Service history USS Enoree (AO-69)

1 service history

1.1 world war ii
1.2 postwar
1.3 cold war

service history
world war ii

departing baltimore, maryland, on 27 january 1943 norfolk, virginia, conversion having been completed previous day, enoree proceeded thence tompkinsville, staten island, new york, arriving on 3 march 1943, involved in minor collision u.s. navy oiler uss sapelo. while enoree suffered no damage in mishap, sapelo required minor repairs. shifting thence waters off ambrose light, enoree, escorted destroyer niblack departed on 8 march 1943 hampton roads, virginia, arriving following day. loading delayed, however, returned new york city, arriving on 17 march 1943. sailed on maiden transatlantic run on 1 april 1943, departing united states east coast task force 69 escorted convoy ugs-7, , arriving @ destination, casablanca, french north africa, on 19 april 1943. enoree returned united states, via gibraltar (which visited on 22-23 april 1943), convoy gus-6a, reaching norfolk on 10 may 1943.

enoree shuttled between norfolk, aruba in netherlands west indies, , port arthur texas, balance of may , through mid-june 1943 before departed hampton roads task force 62, escort convoy ugs-11, on 27 june 1943, bound, once more, casablanca, reached on 18 july. sailing home convoy gus-10 on 23 july 1943, paused briefly @ bermuda, shepherded destroyer escorts uss pope , walter s. brown, arriving in hampton roads on 11 august 1943. subsequently, made third voyage casablanca, time task force 61 escorted ugs-16, arriving @ destination on 13 september 1943, , returning home gus-15.

putting new york city section of gus-15 on 4 october 1943, enoree made first voyage belfast, northern ireland, task force 69 escorted troop convoy ut-4, departing east coast of united states on 21 october 1943 , reaching destination on 31 october 1943. returning new york city on 18 november 1943, dropped down coast norfolk, arriving there on 23 november 1943 new york section of convoy ugs-25. shuttled between norfolk, houston, texas, , port arthur second week of january 1944. ultimately, returned new york city on 22 january 1944 , there joined task force 60, escort force troop convoy ut-8, sailing united kingdom on 12 february 1944. 3 days later, during passage, enoree topped off escort force s destroyers.

returning new york city belfast on 9 march 1944, enoree departed port on 11 march new york section of ugs-36 , reached norfolk on 12 march. less fortnight later, on 26 march 1944, earmarked future assignment service squadron eight, united states pacific fleet. enoree remained @ norfolk late april 1944, , received overhaul during time, work being completed on 15 april 1944. plans conversion crane vessel having been contemplated since @ least december 1943, recipient of 160-ton capacity crane during period of yard work. enoree departed norfolk on 25 april 1944 derrick-configured oiler niobrara, escorted destroyer uss paul hamilton. pausing briefly @ aruba 30 april 1 may 1944, enoree pushed on panama canal zone, reached on 3 may 1944. after transiting panama canal, cleared balboa , reported duty pacific fleet on 5 may 1944, bound oahu, territory of hawaii.

arriving @ pearl harbor on 19 may 1944, enoree sailed in convoy marshall islands on 27 may 1944. arriving @ eniwetok on 5 june 1944, ship dispensed fuel oil , ammunition ships present on daily basis on next twelve days. departing eniwetok on 17 june 1944 task unit 16.7.6, enoree conducted fueling operations @ sea subsequently. detached task group 60.17 upon completion of services, returned eniwetok, escorted destroyer escort uss parks (de-165), dropping anchor on 1 july 1944. enoree based out of eniwetok on next 3 months, proceeding sea @ intervals conduct logistical work required, , previous evolutions in support of unfolding campaign secure mariana islands, and, subsequently, western caroline islands.

enoree shifted base of operations ulithi, in secured western carolines, sailing eniwetok on 8 october 1944 , arriving @ destination on 13 october 1944. ulithi, supported united states third fleet (under admiral william f. halsey, jr.) carried out devastating attacks against formosa, coast of china, , in nansei shoto group during january 1945. departing western carolines on 7 february 1945, reached saipan, in marianas, 2 days later. remained there until 30 march 1945, when got underway return ulithi, arriving on 1 april 1945 operations began against okinawa in ryukyu islands.

