USS Elokomin

USS Elokomin (AO-55) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the North Atlantic Ocean Theatre of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships.

History
United States
Name	USS Elokomin
Namesake	Elokomin River in Washington
Builder	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard, Sparrows Point, Maryland
Launched	19 October 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. C. M. Marcey
Acquired	30 January 1943
Commissioned	30 November 1943
Fate	Sold for scrap, 1970
General characteristics
Class and type	Cimarron-class fleet oiler
Type	T3-S2-A1 tanker hull
Displacement	7,236 long tons (7,352 t) light 25,440 long tons (25,848 t) full load
Length	553 ft (169 m)
Beam	75 ft (23 m)
Draft	32 ft (9.8 m)
Propulsion	Geared turbines, twin screws, 30,400 shp (22,669 kW)
Speed	18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Capacity	146,000 barrels
Complement	314
Armament	1 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal. gun 4 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal. guns (4×1) 4 × twin 40 mm AA guns 4 × twin 20 mm AA guns

Elokomin was launched on 19 October 1943 by Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard, Sparrows Point, Maryland, under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 721); sponsored by Mrs. C. M. Marcey; transferred to the Navy on 30 January 1943; and commissioned on 30 November 1943.

World War II Atlantic Ocean operations

From January to August 1944 Elokomin was almost constantly at sea transporting fuel oil, diesel oil, and gasoline from Gulf ports to Norfolk, Virginia, New York City, Argentia, Newfoundland, and Bermuda. On 2 September she sailed with a convoy for Oran, Algeria, refueling the convoy escorts during the passage and discharging fuel oil to the dock at Oran upon arrival. She reached Bermuda 14 October, and after discharging the remainder of her cargo, returned to Norfolk 4 days later. Two similar voyages were made to Casablanca after which she served as station tanker at Bermuda in March and April 1945.

Elokomin refueling USS Franklin D. Roosevelt and USS Massey, April 1959

Elokomin returned to coastwise and Caribbean duty until the end of the war. She continued on active service and from her base at Norfolk, operated mainly along the east coast and on fleet exercises. She alternated this duty with U.S. 6th Fleet tours in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises in European waters through 1962.

Decommissioning

She was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on unknown dates. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at another unknown date. Her final disposition was that she was scrapped in 1970.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AO-55 Elokomin
• Wildenberg, Thomas (1996). Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. Retrieved 28 April 2009.

Category:United States Navy Washington (state)-related ships