USS Kaskaskia (AO-27) was a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler serving 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...

, named for the Kaskaskia River

Kaskaskia River

The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in central and southern Illinois in the United States. The second largest river system within Illinois, it drains a rural area of farms, as well as rolling hills along river bottoms of hardwood forests in its lower...

 in Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

.

Kaskaskia was launched 29 September 1939 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...

; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy; acquired by the Navy from Esso Oil Company

Esso

Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...

, 22 October 1940; and commissioned 29 October 1940, Commander

Commander

Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...

 U.S. Gregory in command.

Service history

Kaskaskia cleared Boston, Mass19 November 1940 for 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...

, arriving 3 January 1941. She transported oil between West Coast ports and Pearl Harbor, making six cruises before 7 August, when she made an oil run to Johnston Island. The oiler returned to Mare Island

Mare Island

Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...

 10 September for overhaul and repairs. In San Francisco when the 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...

ese made their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

, Kaskaskia immediately began preparations to join the Service Force in the Pacific.

World War II

Sailing from San Diego 6 January 1942, Kaskaskia commenced fueling operations en route before arriving Pago Pago 20 January. For the next six months she operated out of Nom-a refueling the ships engaged in the violent struggle to stem the Japanese advance. The oiler arrived Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...

, 3 July with a cargo of oil and fuel to be used in the Aleutian Islands campaign. She returned to Wilmington, California, loaded oil and aviation gasoline and continued oil runs to Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

n ports until she steamed to Nouméa late in March 1943. Kaskaskia supplied many ships, increasing the mobility of the fleet during the successful campaigns in the South Pacific

Pacific Ocean Areas

Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz of the U.S...

.

Kaskaskia returned to San Pedro

San Pedro, Los Angeles, California

San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...

 28 July for repairs before resuming her duties at Pearl Harbor 21 September. She transported oil between California

California

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...

 and Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 until she sailed 25 November to support the Gilbert Islands

Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...

 campaign. Returning to Pearl Harbor 10 December, the oiler resumed her cruises between San Pedro and Hawaii.

As the Navy pushed relentlessly toward Japan, Kaskaskia departed Pearl Harbor 16 January 1944 to support operations in the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

. After the Navy had captured the Kwajalein

Kwajalein

Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...

 and Majuro Atolls, Kaskaskia supported carrier task forces during their devastating raids on Truk, the Marianas Islands, and Palau Islands in February and March.

The oiler continued fueling operations in the Marshall Islands area until she cleared Majuro 6 June to fuel destroyers and destroyer escorts in the invasion of Saipan

Saipan

Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

. Throughout June and July Kaskaskia remained on hand, assisting the fleet to take Saipee, Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

, and Tinian

Tinian

Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....

 — important supply areas in the future campaign for 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...

.

As the Navy fought toward the Philippines, Admiral Nimitz decided to take the Palau Islands as a staging area for aircraft and ships during the invasion of Leyte

Battle of Leyte

The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...

. Kaskaskia departed 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 4 September with a task group bound for an assault on Peleliu

Peleliu

Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....

. She operated in the Palau area until returning Manus 8 October. Her stay was a brief one, however, as she sailed 10 October for Leyte. Prior to the actual landings, she fueled units of the fleet, continuing this vital duty until a beachhead had been established. The oiler returned Ulithi

Ulithi

Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...

 23 October and made another fueling run to the Philippine area early in November.

After an overhaul at San Diego December 1944 through February 1945, Kaskaskia arrived Kwajalein 11 March to service the fleet. The oiler cleared Ulithi 30 March for the fueling area off Okinawa

Okinawa Island

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...

, the last major step before the Japanese homeland itself. Once again the oilers, the unsung heroes of the war, stood by refueling the many ships engaged in the irresistible assault from the sea on Okinawa.

Kaskaskia was relieved of fueling duties off Okinawa, only to be summoned for another important service. She departed Ulithi 3 July to refuel units of the carrier task forces, launching raids on the Japanese Islands of Honshū

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

 and Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

. When the Japanese surrendered, Kaskaskia steamed into Tokyo Bay

Tokyo Bay

is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...

 10 September with ships of the Occupation Forces. She continued refueling operations in Japan, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, and Formosa

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 for an entire year before arriving San Pedro 28 September 1946.

