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Page 6 text:
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SHIP ' S HISTORY CIMARRON was commissioned on March 20, 1939. and immediately began to establish records. Following a logistics problem at Pearl Harbor in 1940, the CIMARRON and a sister ship fueled the Pacific Fleet at anchor there. This task was completed in 36 hours, a job for which four days had been allowed. These chores were but warmups for experiences yet to come. A short time later this old lady switched oceans and participated in her first underway replenishment. At the time, she was a member of a 27-ship task force formed to transport U. S. Armv personnel to Iceland. She re- fueled the destroyer USS BAINBRIDGE in September 1941, enroute to Iceland, and scores of other ships thereafter. Adding a bit of drama to the situation, a month later while enroute to Newfoundland, one of the patrol- ling destroyers in her vicinity, the USS RETBEN .lAMES, was sunk by a Oerman submarine. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor found CIMARRON out of Capetown. South Africa. During the next three months the ship transported fuel through the submarine infested waters between Norfolk, ' irginia ; Portland. Maine: Newfoundland ; and Iceland. Although she saw eneiny submarines many times, her speed enabled her to avoid them. During the early days of World War II. CIM.ARRON replenished units involved in the Battle of the Coral Sea and. a short time later, those par- ticipating in the Battle of Midway. Still later, ships that launched the cam- paign for Guadalcanal were refueled by CIMARRON. This ship also refuel- ed carrier striking forces the day before the first Battle of the Eastern .Solomons. Practically every major campaign of the Pacific during World War II found the CIM.- RRON on hand to offer her ■ ' Black Gold and logistic support. CIMARRON and a sister ship refueled the Tokyo task force before and after the Tokyo raid. Nearly 200.000 miles later she returned to Tokyo, in .September 1945, one of the first Navy ships to anchor there after the war. At the time she was replenishing units off Japan and was directed to proce- ed into the Bay. She arrived on September 10. 1945. having steamed 360,000 miles to Tokyo, measured from the day of her commissioning. At the close of World War II. the Navy described CIMARRON as having fueled more ships than any other oiler in the Navy and of having participat- ed in every major operation in the Pacific. CIMARRON remained in the F ' ar East for some time, participating in the Japanese occupation, and was then sent hom.e. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 brought her back into action. Except for three short periods, totalling 11 months, the CIMARRON operated continuously off Korea pro- viding support to the Fleet, from July 1950 to November 1953. The CIM.iXRRON, carrying her campaign ribbons proudly, was cited by the United Nations for her accredited refueling of over 200 ships 600 different times during the Korean conflict. During this period, CIM.ARRON pumped out the staggering total of 107,000.0(10 gallons of fuel oil and 8.250,000 gallons of aviation gasoline. Since the Korean War. it ' s been comparatively quiet for the CIMARRON. Routine Western Pacific deployments, yard periods, and Eastern Pacific tra- ining has occupied most of her time. However, a highlight of these years came in late 1954 when she served as flgaship for the support group during Operation Passage to Freedcm — the transporting of freedom-loving people from North Vietnam. In the late 1950 ' s CIM.ARRON was on the line, pro- viding support, during the Quemoy-Matsu crises, with units of the Taiwan Patroi Force making regular customer appearances. This old lady of the sea has rarely rested since hoisting her commis- sionin g pennant in March 1939. While the CIMARRON may be old. she is still young in spirit and continues to add to her pace by setting new records. Continuing with her history making during the latter part of 1963, CIMARRON had her 23r.l change of command. Present for the ceremonies were four captains, all skippers of the ship at different times. Over the years CIM.ARRON Navymen have contributed much to the ship ' s long and honorable record. The men in blue have left their mark in the foreign ports they ' ve visited. They ' ve left the belief that the members of this proud ship ' s crew are all ambassadors in blue. They ' ve delivered several tons of Project Handclasp cargo to Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong. Korea, Okinawa and Formosa, to name just a few of their people-to-people destinations. Included in the cargoes have been massive amounts of clothing, multi-purpose food, garden seed, medical supplies and a host of other items. Thus, the USS CIMARRON, the oldest ship in the Navy on continuous active service, looks back with justifiable pride, on its long and glorious 25- year history. She has seen many places, done many things and fought well for her country. Now she looks forward with great expectation toward entry into her second quarter-century of service to the Fleet and the % orld.
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