in North Africa until 22 July, providing distant support for the invasion and occupation of Sicily
. She unloaded the PT boats on 22 May; and, on 1 June, she shifted to Mers El Kébir. On 21 July, the oiler moved back to Oran where she remained overnight before getting underway for Gibraltar. There, the ship joined up with a convoy and set a course for the United States. She arrived in Hampton Roads
on 3 August.
On 12 August, she embarked upon another voyage to Beaumont, Texas, arriving there on the 18th. She loaded cargo and then got underway again on the 20th. The oiler arrived back at Norfolk on 25 August and began preparations for another transatlantic voyage. On 1 September, the ship headed for New York where she arrived on the following day. On 5 September, Winooski put to sea with a convoy bound for the British Isles
. She provided refueling services to the convoy's escorts along the way and arrived in Belfast Lough
, Ireland
, on 14 September. After further refueling operations, she moved to Loch Long
, Scotland
, where she discharged the remainder of her oil to the dock. After a visit to Gourock
, Scotland, the oiler departed the United Kingdom
, bound for home. She reentered Norfolk on 1 October and remained there one week before embarking upon another voyage to Aruba
. She reached the Dutch colony on 13 October, loaded oil, and headed back to Norfolk on the 14th. She returned to Hampton Roads on the 20th, discharged her cargo at the Standard Oil
dock, and entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for a 20-day availability. She exited the yard on 11 November and anchored in Hampton Roads. Between 13 and 26 November, Winooski made another round-trip voyage from Norfolk to Texas and back. On 5 December, she rendezvoused with another transatlantic convoy, this time off Cape Henry, Virginia, and set a course for North Africa. She arrived in Casablanca on 20 December and remained there until the 28th, at which time she joined the homeward-bounty Convoy GUS-25.
. She arrived at her destination on 6 February, discharged her cargo and, on 14 February, set a course for Baytown, Texas. She loaded cargo at Baytown between the 20th and the 24th and then shaped a course back to Norfolk, where she arrived on 1 March. From 5 to 19 March, the oiler made another Texas run, this time to Port Arthur and back to Norfolk. Six days after her return, she was on her way back to Texas. On the return voyage, however, the ship was diverted to Casco Bay, Maine, where she discharged her cargo. The ship entered New York on 9 April and remained there until the 12th at which time she headed back to Texas for another load of oil. Winooski reentered New York harbor on the 27th and began preparations for another transatlantic voyage. The convoy stood out of New York on 3 May, and Winooski arrived in Avonmouth
, England, on the 16th. From there, she moved to Belfast
whence she departed on the 19th to return to the United States. The oiler arrived back in New York on 28 May and remained there until 8 June when she stood out to sea with another convoy, bound for Europe. She arrived in Swansea
, England, on the 19th. She discharged cargo there and returned to sea on the 22d. After a brief stop at Belfast Lough, Winooski departed for home on 24 June and reentered Norfolk on Independence Day 1944.
She remained in the Norfolk area until 14 July when she returned to sea with a convoy bound for the Mediterranean, a part of the force being sent to invade southern France
. Winooski reached the Strait of Gibraltar
on 28 July and put into Mers El Kébir on the 30th. On 3 August, she set sail for Palermo, Sicily
, and arrived there two days later. The oiler remained at Palermo providing logistics support for the bombardment and fire support units of the invasion fleet until 28 August. On that day she departed Palermo
and, after visits to Bizerte
and Oran
, got underway to return home on 4 September. She entered New York harbor 10 days later. The ship stayed in the New York area until 18 September when she headed back to Norfolk. The ship arrived at her destination on the 19th and entered the navy yard for alterations. She completed modifications on 8 October and, after a series of trials, departed Norfolk on the 14th. The oiler made a stop at Aruba to load oil and aviation gasoline and then set a course for the Panama Canal
. She arrived at Cristobal, Canal Zone, on 22 October and transited the canal that same day.
On 23 October, Winooski — by then a unit of the Pacific Fleet
— embarked upon a long voyage to the Admiralty Islands
. She arrived in Seeadler Harbor
at Manus
on 16 November and remained there for more than a month fueling American warships and conducting underway training. On 23 December, she departed Manus with Task Group (TG) 77.6 and arrived in Leyte Gulf
on the 30th. She remained at Leyte until 2 January 1945 at which time she put to sea with TG 77.10, bound for Mindoro
where she and the other units of Task Unit (TU) 77.10.5 were to establish a forward logistics base for the forces engaged in the assault and occupation of Luzon. The unit with which Winooski steamed came under air attack several times; and, though the oiler herself escaped unscathed, one ship — — fell victim to the kamikaze
attacks and suffered such severe damage that American ships had to sink her with torpedoes.
