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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Cimarron (AO-22)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Mike - Quebec NEMQ
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Skid (W)iskey - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Presidential Unit Citation (Dolittle Raid) - China Service Medal (extended) - American Defense Service Medal (with "A" device)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (10)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (7) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits, Quemoy-Matsu, Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (4)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 18 April 1938, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A1) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2) at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock, Chester, PA.

Launched, 7 January 1939

Commissioned USS Cimarron (AO-22), 20 March 1939, LCDR. W. W. Behrens in command

During World War II USS Cimarron was assigned to both the Atlantic and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters and participated in and supported the following operations and campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Midway, 3 to 6 June 1942	Western Carolines Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944 Assault on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1945
Gilbert Islands operation, 21 to 24 November 1943	Luzon operation Formosa attacks, 3 to 4 January 1945 Luzon attacks, 9, 15 and 21 January 1945 China Coast attacks, 16 January 1945
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 29 January to 8 February 1944 Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 February to 2 March 1944	Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 15 to 23 February 1945
Asiatic-Pacific Raids - 1943 Marianas attack, 21 to 22 February 1944 Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai raid, 30 March to 1 April 1944 Truk, Satawan, Ponape raid, 29 April to 1 May 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 30 June 1945 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto, 27 March to 27 May 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 to 16 June 1944 3d Bonins raid, 3 to 4 July 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam, 10 to 15 August 1944	3d Fleet operations against Japan, 10 to 18 July and 26 July to 14 August 1945

USS Cimarron was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
2 to 17 September 1945	13 to 17 November 1945
15 October to 12 November 1945	29 to 31 January 1949
18 November 1945 to 22 January 1946	13 February to 20 March 1949
8 to 29 July 1948	5 to 22 August 1950
2 to 9 February 1949	22 September to 28 October 1951
28 July to 2 August 1950	22 September to 23 October 1952
	12 September to 14 October 1953
	17 December 1954 to 15 January 1955
	11 August to 2 September 1955

During the Korean War USS Cimarron (AO-22) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
North Korean Aggression 18 September to 2 November 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 24 May to 8 June 1952 18 to 26 June 1952 29 June to 2 July 1952 11 to 23 July 1952 30 July to 10 August 1952 20 August to 1 September 1952 9 to 17 September 1952 8 to 19 November 1952
Communist China Aggression 3 November 1950 to 23 January 1951	Third Korean Winter 12 to 18 December 1952
First UN Counter Offensive 29 January to 20 March 1951 29 March to 8 April 1951	Korea Summer-Fall 1953 7-16 May 1953 27 May to 6 June 1953 12 to 23 June 1953 7 to 16 July 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 31 August to 10 September 1951 10 to 20 November 1951

During the Vietnam War USS Cimarron (AO-22) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 3 May to 3 July 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 10 to 18 July 1966 4 to 11 August 1966 28 August to 5 September 1966 10 to 14 September 1966 20 to 23 September 1966 7 to 15 April 1967 20 April to 1 May 1967 5 to 10 May 1967 20 to 27-May 1967
Vietnam Defense 22 July to 1 August 1965 10 to 16 August 1965 21 to 30 August 1965 7 to 17 September 1965 23 September to 6 October 1965 9 to 15 October 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 5 to 13 June 1967 21 to 24 June 1967 3 to 11 July 1967 15 to 23 July 1967 4 to 13 September 1967
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 17 to 22 April 1966 29 April to 4 May 1966 9 to 11 May 1966 16 to 23 May 1966 27 to 30 June 1966

Decommissioned at Long Beach, CA., 1 October 1968

Struck from the Naval Register, 10 October 1968

USS Cimarron earned ten battle stars for World War II service, seven battle stars for Korean War service, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Title transfer to the Maritime Administration, 15 September 1969, at San Diego, CA. and sold for scrapping the same day to Levin Metals Corp., San Jose, CA.

Delivered, 17 October 1969, at San Diego, CA., to Levin Metals Corp.

Specifications:
Displacement 7,470 t.(lt) 25,425 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32' 3"
Speed 18.3 kts.

