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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Cacapon (AO-52)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Delta - Mike NZDM
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - "Golfer", 50-53

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Fourth Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (9) - Antarctic Service Medal
Fifth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1- Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Taiwan Straits, 8-Korea) - Vietnam Service Medal (8) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Sixth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Metal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (T3-S2-A3) tanker hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 719) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Point, MD.

Launched, 12 June 1941

Commissioned USS Cacapon (AO-52), 21 September 1943, LCDR. G. Eyth in command

During World War II USS Cacapon was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Luzon operation Formosa attacks, 15, and 21 January 1945 China Coast attacks, 16 January 1945 Nansie Shoto attack, 22 January 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 30 June 1945 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support o Okinawa Gunto operation, 27 March to 4 June 1945
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 15 to 26 February 1945	3d Fleet operations against Japan, 10 July to 14 August 1945

USS Cacapon 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 29 September 1945
30 December 1945 to 31 March 1946	30 December 1945 to 31 March 1946
30 November to 4 December 1947	14 to 15 December 1948
3 to 10 March 1948	19 to 21 March 1949
20 March to 14 April 1948	27 August to 26 September 1951
20 to 30 April 1948	4 to 17 April 1954
18 December 1948 to 12 January 1949	17 March to 10 April 1955
21 February to 18 March 1949	29 December 1955 to 31 January 1956

During the Korean War USS Cacapon (AO-52) participated in the following campaigns:

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
North Korean Aggression 3 to 12 September 1950 18 September to 27 October 1950	Second Korean Winter 22 February to 8 March 1952 14 March to 1 April 1952 5 to 20 April 1952 27 to 30 April 1952
Communist China Aggression 7 November to 29 December 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 7 to 15 May 1952 20 to 27 November 1952
Inchon Landing 13 to 17 September 1950	Third Korean Winter 6 to 12 December 1952 23 December 1952 to 1 January 1953 22 January to 4 February 1953 13 to 21 April 1953 29 to 30 April 1953
Communist China Spring Offensive 9 to 21 June 1951 29 June to 8 July 1951	Korea Summer-Fall 1953 1 to 6 May 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 9 to 14 July 1951 27 July to 20 August 1951 30 September to 21 October 1951

During the Vietnam War USS Cacapon (AO-52) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 11 to 19 April 1966 2 to 9 May 1966 16 to 25 May 1966 2 to 16 June 1966 21 to 30 June 1966	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 2 to 6 November 1968 23 November to 3 December 1968 8 to 16 December 1968 23 to 30 December 1968 1 to 20 January 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 10 to 15 July 1966 26 July to 1 August 1966 14 to 23 August 1966 30 August to 5 September 1966	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 4 to 13 November 1969 19 to 28 November 1969 12 to 19 December 1969 23 to 31 December 1969 5 to 8 January 1970 12 to 20 January 1970 29 January to 8 February 1970 13 to 21 February 1970 26 February to 3 March 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 24 to 31 July 1967 6 to 13 August 1967 18 to 24 August 1967 31 August to 11 September 1967 18 to 27 September 1967 23 October to 2 November 1967 21 November to 1 December 1967 14 to 24 December 1967 30 December to 8 January 1968	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 4-APR to 20 April 1971 28 April to 13 May 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 10 to 16 August 1968 20 to 27 August 1968 6 to 12 September 1968 5 to 7 October 1968 12 to 21 October 1968 29 October to 1 November 1968	Vietnam Ceasefire 18 August to 17 September 1972 25 September to 6 October 1972 12 to 24 October 1972 8 November to 13-December 1972 1 to 9 January 1973 17 to 24 January 1973 13 to 27 February 1973 7 to 22 March 1973

Decommissioned, and struck from the Naval Register in August 1973

Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 4 December 1973, to Zidell Exploration Portland, OR.