, Mindoro, on 4 January; and, though she and her consorts had to put to sea each night because of the danger of air attacks, they remained in that vicinity until 8 January and provided fuel for the warships engaged in the Lingayen Gulf
operation. On the 8th, she left Mindoro to rendezvous with TG 77.9, the Luzon Reinforcement Group, and set a course with that task group for Lingayen Gulf. The ships arrived in Lingayen Gulf on the morning of 11 January, but Winooski departed the gulf again that evening to join TG 77.4, the Escort Carrier Group, for several days of refueling operations before returning to the gulf on the 15th. She resumed anchorage fueling duty at Lingayen for the remainder of the month.
On 10 February, Winooski moved from Lingayen Gulf to recently captured Subic Bay
. She resumed fueling operations at that location and remained there until near the end of the first week in April. She departed Subic Bay on 5 April and headed back to Leyte, arriving in San Pedro Bay
on the 8th. There, the oiler loaded provisions, stores, and a cargo of fuel oil before getting underway for Zamboanga
where she arrived on the 16th. Two days later, she departed Zamboanga in company with TU 78.2.15 for the landing at Pollac harbor on southern Mindanao
. The ship arrived in the landing area on the 19th and conducted fueling operations until 29 April when she set sail for Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago. She arrived at her destination on the 30th and remained there awaiting the successful conclusion of Allied landings at Tarakan, Borneo. On 1 May, she received word that the landings at Tarakan
were proceeding smoothly and got underway for Borneo. The oiler arrived at Tarakan on 2 May and remained there conducting fueling operations until the 7th at which time she headed back to the Philippines
. Steaming via Tawi Tawi, Winooski arrived back in San Pedro Bay on the 10th and remained there until the 14th when she got underway to return to Tarakan. She resumed harbor fueling duty at Tarakan from 16 May to 1 June. From there, she moved back to Tawi Tawi where she conducted fueling operations for a day or two before sailing on to Zamboanga.
Winooski stayed at Zamboanga, making preparations for the landings at Brunei Bay, Borneo
, from 5 to 7 June. On the latter day, she departed Zamboanga and joined TG 78.1. The task group arrived at Brunei Bay on the morning of 10 June. The landings went off smoothly, and the oiler began her usual routine of refueling the ships of the invasion fleet. She carried out those operations until 14 June at which time she headed back to Leyte. She replenished at Leyte on 17 and 18 June and returned to Brunei Bay on the 21st. She remained there until the 29th at which time she headed, via Zamboanga, back to Leyte. Winooski replenished at San Pedro Bay from 8 to 12 July and steamed via Guiuan, Samar
, back to Brunei Bay. The ship served as station oiler at Brunei Bay from 16 to 19 July and returned to Leyte on the 24th.
For the remaining three weeks of the war and through the first four months of the postwar period, Winooski steamed the length and breadth of the Philippine Archipelago delivering fuel to American ships throughout the area. On 17 December, relieved her of duty as station oiler at Manila
. Three days later, Winooski began the long voyage home. En route, however, she received a change in orders; and, after a brief stop in Pearl Harbor
to disembark passengers and load cargo, she reversed course for Japan
on 5 January 1946.
, on 8 February but remained only nine days. She set sail for Norfolk, Virginia
, on the 17th. The ship transited the Panama Canal on the 26th and arrived in Norfolk early in March.
After almost two months of preparations, Winooski was placed out of commission at Norfolk on 30 April 1946. She was delivered to the War Shipping Administration
for disposal on 1 August 1946, and her name was stricken from the Navy list
on 8 October 1946.
Winooski earned four battle stars during World War II.
She was later returned to civilian service as Calusa (1946), Samuel L. Fuller (1947), Seanymph (1963), and Meracoulosa (1965).
The second USS Winooski (AO-38) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Winooski was laid down as Calusa on 23 April 1941 at Sparrows Point, Maryland, by the Bethlehem Steel Company under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 144); launched on 12 November 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Laurence B. Levi; taken over by the Navy on 5 January 1942. She was renamed Winooski (AO-38) on 9 January 1942; and commissioned at Baltimore, Maryland, on 27 January 1942, Commander Walter C. Ansel in command.
