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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Caliente (AO-53)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Foxtrot - Uniform
NZFU
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Ageless (Y)ankee - 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 - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (10) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (4) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (8) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler:

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

Launched, 25 August 1943

Commissioned USS Caliente (AO-53), 12 October 1943, CDR. E. G. Genthner, USNR, in command

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

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 29 January to 8 February 1944	Western Caroline Islands operation Raids on Volcano-Bonin Islands and Yap Island, 31 August to 8 September 1944 Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944 Assaults on the Philippine Islands, 9 to 24 September 1944
Asiatic-Pacific Raids - 1944 Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai raid, 30 March to 1 April 1944 Truk, Satawan, Ponape raid, 29 April to 1 May 1944	Leyte operations Northern Luzon and Formosa attacks, 11 to 14 October 1944 Luzon attacks, 15, 18 to 19, October, 20 to 23 November, 14 to 16 December 1944 Battle of Surigao Strait, 24 to 26 October 1944
Hollandia operation, 21 to 24 April 1944	Luzon operation Formosa attacks, 15 and 21 January 1945 China Coast attacks, 16 January 1945 Nansei Shoto attack, 22 January 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944 3d Bonins raid, 3 to 4 July 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July to 15 August 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto, 31 May to 11 June 1945
Tinian capture and occupation, 20 July to 1 August 1944	3d Fleet operations against Japan, 11 July to 14 August 1945

Following World War II USS Caliente was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
2 September 1945 to 16 March 1946	2 September 1945 to 16 March 1946
26 April to 12 July 1946	26 April to 12 July 1946
25 to 30 August 1946	11 to 12 July 1948
4 to 6 October 1946	8 to 12 August 1948
	10 September to 18 October 1950
17 to 23 May 1947	27 July to 28 August 1951
	22 August to 28 September 1952
25 July to 11 August 1947	13 October to 19 November 1953
3 to 23 March 1948	21 June to 4 July 1954
17 July to 6 August 1948	21 September to 22 October 1954
	29 June to 20 July 1955
	2 to 16 September 1955

During the Korean War USS Caliente (AO-53) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
Communist China Spring Offensive 25 June to 2 July 1951	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 1 to 12 May 1952 19 May to 4 June 1952 16 June to 8 July 1952 19 to 30 July 1952 3 to 14 August 1952 16 to 23 October 1952 27 October to 4 November 1952
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 18 to 20 July 1951 30 to 31 August 1951 4 to 23 September 1951 14 to 23 October 1951 6 to 15 November 1951	Korea, Summer-Fall 1953 24 June to 1 July 1953 16 to 26 July 1953

During the Vietnam War USS Caliente (AO-53) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 20 to 23 March 1962 14 to 17 April 196 27 to 30 April 1962 8 to 12 May 1962 18 May 1962	Tet/69 Counteroffensive 7 to 16 March 1969 22 to 30 March 1969 3 to 11 April 1969 17 to 24 April 1969 3 to 11 May 1969 15-to 23 May 1969 2 to 8 June 1969
Vietnam Defense 17 July to 1 August 1965 8 to 19 August 1965 25 August to 3 September1965 12 to 23 September 1965 1 to 19 October 1965 1 to 10 November 1965 23 to 29 November 1965 11 to 21 December 1965	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 to 11 June 1969 30 June to 9 July 1969
Tet Counteroffensive 1 to 10 March 1968 16 March to 7 April 1968	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 3 to 12 June 1970 18 to 26 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 23 April to 1 May 1968 10 to 12 May 1968 19 May to 6 June 1968	Vietnamese Ceasefire 1 to 3 July 1972 13 to 22 July 1972 18 to 23 February 1973 2 to 10 March 1973
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 2 July 1968

Decommissioned, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 December 1973

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

Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 5 April 1974, to National Metal & Steel Corp., (PD-X-974) for $426,819.19, delivered, 29 April 1974

