Cimarron (AO 22 AO 177) - Naval Cruise Book

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I 1,3 g 5 , 'Qi .M- l' S H'l'I'1.Xlll'll2 l'l5l.Xlil3lD.Y - ffcuf XAVVIA 1 'f'f'N' US Steamer CIMARRON US Steamer CIMARRON off in heavy weather off Cape Charleston, South Carolina, circa . Hatteras, circa 1861. 1861. l l JF US STEAMER CIMARRON Civil War Veteran The first CIMARRON was a sidewheel, double-ended steam gunboat which was built by D.S. Machine of Bor- dertown, New Jersey. Launched 16 March 1862, she was outfitted at the Phil- adelphia Navy Yard and commissioned 5 July 1862. Between 11 July and 4 September 1862, CIMAR- RON sailed the James River in active support of Civil War Army operations. She later gave excellent sewice as 2 member of the South Atlan- tic Blockading Squadron. CIMARRON returned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard 8 Au- gust 1865, and was decom- missioned 17 August 1865.

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'14 I sk .- Jax merge x I THE SECOND CIMARRON World War II s Most Famous Tanker The second CIMARRON, AO-22, was launched 7 January 1939, by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania and commis- sioned 2O March 1939. Prior to World War II, CIMARRON op- erated on both coasts and sup- ported convoys to Iceland. When the war began, she was in the vicinity of Capetown, South Africa, and operated from the Brazilian ports to Iceland until March l942, when she was transferred to the West Coast. ClMARRON's first duty on the West Coast was with the task force which made the first air raid on Tokyo, flown from the carrier HORNET by COL James H. Doolittle's Army Corps pilots in B-25 bombers. Later she supported the forces which defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Midway, the Solo- man Islands operation, the Guadalcanal campaign, the oc- cupation of New Georgia, the Wake Island raid, the Gilbert Is- lands campaign, the Marshall Is- lands operation, the attacks on Truk, the Marianas operation, and the Palay operation. After the war, she supported the occupation of Japan and later primarily operated in the Far East. She served three tours of duty in the Korean War, par- ticipated in the 1959 Quemoy- Matsu Island Crisis, and made three Western Pacific deploy- ments during the Vietnam War. She received ten battle stars for World War II service and four for the Korean War. Referred to as the MOST DEPENDABLE OILER IN THE PACIFIC FLEET , CIMARRON pro- vided outstanding service throughout her distinguished ca- reer.