with establishment of logistics base @ kerama retto, enoree sailed place on 3 april 1945, taking duties there week later, on 10 april. departing kerama retto 3 days later, enoree returned ulithi on 20 april 1945, remained until 24 may 1945. joining task unit 30.18.11 on 31 may 1945, enoree discharged fuel oil, aviation gasoline, , of crew mobile storage tanker uss marmora transportation. arriving @ okinawa on 1 june 1945, got underway following day fueling rendezvous off hagushi beach, fueled convoy underway, , returned whence had come. departing okinawa on 5 june 1945, returned ulithi load cargo of oil, arriving on 11 june 1945. shuttled kerama retto , mid-july 1945. after having loaded cargo of fuel oil merchant tanker ss skullbar, enoree sailed ulithi on 19 july 1945 okinawa in convoy uok-39, , resumed operations in buckner bay thereafter. in addition regular fueling duties, large cruiser uss guam being 1 of customers, enoree, heavy-lift capacity, unloaded 5 27-ton (24.1-long ton; 24.5-metric ton) pontoon barges medium landing ship uss lsm-329 on 26 july 1945, , on 5 august 1945, lifted 105-ton (94-long ton; 95-metric ton) tank landing craft uss lct-591 deck of tank landing ship uss lst-534.

enoree departed okinawa on 6 august 1945 convoy oku-17, arriving @ ulithi on 10 august, put sea again, okinawa-bound convoy uok-48 on 14 august, day before japan accepted provisions of potsdam declaration , agreed surrender.

postwar

the cessation of hostilities , occupation of japanese homeland required enoree’s presence in pacific , cancelled projected 15 july-1 september 1945 overhaul @ san pedro, california. enoree shuttled , forth between okinawa , ulithi autumn of 1945, departing buckner bay on 5 october 1945 japanese waters support occupation. enoree operated out of kure, hiro wan, yokohama, yokosuka, sasebo, , wakayama. departing wakayama on 19 december 1945, enoree arrived off okinawa on 23 december 1945. remained there until sailing guam, in marianas, on 18 march 1946. proceeding thence via manila, philippine islands, , brief six-hour liberty call @ singapore, straits settlements, enoree reached bahrain, in persian gulf, load cargo of fuel, on 15 may 1946. sailing manila on 17 may, called @ ceylon 24 26 may 1946 en route, , arrived in philippine waters on 3 june 1946.

assigned repair , service unit (task unit 1.8.1) of joint task force 1, operation crossroads, atomic bomb tests @ bikini atoll, enoree departed manila on 4 june 1946, , arrived @ bikini on 13 june 1946. provided fuel other units assigned work there next 2 weeks before shifting kwajalein on 29 june 1946. during test able, on 1 july 1946, lay @ kwajalein, 155 nautical miles (287 km; 178 mi) southeast of bikini, , because of favorable weather conditions , relatively small size of bomb, received no contamination atomic blast. underway on 3 july 1946, enoree returned bikini following day, , remained anchored there until second dog watch on 13 july 1946, when again got underway return kwajalein. reaching destination following afternoon, replenished fuel supplies there , set course bikini on 16th, arriving following morning. between 20 , 23 july 1946, supplied oil various units of task force. underway late in afternoon watch on 24 july 1946, enoree underway following morning (25 july 1946) in company destroyer tender uss dixie (ad-14), , observed test baker, shallow underwater detonation, distance in excess of 17 nautical miles (19.5 statute miles; 31.5 km). enoree returned bikini lagoon during morning watch on 29 july 1946, , resumed dispensing fuel oil, vital logistical task occupied throughout of month of august 1946. left bikini last time on 24 august 1946, when sailed kwajalein, arriving next day. radiological monitoring team boarded ship on morning of 28 august 1946, , declared radiologically safe, clearing sail. detached operation crossroads on 29 august 1946.

after brief visit eniwetok 29 august 3 september 1946, enoree departed kwajalein pearl harbor barrack ship uss apl-30 in tow on 7 september 1946, delivering charge upon arrival on 20 september. departing pearl harbor week later on 27 september 1946, enorree reached san francisco, california, decontamination port, on 4 october 1946. assigned restricted availability commencing 14 november 1946 @ mare island naval shipyard, vallejo, california. urgent repairs number 1 boiler, other work performed repair ship uss cebu, enoree received operational , radiological clearance 11 december 1946. departing san francisco on 22 december 1946, oiler reached san diego following day, remained 1947.

with floating workshop yr-37 in tow, enoree departed san diego on 2 january 1947 bound panama canal zone. transiting panama canal between 13 , 16 january 1947, , reporting duty service force, united states atlantic fleet, oiler dropped off yr-37 @ charleston, south carolina, on 26 january 1947. pushing on same day norfolk, ship paused briefly @ port on 28-29 january 1947 before departing ultimate destination, philadelphia naval shipyard, philadelphia, pennsylvania, reached on 30 january 1947 begin preparations join inactive reserve fleet. placed out of commission, in reserve, on 27 may 1947, preservation 37% completed, enoree formally inactivated on 23 june 1947.