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 272

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 123,700Bbls

Gasoline 788,000Gals

Fuel Capacity 15,000Bbls

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

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	contributed By
	30k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Robert Hurst
	58k	*USS Russell* (DD-414) coming alongside USS Caliente (AO-53)*, date and location unknown. Photo from the collection of LTjg Edwin H. Klump Jr. USS Russell*, courtesy Mrs. Rebecca Klump Cottrell.	James Madson
	112k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) refueling USS Russell (DD-414)** in the South Pacific, date and location unknown. Photo from the collection of LTjg Edwin H. Klump Jr. USS Russell, courtesy Mrs. Rebecca Klump Cottrell.	James Madson
	105k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) at anchor alongside USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13)** in 1961 in Davao Gulf, Mindanao, Philippine Islands. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1961	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	67k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) refueling USS Midway (CVA-41)** in 1961	USS Midway 1961 Cruisebook
	113k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) refuels the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19), in 1962. Hancock*, with assigned Carrier Air Group 21* (CVG-21), was deployed to the Western Pacific from 2 February to 7 October 1962. US Navy photo from the USS Hancock (CVA-19) 1962 Cruisebook.	Robert Hurst
	48k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) alongside USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14)** while conducting an underway replenishment in WestPac, circa 3 January to 15 July 1963	Sal Vacca, AE2, VAW-11 Detachment Bravo, USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14)
	56k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) conducting an underway replenishment alongside USS Galveston (CLG-3)** WestPac, mid 1960s.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
091905327	170k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)** refuels the aircraft carrierUSS America (CVA-66). *America, with assigned Attack Carrier Air Wing 6* (CVW-6) made a around the world cruise including a deployment to Vietnam from 10 April to 16 December 1968. U.S. Navy photo from the USS America (CVA-66) 1968 cruise book.	Robert Hurst
	42k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) and USS Cimarron (AO-22)** moored pierside at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	78k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) riding at anchor at Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines Islands in 1967. Photo taken from USS Bausell (DD-845)**	Photo by Lee Noland STGC, USN Ret. USS Bausell.
	109k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) receiving oil from USS Sacramento (AOE-1)**, 5 April 1968, mid-Pacific.	Photo by Rein Lindner USS Sacramento
	139k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)** underway, outbound to sea from Auckland, New Zealand, 29 July 1968. Photo from the Chris Howell collection	Chris Howell
091905325	198k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)** underway, date and location unknown.	Nicholas Tiberio
091905326	244k		Nicholas Tiberio
	27k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)** under way in the Pacific Ocean in 1969 US Navy photo from the USS Caliente 1969 cruise book.	Robert Hurst
	108k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53), in the Gulf of Tonkin, circa 1969-70. Taken from USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3)**	William P Jones MD USS Niagara Falls
	66k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53), circa 1969, off the coast of Vietnam while refueling USS Boston (CAG-1)*. Taken from USS Boston*	Photo by John Jazdzewski
	100k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53), circa 1969, off the coast of Vietnam while refueling USS Boston (CAG-1). Taken from Boston**	Photo by John Jazdzewski
	306k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)** conducting an underway replenishment with an aircraft carrier, circa 1970, probably off the coast of Vietnam. US Navy photo.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. and Mike Smolinski
	285k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) conducting an underway replenishment with USS Denver (LPD-9) on her starboard side. Photo was taken from USS Durham (LKA-114) (not shown) as Durham was approaching Caliente**'s port side for refueling off the coast of Vietnam in June 1970.	Photo by CAPT. Rex Settlemoir, USN, Ret.
	21k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Edward H. Cleary
	82k	*USS Caliente* (AO-53) pulling away from USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)** after completing an underway refueling, April 1973	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	185k	Canvas print of *USS Caliente* (AO-53)** under way, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy Veramar-arts	Tommy Trampp

Additional Ships Patches
Contributed by Mike Smolinski	Contributed by Mike Smolinski

For more photos and information about USS Caliente, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
MARAD Vessel History Database
USS Caliente AO-53

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Genthner, Elmore G.	12 October 1943 - 25 November 1943
02	LCDR. Cruser, Arthur Lawrence	25 November 1943 - 6 December 1943
03	CDR. Stiff, Allen Edward	6 December 1943 - 21 December 1943
04	CDR. Schroeder, Harvey James	21 December 1943 - 22 May 1944
05	LCDR. Stiff, Allen Edward	22 May 1944 - 10 December 1944
06	LCDR. Lang, Francis N.	10 December 1944 - 18 June 1945
07	CDR. Eastman, George Lewis	18 June 1945 - May 1946
08	CAPT. Lugibihl, Eugene Lee	May 1946 - October 1947
09	CAPT. Crick, David F.	October 1947 - October 1948
10	CAPT. Schmidt, John William :RADM	October 1948 - 11 October 1949
11	CAPT. Cockell, William Arthur :RADM	11 October 1949 - September 1950
12	CAPT. McCann, Francis Wyllie	September 1950 - December 1951
13	CDR. Dawes Jr., Robert Alden	December 1951 - April 1953
14	CAPT. Maples, Hugh Marion	April 1953 - December 1954
15	CAPT. Copeland, Richard Goodwin	December 1954 - January 1956
16	CAPT. Loomis Jr., Samuel Colby	January 1956 - February 1957
17	CAPT. Wanless, Robert Hume	February 1957 - March 1958
18	CAPT. Goepner, Oscar William	March 1958 - June 1959
19	CAPT. Carroll, Charles Barrett	June 1959 - June 1960
20	CAPT. Davies, Thomas David :RADM	June 1960 - 17 July 1961
21	CAPT. Worley, Jessie David, USN (USNA 1940)	17 July 1961 - 8 September 1962
22	CAPT. Paul, Paul Moore, USN (USNA 1940)	8 September 1962 - 21 September 1963
23	CAPT. Plemons, Arthur Grant, USN (USNA 1941) :RADM	21 September 1963 - 21 July 1964
24	LCDR. Thonneson, Earling Raymont, USN	21 July 1964 - 24 July 1964
25	CAPT. Etheridge, Melvin Rheul, USN (USNA 1943)	24 July 1964 - 12 July 1965
26	CAPT. Beadless Jr., Joseph Ware, USN	12 July 1965 - 7 December 1966
27	CAPT. Jackson, Robert W. :RADM	7 December 1966 - 4 April 1968
28	CAPT. Phelps, Henry Edward (Hammering Hank), USN (USNA 1946)	4 April 1968 - 17 September 1969
29	CAPT. Oberg, Owen Henry (Obie), USNR (USNA 1946) :RADM	17 September 1969 - January 1971
30	CAPT. Howard, George David, USN (USNA 1946)	January 1971 - January 1972
31	CDR. McGuiness, Donald Arthur	January 1972 - November 1973
32	LCDR. Haffey, James Michael, USN (USNA 1959)	November 1973 - 15 December 1973


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 21 October 2022