USS Chepachet (AO-78)

The USS "Chepachet" (AO-78), originally named SS "Eutaw Springs", and later known as USNS "Chepachet" (T-AOT-78) until disposition, was a "Suamico"-class fleet oiler, of the T2-SE-A1 tanker hull type, serving in the United States Navy during the era of the Second World War. Originally a namesake of the Battle of Eutaw Springs when laid down 1 November 1942, she was renamed for the Chepachet River located in a village of Glocester, Rhode Island bearing the same name.

"Chepachet" was launched 10 March 1943 after being built at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, under Maritime Commission contract MC 340 as hull number 278 and USMC] number 353. Sponsored by Mrs. I.G. Klemmer, the ship was commissioned by the US Navy on 27 April 1943 with Lieutenant Commander H.R. Adams in command, and reported to the US Atlantic Fleet.

Between 27 July 1943 and 19 June 1944, "Chepachet" supported military and naval operations in North Africa and the Mediterranean by crossing the Atlantic in give convoys, carrying oil from West Indian and Gulf ports to Casablanca and Oran. On 15 July 1944, "Chepachet" cleared Aruba, NWI, laden with oil, and on 17 August reached Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, for duty fueling combatant ships, small craft, and merchantmen.

Assigned a key support role in the invasion of the Philippines, "Chepachet" left New Guinea astern 12 October 1944, steering for Kossol Roads and final preparations for the assault. She arrived in Leyte Gulf on 23 October, bringing her vital assistance to the ships which fought the Japanese to a decisive victory in the Battle for Leyte Gulf (23-26 October). During the fury of the days that followed, "Chepachet" transferred fuel to 34 different ships, some of them several times, as her men manned antiaircraft guns as well as fueling lines. "Chepachet" steamed south to Kossol Roads, reloaded from 30 October to 4 November, and returned to Leyte Gulf with her badly needed cargo to conduct fueling operations from 7 to 10 November.

Between 14 November 1944, when she returned to New Guinea, and 27 December, when she sailed for the Philippines, "Chepachet" served at various South Pacific ports as station oiler, receiving oil brought in by naval and merchant tankers, and transferring it to combatants. Arriving at Mindoro, PI, 8 January 1945, Chepachet sailed on to fueling operations in Lingayen Gulf on 11 January, when she aided those ships which had just carried out the successful assaults there. On 15 January she reported at newly won San Fabian for station tanker duty, which continued there and at Mindanao until 4 June. The oiler then put to sea for the Borneo operation, sailing to Tawi Tawi for staging. From 21 to 25 June "Chepachet" was at sea fueling the bombardment group which carried out an intensive preparatory pounding at Balikpapan, and on 30 June, the oiler returned to Balikpapan for the assault the next day. She remained off the Borneo coast until 19 July, supporting the assault and occupation, then returned to Subic Bay for operations in the Luzon area until the close of the war.

"Chepachet" aided in occupation and redeployment operations throughout the Far East with station duty at Jinsen, Korea; Hong Kong; Okinawa; and Tokyo until 9 December, when she sailed for Pearl Harbor. She returned to Yokohama 29 January 1946, offloaded her cargo, and sailed for home 4 February. Arriving at San Francisco 21 February, "Chepachet" was decommissioned 15 May.

"Chepachet" earned two battle stars for World War II service¹.

Retitled USNS "Chepachet", she was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service for service in a noncommissioned status, reclassified as a transport oiler and manned by a contract civilian marine crew. The vessel was placed out-of-service in July 1950, struck from the Naval Register 4 January 1980 and transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal. The last known record was that the vessel was to be disposed of by MARAD, 1 April 1980.

Around 1998, former crewmembers finally located the village their vessel was named for, and held a reunion in Chepachet, Rhode Island, documented in a Providence Journal article dated 20 September of that year.

Personnel

* H.R. Adams (LCDR, CO, 1943)
* Robert Maynes
* Gordon Black
* Bill Newsom
* Andrew J. Curtis, Jr.
* Clem Donnell

References

*¹ While the DANFS lists 2 battle stars, the [http://www.chepachet.com/usschepachet.htm town of Chepachet website] lists 4.
*DANFS
*http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AO/AO-78_Chepachet.html
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/AO/ao78-village.html Reunion]
* http://www.t2tanker.org