Waccamaw (AO 109) - Naval Cruise Book

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WACCAMAW, named for a NorthCaro- lina river, was built by the Sun Ship Building and Dry Dock Company at Chester, Pennsylvania, with a length of 553 feet, a beam of 75 feet and a full load displacement of 25,000 tons. Her keel was laid 28 April 1945g she was launched 30 March 1946,was transferred by the Maritime Commission to the Navy and placed in commission 25 June 1946. By late 1951, WACCAMAW had com- pleted three tours of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean as well as one tour with the Second Fleet in theCaribbean. After shipyard overhaul in Boston in 1952, WACCAMAW participated in various operations and exercises with boththe Sixth and Second Fleets . In September and October 1957 WACCAMAW was a member of the re- plenishment group supporting the Interna- tional Fleet in the NATO fall exercises. In the course of these exercises WACCAMAW was the last oiler to fuel the battleship USS WISCONSIN and the first to fuel the super carriers USS FORRESTAL and USS SARA- TOGA. V A much needed overhaul at Boston in the winter of 1957-58 was followed by train- ing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During the fiscal year of 1959 WACCAMAW completed her seventh tour with the Sixth Fleet and was awarded the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Battle Effeciency Award for Excellence. 1962 brought a new tour with the Sixth Fleet and assignments with the Second Fleet taking her to the new fuel depots at El Ferrol del Candillo in Spain and Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. WACCAMAW returned to the U.S. in 1963 and was again awarded the Battle Ef- feciency Award. February 1964 took WACCAMAW to a one day layover at San Diego to unload 60 tons of Project Handclasp material and thence to conversion at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. This conversion has become known as Jumboi- zation and involves replacing the midbody with a new longer midbody increasing the ship's length 93 feet and capacity by 50 per- cent. In addition to jumboization WACCA- MAW was fitted with a modified stern with counterbalanced rudder, shorter shafts and stern tubes, the latest fueling and replenish- ment equipment along with electric deck winches and cargo pumps, increased elec- trical generating capacity and new ship's store, library, barbershop and laundry fa- cilities. WACCAMAW resumed active duty 26 February 1965 with refresher training at Guantanamo Bay followed by an Assigned Shakedown Availability at Naval Ship Yard, Boston. The Availability completed WAC- CAM AW returned to Norfolk until November when she participated in the recovery of the Gemini 6 and 7 space shots as a unit of Task Force 140. She returned to Norfolk for a brief rest then joined Operation Springboard in the Caribbean. On 4 May 1966 WACCAMAW left on her tenth deploy- ment as the fir st jumbo oiler to operate with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.

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THE CO ERSION STORY The conversion of WACCAMAW included what has be- come known in the shipbuildingtrade as a jumboization. This involved replacing the midbody' containing the cargo tanks with a new longer midbody having about 50 per cent greater cargo tank capacity. This operation consisted of five basic steps. First the bow was cut off and retained in the drydock while the rest of the ship was floated out. Next the new mid- body was floated in, raised and joined to the bow. The third step was the transfer of the bridge structure from the old midbody to the new by use of the heavy lift crane at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton. Next the stern section was severed and retained in drydock while the old midbody was floated out. In the last step the new midbody, with bow and bridge structure attached, was floated into the dock, raised and joined to the stern. Although replacement of the midbody was the single big- gest change, many other important improvements were made during conversion. A major modification was made to the stern including a new counterbalanced rudder, new stern casting and struts, and new shorter propeller shafts and stern tubes. The latest design in fueling and replenishment at sea equipment was added including kingposts with out- riggers, ram tensioned span wires and high lines, electric hydraulic winches, cargo elevators, helicopter pick-up area, and sliding blocks and cargo drop reels at replenish- ment stations. The pumping capacity was improved by the addition of new larger capacity electric driven cargo pumps, larger cargo piping and double hose fueling rigs. An auxiliary diesel generator plant developing 4500 KW was installed to provide power for the deck machinery and cargo pumps. Enclosed space was provided for stowage of fleet cargo, bottled gas and fleet mail. Habitability was improved by the air conditioning of all office and living spaces, installation of a new ship's store, library, barber shop and additional laundry equipment.