1942
Following a brief period of shakedown training in the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, Winooski embarked upon her first mission in mid-February. She arrived in Baytown, Texas
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
, on 25 February and began loading a cargo of fuel. The oiler departed Baytown on 2 March and arrived in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on the 7th. The next day, Winooski got underway for Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, where she remained until the 25th. On that day, the ship got underway in company with and , bound for Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. She and her consorts arrived in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
on 1 April and remained there until the 4th, at which time she returned to sea. The oiler arrived back at Norfolk on 13 April. Four days later, she stood out to sea en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. She loaded fuel at Baton Rouge from 23 to 25 April and then set a course back to Norfolk in which port she arrived on the 29th. She discharged her cargo at Craney Island
Craney Island (Virginia)
Craney Island is a point of land in the independent city of Portsmouth in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. The location, formerly in Norfolk County, is near the mouth of the Elizabeth River opposite Lambert's Point on Hampton Roads. It is managed by the U.S...
and, on 4 May, embarked upon another voyage to Baytown. The oiler loaded fuel at Baytown from 9 to 11 May and stood out to sea on the return voyage. She reentered Norfolk on the 16th. Four days later, the ship steamed out of Chesapeake Bay again, on her way to NS Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
. She arrived at her destination on the 23rd and began almost a month of harbor fuelling duty there. On 15 June, Winooski cleared Argentia for Norfolk where she arrived on 29 June. After a nine-day availability at the Norfolk Navy Yard, the oiler resumed duty, starting out on a voyage to Deer Park, Texas
Deer Park, Texas
Deer Park is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is located in Harris County and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Deer Park was 32,010....
, on 8 July. She returned to Norfolk from Deer Park on 21 July but, two days later, headed back to Argentia where she resumed duty as station oiler from 26 July to 13 August. She returned to Norfolk on 16 August and remained there until 2 September at which time she got underway for Iceland once again. She stopped at Reykjavík for one week, from 10 to 17 September, and reentered Norfolk on the 25th.
Following a yard availability, Winooski began preparations for the amphibious assault on the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
coast. In addition to her cargo of fuel oil, the ship deck-loaded two high-speed fire support boats for use in the invasion. On 24 October, she rendezvoused with the other ships of Task Force (TF) 34 and set a course for North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. The fleet arrived off Fedhala
Mohammedia
Mohammedia is a port city on the west coast of Morocco located between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Greater Casablanca. It hosts the most important oil refinery of Morocco, Samir, which makes it the center of the Moroccan petrol...
early in the morning of 8 November. Winooski launched the fire support boats and, while they moved in to assist the troops assaulting the beaches, she proceeded to fuel the ships in the anchorage. She continued fueling operations unmolested until 11 November when the enemy launched a series of submarine counterattacks against the invasion fleet. At about 2000 hours that evening, a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
struck the oiler just abaft of the bridge, punching a hole in her number 6 tank and damaging several other compartments as well. Winooski listed about eight degrees, but she corrected it almost immediately by shifting cargo and resumed her duties the following day. Further submarine attacks occurred on the 12th, but Winooski emerged unscathed and quickly put farther out to sea where she and the other ships maneuvered evasively to avoid submarine attacks. On 15 November, she put into port at Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
and resumed fueling operations. She remained in that port until 23 November at which time she got underway for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
for a three-month repair period.
1943
On 27 February 1943, Winooski joined a convoy headed for the United States, GUS-5. After a transatlantic voyage without incident, the oiler arrived back in Norfolk on 11 March. On the 21st, the ship stood out of Chesapeake Bay on her way to Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. She arrived in Beaumont on 26 March and began loading cargo. Winooski returned to Norfolk on 2 April and remained there for five days. On the 8th, she got underway again, bound for Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
in the Netherlands West Indies. At Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
on the 13th, the oiler loaded cargo again and headed back to Norfolk, where she arrived on the 18th. After a brief yard period, during which four PT boats were deck-loaded on board her, Winooski departed Norfolk on 25 April for New York, there to join a convoy bound for the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. The convoy put to sea on 28 April. Winooski arrived in Casablanca on 16 May, loaded additional fuel oil — she had refueled escorts on the transatlantic run — and departed Casablanca on the 18th. The following day, she entered port at Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. That evening, her anchorage came under enemy air attack. The oiler brought every gun on board — including the light ma-chineguns on the deck-loaded PT's — to bear on the attackers but failed to score a kill. The enemy, however, did little better, for the harbor suffered very little damage. The oiler remained in North Africa until 22 July, providing distant support for the invasion and occupation of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. She unloaded the PT boats on 22 May; and, on 1 June, she shifted to Mers El Kébir. On 21 July, the oiler moved back to Oran where she remained overnight before getting underway for Gibraltar. There, the ship joined up with a convoy and set a course for the United States. She arrived in Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on 3 August.