Korean War

Between 1947 and 1950 she ferried oil and aviation gasoline from the West Coast to the Far East and naval bases in the mid-Pacific. When North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

n troops invaded South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

, the United States accepted the challenge and ordered its forces to defend the embattled peninsula. Kaskaskia cleared San Diego 16 September to operate out of Sasebo. During October she entered the heavily-mined waters off Wonsan

Wonsan

Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...

, fueling ships blockading and bombarding that key port.

During December she arrived off Hungnam

Hungnam

Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...

 to service ships engaged in evacuation operations in that area. Throughout the harsh winter months, Kaskaskia continued vital fueling missions between Japan and Korea. During the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 counteroffensive in the spring of 1951, she also stood by for fueling operations. The oiler returned to Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

, 27 August for overhaul and operations along the Pacific Coast.

She sailed for the second Korean tour January 1952, arriving Sasebo on 22 January to refuel the ships engaged in the Korean War. In addition to services in Korea, she also supplied units in Japan, Okinawa and Formosa before returning Long Beach 31 July. Overhaul and training preceded her third Korean deployment from 27 December to July 1953. On this tour she supported ships engaged in fire support

Fire support

Fire support is long-range firepower provided to a front-line military unit. Typically, fire support is provided by artillery or close air support , and is used to shape the battlefield or, more optimistically, define the battle...

 operations. Returning home 17 August, Kaskaskia underwent overhaul; she then sailed again for the Far East 4 January 1954, operated out of Sasebo and returning San Francisco 12 October. Following coastal operations, the oiler was placed out of commission, in reserve, 8 April 1955.

Kaskaskia was transferred to MSTS

Military Sealift Command

The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...

 8 January 1957, and operated in that capacity with a Navy crew until 21 October 1957 when she decommissioned and was turned over to the Maritime Administration 10 December. Kaskaskia was struck 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...

 2 January 1959.

1960s

The Berlin Crisis of 1961

Berlin Crisis of 1961

The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...

 necessitated the reactivation of ships and Kaskaskia was reinstated 8 September. Following overhaul and alterations she recommissioned at Hoboken

Hoboken, New Jersey

Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, 6 December, Captain John D. Howell in command. After shakedown operations in the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

, the oiler arrived Mayport, Florida, 1 May 1962. Throughout the summer she engaged in exercises off the Florida Coast, and sailed to the Azores

Azores

The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...

 to participate in Project Mercury

Project Mercury

In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...

, manned orbital flights. She was in company with during the latter's recovery of Astronaut

Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....

 Walter Schirra

Wally Schirra

Walter Marty Schirra, Jr. was an American test pilot, United States Navy officer, and one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts chosen for the Project Mercury, America's effort to put humans in space. He is the only person to fly in all of America's first three space programs...

 3 October, demonstrating the large role of the Navy in space operations.

Kaskaskia return to Mayport 22 October and two days later sailed to participate in the Cuban blockade. President John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

 ordered the blockade when the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 tried to plant offensive missiles only 90 miles (144.8 km) from the United States. The naval pressure persuaded the Soviet Union to withdraw the missiles, easing the crisis. The oiler returned to operations out of Mayport 21 November.

She cleared Mayport 5 February 1963, for a six month Mediterranean cruise to refuel ships of the US 6th Fleet, then resumed refueling exercises off Florida for the rest of the year. During 1964 Kaskaskia engaged in fueling operations and exercises off Florida and in the Caribbean, constantly seeking improved methods to increase the mobility of the Fleet.

On 6 January 1965, Kaskaskia sailed for another 6th Fleet deployment. While she was operating in the Mediterranean, her crew worked day and night delivering over 19,000,000 gallons of fuel to 169 ships. Kaskaskia returned to Mayport, 7 June 1965. She operated primarily along the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean into 1967. Highlights of this period were service to ships patrolling off the coast of riot-torn Santo Domingo in the summer of 1965, and participation in the recovery team for an unmanned Apollo Program

Project Apollo

The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...

 space flight in February 1966.

Kaskaskia was decommissioned for the final time in December 1969 and sold for scrap in September 1970.

Kaskaskia, received nine battle stars for World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and seven stars for Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

service.

External links