Complement

Officers 34

Enlisted 267

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

four single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 16,500DWT

Oil 122,400 Bbls

Gasoline 805,000 Gals

Fuel Capacity 14,850 Bbls

Propulsion

two Westinghouse geared steam turbines

four Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 400Kw 230V A.C. Ship's Service Generators

twin propellers. 13,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
0919022053	235k	*Namesake* Cimarron River extends 698 miles across New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas. The headwaters flow from Johnson Mesa west of Folsom in northeastern New Mexico.	Tommy Trampp ©Wikipedia map
	142k	*Cimarron* was the first ship completed for the U.S. Maritime Commission, as she appeared during her trials in February 1939. Authors photo from "Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy 1912 - 1992", by Thomas Wildenburg.	Robert Hurst
	173k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)*, photographed circa 1939-40, soon after completion and prior to receiving her armament. Uncropped version of US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 67530*	Jim Kurrasch Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
	88k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** departs from the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 29 April 1941, enroute to Baton Rouge, LA., to pick up a cargo of black oil destined for Pearl Harbor. The ship was equipped with one of the first Mark 37 directors and four 5"/38-cal, dual-purpose guns--an unusual combination for an oiler. Photo courtesy A. D. Baker III from "Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy 1912 - 1992", by Thomas Wildenburg.	Robert Hurst
	77k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)*, off Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., 6 February 1942. Note her camouflage scheme, and hull number painted just below the forecastle break. Her camouflage is measure 12(modified). US National Archives photo # 19-N-30121*, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collections now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	74k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) refueling USS Northampton (CA-26) during the Doolittle Raid mission. Photographed from USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)*. The original photo caption states that this view was taken on 18 April 1942, the day the Doolittle Raid aircraft were launched to attack targets in Japan. Her camouflage is measure 12(modified). US Navy photo # NH 9808*, from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command .	US Naval History and Heritage Command
091902254	118k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) alongside USS Enterprise (CV-6)** during the Doolittle Raid mission in April 1942. US National Archives photo # 80-G-330692, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Rick Davis
091902202	196k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway at Pearl Harbor, T,H. in May 1942. Her camouflage is measure 12(modified). US National Archives photo # 80-G-66127, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Rick Davis
	763k	Starboard bow plan view looking aft of *USS Cimarron* (AO-22) at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 26 November 1942, after taking part in the Tokyo Raid with the USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) in April and the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May with USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Yorktown (CV-5), Hornet and Enterprise, to defeat the Japanese at Midway at the end of May-early June, and finally, taking part in operations in the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal. Cimarron is still in splotches. The excessive fading of the seablue (5-S) is evident on the hull. The small dark patches are primer coats of 84D. Hulls always took more of a beating because they could not be �kept up� underway, whereas decks and superstructures were often touched up and maintained. The bright sun tends to wash out the 5-O and 5-H side splotches on the bridge. The circles indicate new equipment or structures added at that time and are actually drawn on the original negatives. The Farragut class destroyers USS Worden (DD-352) and USS Dewey (DD-349) in the background, on the opposite side of the pier, across for Worden, are both in Measure 21, navy blue (5-N). The stern of the heavy cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29)** is visible just forward of USS Worden. Across the river at Mare Island Naval Station, in the ferry slip, is either the harbor ferry Delta King (YFB-55) or Delta Queen (YFB-56). US Navy photo	Pieter Bakels and Steve Whitby
	949k	Forward plan view of *USS Cimarron* (AO-22) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 26 November 1942. The stern of the heavy cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29) is visible inboard of the barge YC-247** on the adjacent pier. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7256-43. 30 November 1942	Pieter Bakels
	948k	Aft plan view of *USS Cimarron* (AO-22) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 26 November 1942. The destroyer USS Worden (DD-352)** is moored at the adjacent pier. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 7256-43. 30 November 1942	Pieter Bakels
	105k	Broadside view of *USS Cimarron* (AO-22) off Mare Island, 28 November 1942. Cimarron** was at Mare Island for repairs from 3 to 28 November 1942. Her camouflage is measure 12(modified). .	Darryl Baker
	94k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	406k	HMS Victorious serving with Task Group 36.3 of the US Pacific Fleet about to refuel at sea, using the abeam method, from *USS Cimarron* (AO-22)**, 12 July 1943. The aircraft are in a variety of different camouflage schemes but all have USN-style 'star' markings clearly visible on their wings and fuselage. Author's Collection. Photo taken from "The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force", by David Hobbs. Publish by Seaforth Publishing.	Robert Hurst
	99k	*Details of USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** camouflage Measure 32-13T. Measure 32 (medium) was used considerably more on Fleet warships and auxiliaries than the dark or light systems. Black and all the blue-grays were used in these FALSE PERSPECTIVE designs. The below photograph of Cimarron (AO-22) is a typical application of Measure 32. It is easy to see how the use of darker or lighter colors could change this design to Measure 31 or 33, or vice versa. Patterns of deck blue and ocean gray were almost always carried on the decks. Two color vertical designs used dull black and light gray. Three color designs used dull black, ocean and light gray.	Pieter Bakels
