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Caliente AO-53

 

Caliente

A river in New Mexico.

(AO-53: dp. 7,236, 1. 553', b. 75'; dr. 32'4"; s. 18 k.; cpl. 304; a. 1 5", 4 3"; cl. Cimarron)

Caliente (AO 53) was launched 25 August 1943 by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc.., Sparrows Point, Md, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs H. Kasary; commissioned 12 October 1943, Commander E. G. Genthner, USNR, in command, and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Caliente departed Norfolk 11 December 1943 and arrived at Majuro 2 months later to support the fast moving TF 68 at sea during the Marshalls and Hollandia operations, and the raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai Truk, Satawan, and Ponape. Shifting to Eniwetok in June 1944, she provided vital support for the invasion of the Marianas, then in August moved to Manus to assist the westward advance of the fleet in the Western Carolines. On 2 October Caliente arrived at the newly won base of Ulithi and for the next 4 months, the oiler was actively engaged in providing fuel to keep the 3d Fleet at sea for strikes against northern Luzon and Formosa, and in support of Leyte and Luzon landings in the Philippines.

After overhaul at San Pedro Calif., Caliente returned to Ulithi in May 1946, and from this base rendered invaluable service during the Okinawa assault and the smashing 3d Fleet raids on the Japanese homeland until the end of the war, then sailed for Tokyo Bay where she supplied fleet and occupation units until late 1946. During her stay in the Far East, she made two voyages to oil-rich Bahrein in the Persian Gulf, visiting Singapore; Colombo, Ceylon; and the Chinese ports of Tsingtao and Shanghai.

Caliente kept busy carrying fuel to Pacific ports and the west coast until the outbreak of war in Korea. Returning again to wartime operations, Caliente serviced fleet units at sea operating with the Formosa Patrol Force for the last 4 months of 1950 and with the 7th Fleet for the first half of 1951. During the next year she provided support for United Nations forces blockading and patrolling the east coast of Korea. Since 1952 she has made cargo runs between United States and Japan, operating with the 7th Fleet while in the Far East, and exercised on the west coast. This schedule continued for Caliente through 1960.

Service during the Vietnam War:

After 1960, the USS Caliente supported U.S. Navy and allied operations during the Vietnam War. The vessel made several deployments to the Western Pacific during the conflict.

  1. 1965-1966: Caliente deployed to the Western Pacific in support of 7th Fleet operations off the coast of Vietnam. During this period, she provided refueling services to U.S. and allied vessels, ensuring that naval blockade and bombardment operations continued unhindered.

  2. 1967: The ship continued her support missions in Southeast Asia, providing fuel for vessels that were part of Operation Sea Dragon, which aimed to interdict sea logistics of the North Vietnamese.

  3. 1968-1969: Caliente again supported 7th Fleet operations off Vietnam. Her primary mission was to refuel ships on Yankee and Dixie Stations. These stations were fixed positions off the coast where U.S. Navy aircraft carriers launched sorties against North Vietnamese targets.

  4. 1970s: The ship made additional deployments to the Western Pacific in the early 1970s. As the U.S. began to reduce its involvement in Vietnam, the Caliente continued her role, refueling and supporting vessels as they conducted operations in the region.

Decommissioning and Fate:

  • Decommissioning: USS Caliente was decommissioned on 25 August 1973.

  • Stricken: She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1976.

  • Fate: Eventually, the USS Caliente was sold for scrap in 1977.


Caliente received 10 battle stars for World War II and 4 for Korean war service.