On 12 August, she embarked upon another voyage to Beaumont, Texas, arriving there on the 18th. She loaded cargo and then got underway again on the 20th. The oiler arrived back at Norfolk on 25 August and began preparations for another transatlantic voyage. On 1 September, the ship headed for New York where she arrived on the following day. On 5 September, Winooski put to sea with a convoy bound for the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. She provided refueling services to the convoy's escorts along the way and arrived in Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, on 14 September. After further refueling operations, she moved to Loch Long
Loch Long
Loch Long is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The sea loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end. It measures approximately 20 miles in length, with a width of between one and two miles...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where she discharged the remainder of her oil to the dock. After a visit to Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
, Scotland, the oiler departed the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, bound for home. She reentered Norfolk on 1 October and remained there one week before embarking upon another voyage to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
. She reached the Dutch colony on 13 October, loaded oil, and headed back to Norfolk on the 14th. She returned to Hampton Roads on the 20th, discharged her cargo at the Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
dock, and entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for a 20-day availability. She exited the yard on 11 November and anchored in Hampton Roads. Between 13 and 26 November, Winooski made another round-trip voyage from Norfolk to Texas and back. On 5 December, she rendezvoused with another transatlantic convoy, this time off Cape Henry, Virginia, and set a course for North Africa. She arrived in Casablanca on 20 December and remained there until the 28th, at which time she joined the homeward-bounty Convoy GUS-25.
1944
The oiler reentered Chesapeake Bay on 17 January 1944 and moored at Norfolk. On 4 February, Winooski departed Norfolk with a load of oil bound for BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. She arrived at her destination on 6 February, discharged her cargo and, on 14 February, set a course for Baytown, Texas. She loaded cargo at Baytown between the 20th and the 24th and then shaped a course back to Norfolk, where she arrived on 1 March. From 5 to 19 March, the oiler made another Texas run, this time to Port Arthur and back to Norfolk. Six days after her return, she was on her way back to Texas. On the return voyage, however, the ship was diverted to Casco Bay, Maine, where she discharged her cargo. The ship entered New York on 9 April and remained there until the 12th at which time she headed back to Texas for another load of oil. Winooski reentered New York harbor on the 27th and began preparations for another transatlantic voyage. The convoy stood out of New York on 3 May, and Winooski arrived in Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, England, on the 16th. From there, she moved to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
whence she departed on the 19th to return to the United States. The oiler arrived back in New York on 28 May and remained there until 8 June when she stood out to sea with another convoy, bound for Europe. She arrived in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, England, on the 19th. She discharged cargo there and returned to sea on the 22d. After a brief stop at Belfast Lough, Winooski departed for home on 24 June and reentered Norfolk on Independence Day 1944.
She remained in the Norfolk area until 14 July when she returned to sea with a convoy bound for the Mediterranean, a part of the force being sent to invade southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Winooski reached the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
on 28 July and put into Mers El Kébir on the 30th. On 3 August, she set sail for Palermo, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and arrived there two days later. The oiler remained at Palermo providing logistics support for the bombardment and fire support units of the invasion fleet until 28 August. On that day she departed Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
and, after visits to Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
and Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, got underway to return home on 4 September. She entered New York harbor 10 days later. The ship stayed in the New York area until 18 September when she headed back to Norfolk. The ship arrived at her destination on the 19th and entered the navy yard for alterations. She completed modifications on 8 October and, after a series of trials, departed Norfolk on the 14th. The oiler made a stop at Aruba to load oil and aviation gasoline and then set a course for the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. She arrived at Cristobal, Canal Zone, on 22 October and transited the canal that same day.
On 23 October, Winooski — by then a unit of the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
— embarked upon a long voyage to the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
. She arrived in Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
at Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
on 16 November and remained there for more than a month fueling American warships and conducting underway training. On 23 December, she departed Manus with Task Group (TG) 77.6 and arrived in Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
on the 30th. She remained at Leyte until 2 January 1945 at which time she put to sea with TG 77.10, bound for Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
where she and the other units of Task Unit (TU) 77.10.5 were to establish a forward logistics base for the forces engaged in the assault and occupation of Luzon. The unit with which Winooski steamed came under air attack several times; and, though the oiler herself escaped unscathed, one ship — — fell victim to the kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacks and suffered such severe damage that American ships had to sink her with torpedoes.