cold war

ordered activated on 7 august 1950, enoree, preparations return active service still in progress, recommissioned @ philadelphia on 18 october 1950 commander samuel h. pattie in command. after visit norfolk 8 november 14 december 1950, enoree returned philadelphia on latter date , continued fitting out new year of 1951. sailing activation yard on 25 january 1951, ship paused @ norfolk 26 january 2 february 1951 before pushing on panama canal zone. transiting panama canal on 9-10 february 1951, enoree reached pearl harbor on 26 february 1951.

reassigned military sea transportation service (msts) on 30 march 1951, operate united states naval ship (usns) enoree (t-ao-69) remainder of operational service. having reported commander, msts, operational control , commander, msts, pacific, administrative control, meanwhile, enoree departed pearl harbor on 31 march 1951 san francisco, arriving there on 7 april 1951. departure thence delayed until 28 april 1951, ship sailed balboa, panama canal zone, on date, , retransited panama canal, aruba-bound, on 8-9 may 1951. on remainder of year 1951, enoree picked petroleum cargoes @ aruba; marcus hoo, pennsylvania; houston; port arthur; , perth amboy, new jersey, delivering them norfolk; melville, rhode island; newport, rhode island; savannah, georgia; boston, massachusetts; guantanamo bay, cuba; roosevelt roads, puerto rico; , trinidad. arrived @ new york naval shipyard, brooklyn, new york, on 8 november 1951, remained 1952.

enoree visited new york city 10 15 january 1952, leonardo, new jersey, 15 16 january 1952, , norfolk 17 28 january 1952 before returned west indies, , first visit aruba year 2 3 february 1952, steaming thence panama canal zone. transited panama canal between 4 , 6 february 1952, departing balboa on latter date galveston, texas, reached on 10 february 1952. remaining there until 20 february 1952, enoree visited freeport, texas, @ mouth of brazos river, before proceeded on return panama canal zone, bound united states west coast. transiting panama canal on 26-27 february 1952, reached el segundo, california, on 8 march 1952. operated in el segundo-long beach-san diego area until 28 march 1952, when took departure panama canal zone, transiting panama canal on 5 april 1952. after shuttling between aruba , guantanamo bay, enoree loaded cargo of oil @ aruba , sailed norfolk, , thence northward, thule, greenland, visited 30 june 13 august 1952, , naval station argentia, newfoundland. canada, 30 31 august 1952. after period @ new york 3 19 september 1952, tanker sailed once more aruba, , during autumn of 1952 carried cargoes between aruba , san juan, puerto rico (twice); trinidad roosevelt roads; coco solo, panama canal zone; , norfolk. during december 1952, made 2 round trips between aruba , guantanamo bay. reaching new york on 19 december 1952, enoree remained there second week of march 1953.

during 1953, enoree voyaged , aruba ten times, houston 5 times, , port arthur once, calling @ norfolk eleven times, mayport , key west, florida; melville; new york city; , cristóbal, panama canal zone, once apiece; variation usual succession of united states ports hvalfjordur, iceland, 1 4 october 1953. offloading @ earle, new jersey on 19 january 1954, enoree entered todd plant, erie basin, yard @ brooklyn, new york, same day, overhaul; remained there until 9 march 1954.

enoree continued shuttling between oil ports aruba, houston, , galveston, , locales of fleet activity gonaïves, haiti; san juan; melville (twice); key west; , norfolk (twice) spring of 1954. on 5 may 1954, however, received word that, effective 11 may 1954, home yard changed norfolk long beach. departing norfolk last time on 12 may 1954, enoree transited panama canal between 17 , 19 may 1954 , reached san francisco on 29 may 1954, remained until 5 august 1954. underway long beach on date, reached destination next day, , remained there 4 months, inactivity reflecting decreased military shipping requirements. underway san diego on 7 december 1954, arrived @ port next day. decommissioned , placed in san diego group of pacific reserve fleet on 10 december 1954.

ordered activated , transferred msts on 6 november 1956, enoree recommissioned on 10 december 1956 @ long beach naval shipyard commander richard h. tibbets in command. sailed begin third tour of active service on 27 december 1956. transiting panama canal on 4 january 1957, reached aruba 3 days later. on months followed, enoree conducted 7 voyages aruba norfolk, 3 guantanamo bay, 1 jacksonville, florida, , 1 cristóbal. in addition, made 1 deployment mediterranean, departing aruba on 5 april 1957 , reaching bay of pozzuoli, west of naples, italy, on 21 april 1957. port visits amuay, venezuela, 11 12 june 1957 , new york city 19 21 june , 14 august 2 september 1957 punctuated routine voyages in summer of 1957. final visit new york city occurred between 25 september , 16 october 1957, after departed on final voyage, proceeding via sabine pass , port arthur, , arriving @ orange, texas, on 22 october 1957, decommissioned , placed in reserve same day. transferred maritime administration custody @ beaumont, texas, on 13 november 1957.