	35k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22), comes alongside USS Enterprise (CV-6)** to begin a refueling of the carrier while underway in the Pacific Ocean. 28 January 1944. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	545k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22), painted camouflage Measure 32-13T, connects fuel lines to USS Enterprise (CV-6)** while underway in the Pacific Ocean as the Enterprise's Gasoline Officer directs the operation from above, 28 January 1944. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	33k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) steams a steady course as USS Yorktown (CV-10)** comes alongside to refuel and resupply the carrier while underway in the Pacific Ocean, 4 March 1945. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	3722k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) steams alongside USS Yorktown (CV-10)** to refuel and resupply the carrier while underway in the Pacific Ocean, 4 March 1945. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	1028k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) steams alongside USS Yorktown (CV-10)** to refuel and resupply the carrier while underway in the Pacific Ocean, 4 March 1945. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	79k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) steams alongside USS Yorktown (CV-10)** to refuel and resupply the carrier while underway in the Pacific Ocean, 4 March 1945. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	68k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) steams alongside USS Yorktown (CV-10)** to refuel and resupply the carrier while underway in the Pacific Ocean, 4 March 1945. US National Archives photo.	Pieter Bakels
	12k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) at sea while refueling USS Hornet (CV-12)**, circa April 1945. Her camouflage is measure 32 design 13T.	Steve Whitby
	231k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway in harbor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Jim Kurrasch Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
NH 73254	74k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** at anchor, circa 1945-46, location unknown. US Navy photo # NH 73254, courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1970, from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command . Colorized version (091902240) contributed by Robert Hurst, courtesy Auke Vissar's Famous T-Tanker Pages
091902240	68k
	138k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) refuels USS Iowa (BB-61)** in rough weather in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka), circa 1946-47. US Navy photo from "All Hands" Magazine, May 1947.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	65k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, circa 1950s, location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	197k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** moored at San Pedro, CA., circa 1950.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	82k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, 4 May 1955, location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	52k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, 4 August 1958, location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	80k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, June 1959, location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	280k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) underway in Western Pacific during 1962. Photos from USS McDermut (DD-677)** during her 1962 WestPac deployment	Jonathan Archer USS McDermut
	903k	*USS McDermut* (DD-677) waits her turn to refuel alongside USS Cimarron (AO-22) while underway in Western Pacific during 1962. Photos taken from McDermut** during her 1962 WestPac deployment.	Jonathan Archer USS McDermut
	79k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) refueling USS Alamo (LSD-33) and USS Princeton (LPH-5)**, circa January-February 1963, Pacific Ocean	Ron Reeves
091902246	291k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) refueling USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) and USS Edson (DD-946)**, circa 1965/1966, WestPac. Photos courtesy ADJ3 David Elfver.	Bob Canchola
091902247	395k
091902248	322k
091902249	312k
091902250	280k
091902251	458k
091902252	318k
	77k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, March 1965, location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	117k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22), underway at sea, 16 November 1965. Photographed by PH3 G.S. Brown, of USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63)*. US Navy photo # NH 97824*, from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command .	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	38k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) and USS Cacapon (AO-52)** moored pierside, Pier 9 Naval Station Long Beach, CA., 1965.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	42k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) and USS Caliente (AO-53)** moored pierside at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	100k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** underway, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
091902256	949k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22) conducting an underway replenishment in 1966 with USS Tulare (AKA-112) to starboard and USS George Clymer (APA-27)** (not visible) off her port side Photo by Gary Hornung taken from USS George Clymer	Bob Canchola
	149k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22), with USS Hornet (CVS-12), and USS Nicholas (DD-449)*, during underway replenishment activities off the coast of North Vietnam, circa 1966. US National Archives photo # USN 1115952*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command .	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	70k	*USS Cimarron* (AO-22)** Change of Command, 26 July 1966, at NavSta Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, CAPT James E. Heg USN relieved CAPT. Lawrence A. Dewing USN	Tommy Trampp