1945
Winooski arrived safely in Mangarin BayMangarin Bay
Mangarin Bay is situated to the east of Mangarin Point, on the west coast of Mindoro, among the Philippine Islands. The bay is shoal and sheltered from the wind by the point and Ilin Island. Magarin point terminates in a long sandy pit off which the depth is 4 to 5 fathoms. Farther in the water...
, Mindoro, on 4 January; and, though she and her consorts had to put to sea each night because of the danger of air attacks, they remained in that vicinity until 8 January and provided fuel for the warships engaged in the Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
operation. On the 8th, she left Mindoro to rendezvous with TG 77.9, the Luzon Reinforcement Group, and set a course with that task group for Lingayen Gulf. The ships arrived in Lingayen Gulf on the morning of 11 January, but Winooski departed the gulf again that evening to join TG 77.4, the Escort Carrier Group, for several days of refueling operations before returning to the gulf on the 15th. She resumed anchorage fueling duty at Lingayen for the remainder of the month.
On 10 February, Winooski moved from Lingayen Gulf to recently captured Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
. She resumed fueling operations at that location and remained there until near the end of the first week in April. She departed Subic Bay on 5 April and headed back to Leyte, arriving in San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
on the 8th. There, the oiler loaded provisions, stores, and a cargo of fuel oil before getting underway for Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
where she arrived on the 16th. Two days later, she departed Zamboanga in company with TU 78.2.15 for the landing at Pollac harbor on southern Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. The ship arrived in the landing area on the 19th and conducted fueling operations until 29 April when she set sail for Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago. She arrived at her destination on the 30th and remained there awaiting the successful conclusion of Allied landings at Tarakan, Borneo. On 1 May, she received word that the landings at Tarakan
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
were proceeding smoothly and got underway for Borneo. The oiler arrived at Tarakan on 2 May and remained there conducting fueling operations until the 7th at which time she headed back to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Steaming via Tawi Tawi, Winooski arrived back in San Pedro Bay on the 10th and remained there until the 14th when she got underway to return to Tarakan. She resumed harbor fueling duty at Tarakan from 16 May to 1 June. From there, she moved back to Tawi Tawi where she conducted fueling operations for a day or two before sailing on to Zamboanga.
Winooski stayed at Zamboanga, making preparations for the landings at Brunei Bay, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, from 5 to 7 June. On the latter day, she departed Zamboanga and joined TG 78.1. The task group arrived at Brunei Bay on the morning of 10 June. The landings went off smoothly, and the oiler began her usual routine of refueling the ships of the invasion fleet. She carried out those operations until 14 June at which time she headed back to Leyte. She replenished at Leyte on 17 and 18 June and returned to Brunei Bay on the 21st. She remained there until the 29th at which time she headed, via Zamboanga, back to Leyte. Winooski replenished at San Pedro Bay from 8 to 12 July and steamed via Guiuan, Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, back to Brunei Bay. The ship served as station oiler at Brunei Bay from 16 to 19 July and returned to Leyte on the 24th.
For the remaining three weeks of the war and through the first four months of the postwar period, Winooski steamed the length and breadth of the Philippine Archipelago delivering fuel to American ships throughout the area. On 17 December, relieved her of duty as station oiler at Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. Three days later, Winooski began the long voyage home. En route, however, she received a change in orders; and, after a brief stop in Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
to disembark passengers and load cargo, she reversed course for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on 5 January 1946.
1946
The oiler arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on 17 January, discharged her cargo to ships at the naval base, and got underway for home again on the 24th. She arrived in San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on 8 February but remained only nine days. She set sail for Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on the 17th. The ship transited the Panama Canal on the 26th and arrived in Norfolk early in March.
After almost two months of preparations, Winooski was placed out of commission at Norfolk on 30 April 1946. She was delivered to the War Shipping Administration
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
for disposal on 1 August 1946, and her name was stricken from the Navy list
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 8 October 1946.
Winooski earned four battle stars during World War II.
She was later returned to civilian service as Calusa (1946), Samuel L. Fuller (1947), Seanymph (1963), and Meracoulosa (1965).
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org