USS Cacapon received four battle stars for World War II service, and the Navy Unit Commendation plus nine battle stars for Korean War service and eight campaign stars for Vietnam Service

Specifications:
Displacement 7,236 t.(lt) 25,440 t.(fl)
Length 553'
Beam 75'
Draft 32'
Speed 18.3 kts. (trial)
Complement

Officers 20

Enlisted 282
Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
Cargo Capacity 146,000 barrels
Fuel Capacity NSFO - 15,000 Bbls
Propulsion

two Bethlehem Steel geared turbines

four Foster and Wheeler 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, 13,500hp

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
602k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** at anchor off Shanghai in 1946.	Jarold Hoelting S1/c 2nd Div., USS Cacapon, 18 April 1944-9 July 1946
173k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** at anchor, date and location unknown, circa 1944-46.	Jarold Hoelting S1/c 2nd Div., USS Cacapon, 18 April 1944-9 July 1946
119k	Bow on view of *USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** low in the water while at anchor, location unknown, circa 1944-46.	Jarold Hoelting S1/c 2nd Div., USS Cacapon, 18 April 1944-9 July 1946
118k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** underway alongside either a battleship or a cruiser during refueling operations, circa 1944-46.	Jarold Hoelting S1/c 2nd Div., USS Cacapon, 18 April 1944-9 July 1946
105k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) partial crew photo, 7 August 1945, 37° North and 148° East. Cacapon was in convoy with: USS Bennington (CV-20), USS Hancock (CV-19), USS Ringgold (DD-500), USS Knapp (DD-653), USS McKee (DD-575), USS Blue (DD-744), USS Harrison (DD-573), and USS Brush (DD-745)**	Jarold Hoelting S1/c 2nd Div., USS Cacapon, 18 April 1944-9 July 1946
125k	Another *USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** crew photo from 7 August 1945. Jarold Hoelting is at far left back row without a shirt on.	Jarold Hoelting S1/c 2nd Div., USS Cacapon, 18 April 1944-9 July 1946
90k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** underway in ballast, circa late 1940s US Navy photo # NH 85783 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.	US Naval Historical Center
40k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine December 1951.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
76k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** during underway replenishment in heavy seas, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine June 1953.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
104k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** during underway replenishment in heavy seas, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine January 1954.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
60k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) refueling USS Essex (CVA-9) in the South China Sea, 1955. Photo was taken from the flight deck of Essex**.	Robert Sourisseau GM3, USS Essex 1955-1958
103k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** underway at sea, 14 January 1964. Photographed by Moen. US Navy photo # NH97541 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
64k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** off Luzon, date and location unknown.	Rick Davis USS Manatee (AO-58) Web Site
162k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** underway, date and location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
19k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)**, at Long Beach CA., 1965	Edward Rochefort
38k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) and USS Cimarron (AO-22)** moored pierside, Pier 9 Naval Station Long Beach, CA., 1965.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
79k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) (right) rides high in the water while transferring her remaining fuel oil to USS Sacramento (AOE-1)*, off the coast of South Vietnam, 1 August 1966. US Navy photo # USN 1117156*	Edward Rochefort
103k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) holds her course as USS Renville (APA-227)** makes her approach to begin an Underway Replenishment at Sea (UNREP), 1966.	Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
115k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) alongside USS Renville (APA-227)** during an Underway Replenishment at Sea (UNREP), 1966.	Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
77k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** at sea 12 January 1972. US Navy photo # K-92247	US Naval Historical Center
86k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** underway, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
80k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) replenishing USS Hancock (CVA-19)** from three refueling stations, circa 1972. Note red "E" with one hashmark painted on her smokestack. US Navy photo # NH 97542 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
59k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52)** moored pierside, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands magazine, August 1986.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.

For more photos and information about USS Cacapon, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
U.S. Navy Oilers
Personal Journal of Jerold Hoelting S1/c (2 April 1944 - 9 June 1946)
U.S.S. Cacapon AO-52

Commanding Officers

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

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Last Updated 7 March 2013