USN Navy USS Cuyama AO-3 Oil Tanker Baseball Team & Ship Photograph 1920's, Rare For Sale

USN Navy USS Cuyama AO-3 Oil Tanker Baseball Team & Ship Photograph 1920's

Post World War One OriginalUSN Navy USS Cuyama AO-3 Oil Tanker Baseball Team Photograph 7 x 11 & Ship Photograph (3 1/4 x 5 1/4) Early 1920's,Overall Average Condition Team Photo as Photographed with wear to the Ship Photograph and Calendar as seen - Recent Acquisition & Presented as Acquired, Exceptionally Rare (Photo 14 Reference Only)

USS Cuyama (AO-3) was a tanker of the United States Navylaunched 17 June 1916 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss M. Offley;and commissioned 2 April 1917.

Cuyama was named after the Cuyama River. After her maidenvoyage to Pearl Harbor in May 1917, Cuyama departed San Francisco 6 June,loaded petroleum products at Port Arthur, Texas, and arrived at Norfolk 6 July.She called at Boston, New York City, and Bayonne, before sailing from Norfolk11 August with a convoy bound for England. Returning to Norfolk 19 September,she was fitted for transporting aircraft. She made three convoy voyages fromNew York to England until 9 January 1918 when she was transferred to the NavalOverseas Transportation Service. She made six voyages to the United Kingdom deliveringwar cargo until 17 October.

Cuyama departed New York 16 December 1918 to bring oil andgasoline from Port Arthur to Norfolk, then sailed 4 January 1919 to supply theFleet in the Caribbean until returning to Norfolk 13 May.

The oiler stood out of Norfolk 25 June 1919, and arrived atSan Pedro, California, 7 August after fueling ships at Acapulco, Mexico.Classified AO-3 on 7 July 1920, she remained on the west coast procuring anddispensing oil and gasoline cargoes, servicing ships, and occasionallytransporting passengers, provisions, and freight, or towing yard craft. InOctober 1921 Cuyama conducted the first ever underway refueling, towing thedestroyer Hogan astern; over the next three years she was the test ship fordeveloping the technique of alongside refueling, first of destroyers and thenlarger vessels. Cuyama therefore played a key role in the development of whatwould prove a major factor in the successful war against Japan. In 1927 and1934 she cruised to the east coast for fleet maneuvers and in 1936, 1937, and1938 made 13 voyages from the west coast to Pearl Harbor on transport duty.During 1941 she made five similar voyages and practiced refueling at sea withthe cruisers of the Scouting Force. She arrived at San Diego 26 November 1941for overhaul.

Cuyama began her war service by carrying cargo between PearlHarbor and San Pedro, Calif., from 27 December 1941 to 1 March 1942. Between 15March and 29 June, she delivered fuel in two voyages to Efate, Noumea, theTonga and Samoan Islands. She cleared San Pedro once more 25 July loaded men,cargo, and equipment at Seattle, Washington, and arrived at Kodiak, Alaska, 11August. She operated in Alaskan waters fueling ships and occasionally voyagingto Seattle for replenishment and repairs.

Cuyama cleared Seattle 17 February 1945, delivered cargo toEniwetok, Saipan, and Guam, and arrived at Kerama Retto, Okinawa, 21 April tofuel the ships engaged in the occupation of Okinawa. She splashed a suicideplane 13 May, and bombarded a Japanese-occupied cave on Tokashiki Shima 7 July.Returning to Ulithi 31 July, she sailed on to Leyte where between 5 and 30August she fueled ships preparing for the occupation of Japan. Between 12September to 6 November, Cuyama fueled ships at Jinsen, Korea, then cleared forSan Francisco, arriving 27 November. Cuyama was decommissioned 12 April 1946and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 1 July 1946. (wiki)

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