Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Juliet - Uniform
 NKJU
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Imperial (L)ima - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


SecNav Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada)
Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler / Jumboized:
  • Laid down, 30 November 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 2560), at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.
  • Launched, 2 June 1945
  • Commissioned USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98), 10 October 1945, CDR. H. R. Livingston, USNR, in command
  • Decommissioned, 28 February 1990
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 18 July 1994
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 18 December 1998, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Able UK, Hartlepool, Teeside, England, and removed from the Reserve Fleet, October 2003 under tow to the United Kingdom
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
    Length 553'
    Beam 75'
    Draft 32'
    Speed 18 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 362
    Largest Boom Capacity 10t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity
    NSFO 123,700 Bbls
    Gasoline 788,000 Gals
    Fuel Capacity 15,000 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Bethlehem geared turbines
    four Foster and Wheeler K-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double Falk Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C.
     one Diesel-drive 150Kw 230V A.C.
    twin propellers, 13,500shp
    Jumboized Specifications:
    Displacement 10,847 t.(lt) 34,750 t.(fl)
    Length 644"
    Draft 34' 9"
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Caloosahatchee 114k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway with the assistance of a Curtis Bay Towing tug, probably at her delivery at Sparrow's Point, MD., circa October 1945
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909845    		 109k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway, probably in Cheasepeake Bay during acceptance trials of soon after commissioning in October 1945 and a handwritten list of officers at commissioning. David Wright
    Caloosahatchee
    091909846    		 207k
    Caloosahatchee 39k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway, in 1947, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Mike Cotting collection.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee 1137k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98), USS Leyte (CV-32), and USS Samuel B. Roberts (DD-823) conducting an underway replenishment during "Operation Frigid," 20 November 1948.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Canisteo
    091909926    		 3014k USS Canisteo (AO-99) refuels the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CV-32) and the destroyer USS Purdy (DD-734) during U.S. Atlantic Fleet Operations. 4 March 1949. USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) refuels USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) in the distance. Aircraft of Carrier Air Group 9 (CVAG-9) are parked on Leyte's deck.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # 80-G-419291    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee 375k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) on her first tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in the late 1940's, refueling a Benson class destroyer.
    US Navy photo.    		 Pieter B.Bakels
    Caloosahatchee 94k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) riding high after refueling ships of the Sixth Fleet. Nested alongside are USS Spikefish (SS-404) and USS Piper (SS-409).
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1955    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Caloosahatchee
    091909853    		 214k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) refueling the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and the heavy cruiser USS Salem (CA-139) in the Mediterranean Sea. Forrestal, with assigned Carrier Air Group 1 (CVG-1), was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea from 15 January to 22 July 1957.
    U.S. Navy "All Hands" magazine March 1960, p. 6.    		 Robert Hurst
    and Joe Radigan
    Caloosahatchee 91k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) refueling destroyers off both her port and starboard sides. USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) is visible to starboard of Caloosahatchee, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, May 1958    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Caloosahatchee 47k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) at anchor, 20 July 1958, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Lawrence Dalli.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee 175k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) riding at anchor, circa 1959, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    CVA-42 F.D.Roosevelt 125k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) refueling USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and USS Charles H. Roan (DD-853) in the Mediterranean, 1960.
    Caloosahatchee 157k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway circa 1964.
    US Navy photo from the collection of SFC Walter Pegg.    		 Tommy Trampp and David Merrill
    USS Canisteo (AO-99) Web Site
    Caloosahatchee
    091909847    		 945k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) coming alongside USS Kankakee (AO-39) to consolidate, circa December 1964-1967, location unknown. Photo by LTjg. Lars Andersen, USNR, USS Kankakee (AO-39)
    Caloosahatchee 78k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) moored to a buoy, date and location unknown
    US Navy photo    		 Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Caloosahatchee
    091909849    		 994k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) during "jumboisation" at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore, MD., circa 1967
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 7573711    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909857
    NAID 7573713    		 1168k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) during "jumboisation" at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore, MD., circa 1967
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifiers (NAID) 7573713, 7573714    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909858
    NAID 7573714    		 1166k
    Caloosahatchee
    091909856
    NAID 7573705    		 904k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) drydocked prior to being cut in half at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore, MD., circa 1967.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 7573605.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909850    		 972k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) during her "jumboisation" at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore, MD., circa 1967.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 7573693.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909839
    NH 85040    		 151k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98), the fully assembled ship, 6 August 1968, during her "Jumboization" conversion at Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore Yards. In a series of dockings and undockings, the stern was detached from the old midbody, 4 June 1968, and joined to the new midbody, 8 June, then the bow was detached from the old midbody on 16 July and joined to the new ship on the same day.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 85040, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifiers NAID: 7573705    		 Mike Green
    Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909852
    NAID 7573736    		 758k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) after "jumboisation" at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Baltimore, MD., circa 1969.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifiers NAID: 7573736, 7573732, 7573740    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909854
    NAID 7573736    		 862k
    Caloosahatchee
    091909855
    NAID 7573740    		 905k
    Caloosahatchee 56k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 David Merrill
    USS Canisteo (AO-99) Web Site
    Caloosahatchee 96k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Caloosahatchee 1095k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) departing the port of Genoa, Italy, 26 April 1972. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    William H. Standley 761k Aerial view of USS William H. Standley (CG-32) and USS Independence (CV 62) conducting an underway replenishment with USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) while in the Med, late 1976. Jeff Padell
    Caloosahatchee
    091909851    		 4919k Aerial starboard bow view of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), right, conducting underway replenishment with USS Calooshatchee (AO-98) and the Forrest Sherman class destroyer USS Manley (DD-940) during Exercise BRIGHT STAR '83.
