USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) was a fleet oiler constructed for the U.S. Navy for use in World War II but commissioned too late for service in that conflict. However, she had a lengthy career during the Cold War that followed. She was the only U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Caloosahatchee, after the Caloosahatchee River in southwest Florida.
Caloosahatchee (AO-98) was launched 2 June 1945 by Bethlehem Steel-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc., Sparrows Point, Maryland, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. C. L. Andrews; acquired by the Navy 10 October 1945; commissioned the same day and reported to Commander, Service Force, Atlantic Fleet.
Cold War operations
Caloosahatchee cruised off the U.S. East Coast, transporting oil and fueling ships at sea, and made a voyage to Iceland from Norfolk, Virginia, during her first two years of operations. On 14 August 1947, she sailed for her first tour of duty with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, a deployment that marked almost every year of her operations from that time into 1960.
In this era when the U.S. Navy had perfected at-sea replenishment to greatly increase mobility, flexibility and efficiency, Caloosahatchee played a key role in increasing the enormous power for peace represented by the mighty U.S. 6th Fleet.
Among other widespread operations, Caloosahatchee participated in NATO Operation Mariner off Greenock, Scotland, from 16 September to 20 October 1953, and provided summer training for future naval officers in midshipman cruises to Le Havre, France, in 1954, and to Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1956. In fall 1957 and again in summer 1958, the oiler sailed with forces calling at ports in England, Scotland, France, and Portugal.
Caloosahatchee's constant readiness for emergency deployments or other challenges to her operational capability was developed and maintained through training operations along the east coast, and participation in such large-scale Atlantic Fleet exercises as Operation Springboard held in the Caribbean, which operations continued through 1960.
Between 1966 and 1968 Caloosahatchee, along with her sister ships Ashtabula and Canisteo, underwent "jumboization". A 27 m (400-foot) midsection, built entirely new from the keel up, was inserted and welded between her original bow and stern. This replaced the old 310-foot midsection and increased the vessel's liquid cargo capacity by over one-third. Her new configuration closely resembled that of a more modern type of ship, the replenishment oiler. Caloosahatchee was recommissioned on 27 September 1969 and assigned to Service Squadron 2 (SERVRON 2), homeported in Newport, Rhode Island (USA).
During September 1970, Caloosahatchee participated in the naval blockade off the coast of Lebanon during the Black September in Jordan. The conflict was fought between the two major components of the Jordanian population, the Palestinians represented by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) under the leadership of Yasser Arafat and the native Jordanians represented by the Jordanian Armed Forces under the leadership of Hussein of Jordan. In 1974 Caloosahatchee was transferred to the Bethlehem shipyard for a seven-month overhaul. While approaching dock facilities, the ship struck a dockside chock and bent the starboard shaft. The ship spent seven months effecting repairs to the starboard shaft. In addition, twin screws were transported by truck to replace the existing worn out screws.
By February 1975, Caloosahatchee changed homeport to Norfolk, Virginia and was transferred to Service Squadron 4. She deployed to the Mediterranean Sea via the North Atlantic, North Sea, and Baltic Sea. On the way Caloosahatchee was temporarily assigned to 2nd Fleet for operations off the coast of Norway, eventually transiting the Arctic Circle. During the Mediterranean cruise, Caloosahatchee visited, Palma, Majorca, Rota, Spain, Brest, France, Liverpool, Loch Striven and Loch Ewe, United Kingdom and eventually Naples, Italy for approximately one and one half months.
While in the Mediterranean in 1975, Caloosahatchee was involved in a collision with to port and to starboard. The ship suffered a gash to the port side along with the loss of the port anchor. A shoring party effected repairs. Caloosahatchee proceeded to Genoa, Italy, to effect repairs to ensure seaworthiness. Due to Navy stand down orders, Caloosahatchee proceeded to Naples, Italy, to finish repairs. The ship spent approximately one and one half months in Naples for repairs.
In 1977, Caloosahatchee collided after a refueling with off Puerto Rico due to a steering casualty onboard Rich. Rich was eventually determined to be damaged beyond economical repair and scrapped.