USS Cimarron (AO-22)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Behrens, William Wohlsen, USN :RADM	20 March 1939 - 3 July 1940
02	CDR. Redfield Jr., Herman Judd, USN (USNA 1916) :RADM	3 July 1940 - 1 February 1942
03	CDR. Ihrig, Russell Million, USN (USNA 1919) :RADM	1 February 1942 - 21 October 1943
04	CAPT. Cady, John Parmalee, USN (USNA 1922)	21 October 1943 - 17 March 1944
05	LCDR. Clague, John, USN	17 March 1944 - 20 May 1944
06	CDR. Kooistra, Abbo H., USNR	20 May 1944 - 4 September 1944
07	LCDR. Schnaars Jr., Henry George, USNR	4 September 1944 - 19 October 1945
08	CDR. Milhring, Russell, USN	19 October 1945 - 21 December 1945
09	LTjg. McCarthy, John L., USNR	21 December 1945 - 5 January 1946
10	CAPT. Murphy Jr., John William, USN (USNA 1925)	5 January 1946 - OCtober 1947
11	CAPT. Gladding, Douglas Victor, USN (USNA 1926)	October 1947 - November 1948
12	CAPT. Beasley, Charles Black, USN (USNA 1927) :RADM	November 1948 - November 1949
13	CAPT. Nichols, Stanley Gilbert, USN (USNA 1926)	November 1949 - July 1951
14	CDR. Wells, Peter Katz, USN (USNA 1927)	July 1951 - September 1952
15	CAPT. Jukes, Herbert Lollis, USN (USNA 1932)	September 1952 - August 1953
16	CAPT. Walker, William Warren (Red), USN (USNA 1934)	August 1953 - October 1954
17	CAPT. Butler Jr., William Clayton, USN (USNA 1930) :RADM	October 1954 - March 1956
18	CAPT. Cresap, James Barton, USN (USNA 1937)	March 1956 - June 1957
19	CAPT. Lief, Sam Albert USN (USNA 1931)	June 1957 - July 1958
20	CAPT. Russell, Hawley (Monk), USN	July 1958 - July 1959
21	CAPT. Richardson, David Charles. USN (USNA 1936) :VADM	September 1959 - October 1960
22	CAPT. Weatherwax, John Craig, USN (USNA 1939)	October 1960 - August 1961
23	CAPT. Fidel, John Anthony, USN (USNA 1939)	August 1961 - 11 July 1962
24	CAPT. Betzel, Albert Frederick, USN (USNA 1942) (U.S. Navy photo as CO of USS Sea Robin (SS-407) circa 1952	11 July 1962 - 3 August 1963
25	CAPT. Conatser, Charles Neal (Charlie), USN	3 August 1963 - 15 July 1964
26	CAPT. Welsh, John Robert, USN (USNA 1942)	15 July 1964 - August 1965
27	CAPT. Dewing, Lawrence Albert, USN	August 1965 - 26 July 1966
28	CAPT. Heg, James Elmer, USN	26 July 1966 - 9 November 1967
29	CAPT. Farrell, Ted Lee, USN	9 November 1967 - 1 October 1968


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyo

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Fleet Tankers Association
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 13 January 2023