    US National Archives and Records Administration photo cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 63926923 by PH2 Parsley,USN    		 Robert Hurst and
    Ron Reeves
    Manley 66k
    Manley 61k
    Caloosahatchee 366k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) in company with amphibious transport dock USS Shreveport (LPD-12) during Operation INTENSE LOOK, 1 August 1984.  
    Yosemite 798k USS Yosemite (AD-19) moored pierside at Marseille, France, circa 1987-88, with USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) and USS Vreeland (FF-1068) alongside. Photo by Philippe Gonzales
    Caloosahatchee 287k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway alongside the the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) during an underway replenishment, 20 November 1986.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 263k
    Caloosahatchee 361k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway alongside the the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and the guided missile frigate USS Jack Williams (FFG-24), during an underway replenishment, 11 February 1987.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Mount Baker 422k USS Mount Baker (AE-34) underway. The destroyer tender USS Yosemite (AD-19) and USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) are in the background, 12 March 1988.
    US Navy photo.    		  
    Caloosahatchee 375k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) and USS King (DDG-41) underway, 5 June 1987, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 266k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway 1 January 1988, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 262k
    Caloosahatchee 192k Crew members stand by in the hanger bay of the the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) during an underway replenishment with USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98), 1 April 1988.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 350k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway 12 March 1988, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 424k
    Caloosahatchee 250k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway alongside the the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) during an underway replenishment, 27 April 1988.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 375k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 287k Port quarter view of the fleet oiler USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) and the frigate USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) during underway replenishment operations, 22 January 1990.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Caloosahatchee 333k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) underway at Hampton Roads, VA., date unknown.
    Photo @copyAtlantic Fleet Sales and can be purchased from Atlantic Fleet Sales .    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Caloosahatchee 326k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) conducting a simultaneous port and starboard underway replenishment, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Caloosahatchee 91k USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) drydocked, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee 434k Aerial view of Unit 7 of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., 28 January 1999. From bottom to top;
    unidentified,
    Santa Cruz
    Vulcan (AR-5),
    Redstone (T-AGM-20),
    2 unidentified APs,
    GEN. N.M. Walter (T-AP-125),
    GEN. Wm. O. Darby (IX-510),
    Waccamaw (T-AO-109),
    Canisteo (AO-99),
    Caloosahatchee (AO-98),
    Mississinewa (T-AO-144),
    Pawcatuck (T-AO-108),
    Truckee (T-AO-147),
    Neosho (T-AO-143),
    Benjamin Isherwood (T-AO-191) and
    Henry Eckford (T-AO-192). These two oilers were both lay-berthed incomplete.    		  
    Caloosahatchee 47k Three views of ex-USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) being towed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA., en route to Hartlepool, England, for scrapping, October 2003.
    Photos from Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee 37k Ex-USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98) at anchor, circa 2006, probably near Hartlepool, Teeside, England.
    Photo via the master tug Englishman. Courtesy Frans Sanderse Collection.    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee 45k "The Hartlepool Four" left to right;
    ex-USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)
    ex-USS Canisteo (AO-99),
    ex-USS Canopus (AS-34), and
    ex-USS Compass Island (E-AG-153) awaiting the beginning of the end at Able UK, Hartlepool, Teeside, England, 4 March 2006. Scrapping is on hold due to environmental concerns.    		 Photo by David Nixon
    Caloosahatchee 77k "The Hartlepool Four"
    ex-USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)
    ex-USS Canisteo (AO-99),
    ex-USS Canopus (AS-34), and
    ex-USS Compass Island (E-AG-153) at Able UK, Hartlepool, Teeside, England, date unknown.
    Photo from geograph.org    		 Robert Hurst
    Caloosahatchee
    091909848    		 98k "The Hartlepool Four"
    ex-USS Compass Island (E-AG-153),
    ex-USS Canopus (AS-34),
    ex-USS Canisteo (AO-99),
    ex-USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)
    at Able UK, Hartlepool, Teeside, England, Octoer 2004.
    Photographer Peter Goodwin available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2    		 Robert Hurst
    Additional Ships Patches
    Caloosahatchee
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski    		 Caloosahatchee
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski

    For more photos and information about USS Caloosahatchee, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
    • >
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Livingston, Harry Robert, USNR10 October 1945 - 1 March 1946
    02CAPT. Beck, Philip George, USN1 March 1946 - 19 April 1946
    03CAPT. Jacobs, Tyrrell Dwight, USN (USNA 1927)19 April 1946 - 1 August 1947
    04CAPT. Nilon, Leo William, USN (USNA 1927)1 August 1947 - 14 October 1947
    05LT. Wheeler, R. E, USN (USNA 1934) [temporary]1 August 1947 - 16 October 1947
    06CDR. Holzapfel, Alfred F., USNR [temporary]16 October 1947 - 2 November 1947
    07CAPT. Hood, Alexander Haldeman, USN (USNA 1929)2 November 1947 - 17 December 1948
    08CAPT. Gleim Jr., Fritz, USN (USNA 1927)17 December 1948 - 20 November 1949
    09CAPT. Ford, Robert Stephens, USN (USNA 1927) :RADM20 November 1949 - 9 February 1951
    10CAPT. Finney Jr., Earl Peck. USN (USNA 1932)9 February 1951 - 26 April 1952
    11CAPT. Baker Jr., Christopher Sylvanus, USN (USNA 1933) :RADM26 April 1952 - 27 June 1953
    12CAPT. Mabley, Louis Christopher, USN (USNA 1926)27 June 1953 - 5 July 1953
    13CDR. Cleaves, Alfred S., USNR [XO acting]5 July 1953 - 21 July 1953
    14CAPT. Mabley, Louis Christopher, USN (USNA 1926)21 July 1953 - 14 July 1955
    15CAPT. Schnable, Alan George, USN (USNA 1934)18 July 1954 - 14 July 1955
    16CAPT. Luosey, Michael Joseph, USN (USNA 1933)14 July 1955 - 6 August 1956
    17CAPT. Presler, Irving Stahl, USN (USNA 1934)6 August 1956 - 25 September 1957
    18CAPT. Dissette, Edward Farwell, USN (USNA 1934)25 September 1957 - 4 October 1958
    19CAPT. Jackson, Robert Woods, USN :RADM4 October 1958 - 30 July 1959
    20CAPT. Gilkeson, Fillmore Bolling, USN (USNA 1937) :RADM22 August 1959 - 3 April 1960
    21CAPT. Leonard, William Nicholas (Bill), USN (USNA 1938):RADM19 April 1960 - 21 May 1960
    22CAPT. McDowell, Joseph Matthew, USN (USNA 1938)21 May 1960 - 13 September 1961
    23CAPT. Burgess, Andrew Lynn, USN (USNA 1938)13 September 1961 - 14 August 1962
    24CAPT. Murphy Jr., Walter Patrick, USN14 August 1962 - 26 July 1963
    25CAPT. Taylor, Robert Emerson, USN26 July 1963 - 21 July 1964
    26CAPT. Woodward, Nelson Coates, USN (USNA 1943)21 July 1964 - 6 August 1965
    27CAPT. Hawkins, Arthur Ray, USN6 August 1965 - 23 April 1966
    28CAPT. Ford, John Ellsworth, USN23 April 1966 - 4 August 1967
    29CAPT. Creamer, John James, USN (USNA 1944)4 August 1967 - 8 May 1968
    30LCDR. Rankin, James Frederick, USN8 May 1968 - 28 May 1969
    31CAPT. McFarland, Milton Clay, USN (USNA 1948-B)28 May 1969 - 22 December 1970
    32CAPT. Endacott, Jack Andrew, USN22 December 1970 - 24 April 1972
    33CAPT. Goehring, Bernard Edward, USN24 April 1972 - 8 September 1973
    34CAPT. Malloy, John Edward, USN (USNA 1950)8 September 1973 - 1 August 1975
    35CAPT. Brown III, Thomas Francis (Tom), CAPT USN :RADM1 August 1975 - 25 February 1977
    36CAPT. Flatley III, James Henry (Jim), USN (USNA 1956) :RADM25 February 1977 - 21 July 1978
    37CAPT. Dorsey Jr., James Francis (Yank), USN :VADM21 July 1978 - 14 December 1979
    38CAPT. Metz, Frederick John, USN :RADM 14 December 1979 - 23 May 1981
    39CAPT. Lineberger, Preston Hearne, USN23 May 1981 - 3 February 1982
    40CAPT. Metz, Frederick John, USN :RADM3 February 1982 - 29 March 1982
    41CAPT. Houston, Jerry Beaman (Devil), USN :RADM29 March 1982 - 19 July 1983
    42CAPT. Lair, James Anthony (Jim), USN :RADM19 July 1983 - 12 April 1985
    43CAPT. Hunt, Donald Bayard, USN12 April 1985 - 12 November 1985
    44CAPT. Mitchell Jr., Albert Hoyt, USN12 November 1985 - 29 November 1985
    45CAPT. Thomassy Jr., Louis Edward (Tim), USN (USNA 196229 November 1985 - 21 August 1987
    46CAPT. Abbot, Charles Stevenson (Steve), USN (USNA 1956) :ADM21 August 1987 - 1 February 1989
    47CAPT. Lowe, Julian Richard, USN1 February 1989 - 1 February 1990
    48LCDR. Matthies, Frederick Theodore, USN1 February 1990 - 28 February 1990
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyo
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 December 2025