USS ''Laramie'' (AO-16) was a ''Kaweah''-class fleet replenishment oiler in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. ''Laramie'' was built in 1920 under USSB contract by

William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company (also known as William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company) of Philadelphia was founded in 1830 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder of the late 19th century. Company hi ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

; acquired by the Navy at

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

, 17 December 1921; and commissioned 28 December 1921. Steaming from Mobile 10 January 1922, ''Laramie'' reached Norfolk 13 January and decommissioned 19 June. She recommissioned in ordinary 26 June 1940 at Philadelphia. She arrived

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

28 June for alterations; recommissioned in full 6 December; returned to Philadelphia 15 December; and arrived Norfolk 17 January 1941 for duty with the Atlantic Fleet.

South American operations

Between 18 January and 5 June ''Laramie'' made six runs to

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

, to transport fuel oil to Norfolk and

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

. She sailed from Norfolk to Bahia Bay, Brazil, via Guantanamo Bay 24 June to 21 July; operated along the Brazilian coast until 13 August; then returned to Norfolk 1 September for overhaul. Departing 11 October, she carried fuel oil via

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and

St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

, to

Narsarsuaq Narsarsuaq (lit. ''Great Plan'';''Facts and History of Narsarsuaq'', Narsarsuad Tourist Information old spelling: ''Narssarssuaq'') is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It had 123 inhabitants in 2020. There is a thri ...

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

, site of a United States air base known as

Bluie West One Bluie West One, later known as Narsarsuaq Air Base and Narsarsuaq Airport, was built on a glacial moraine at what is now the village of Narsarsuaq, near the southern tip of Greenland. Construction by the United States Army began in June 1941. The ...

, where she arrived 25 October.

World War II Atlantic Theatre operations

When the United States entered the war against the Axis powers, ''Laramie'' was operating along the southwestern coast of Greenland carrying oil and gasoline. She steamed from Narsarsuaq to Norfolk via

Sydney, Nova Scotia Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...

, 11 to 23 December; and, after completing two fueling runs to Baton Rouge, she cleared

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its south ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, 8 March 1942 with a cargo of gasoline and oil for Army bases in Greenland. Throughout the remainder of 1942 and during 1943 she plied the stormy North Atlantic, transporting liquid and dry cargo to Greenland from Boston; New York; Sydney, Nova Scotia; and

NS Argentia Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941 to 1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Provinces and territo ...

and

Torpedoed in the Belle Isle Strait

Loaded with 361,000 gallons of aviation gasoline, 55,000 barrels of oil, and with general cargo, including depth charges. ''Laramie'' departed Sydney for Greenland 26 August 1942 as part of convoy SG-6.Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence: U-boat Actions
Veterans Affairs, Canada On the evening of the 27th she was torpedoed while steaming in convoy at the eastern end of Belle Isle Strait during a part of the Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Hit on the port side forward by a torpedo fired by U-165 commanded by Eberhard Hoffman, she immediately listed to port and went down by the bow some 37 feet. The blast demolished the forward crew's quarters, killing four men; opened a hole 41 feet long and 34 feet high,Photo of damage
NavSource causing extensive flooding forward; and ruptured the port gasoline tank, spraying the ship with volatile liquid and explosive fumes. Despite flooding and imminent danger of explosion, the captain, Comdr. P. M. Moncy, took immediate and effective action to save ''Laramie''. Although gasoline ran ankle-deep over the forward gun platforms, no fires broke out, and a steam-smothering system protected unruptured holds. Prompt pumping of liquid cargo corrected the list and reduced the forward draft.

Return to Sydney for repairs

Escorted by U.S. Coast Guard cutter ''Mohawk'', ''Laramie'' returned to Sydney 30 August before steaming to Boston 2 to 5 September for damage repairs. Commander Moncy later received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for directing the saving of ''Laramie'' under extremely hazardous conditions. After a run to

Aruba Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of ...

Netherlands West Indies nl, In vrijheid verenigd"Unified by freedom" , national_anthem = , common_languages = Dutch English Papiamento , demonym = Netherlands Antillean , capital = Willemstad , year_start = 1954 , year_end = 2010 , date_start = 15 December , ...

, from 21 February to 2 March 1944 for a cargo of gasoline, ''Laramie'' resumed voyages to Greenland out of Boston 25 March. She returned to Aruba 28 August; carried fuel to Newfoundland via Guantanamo and Boston 7 to 27 September; then returned to the Caribbean 17 October to shuttle liquid cargo between Aruba and Guantanamo. Steaming to New York via

9 to 20 November, she resumed shuttle runs along the eastern seaboard to Newfoundland and Greenland.

After the war

On 8 August 1945 ''Laramie'' arrived in Boston from Grønnedal, Greenland. Steaming to Norfolk 4 to 6 September, she decommissioned 16 November 1945. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission 11 June 1946 and on 1 July 1947 was delivered to Boston Metals Co.,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

References

* *

External links

Arthur's Page: The USS ''Laramie'' - My Story (photos)
* ttp://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/battlegulf/intro Veterans Affairs, Canada: The Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrencebr> NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive USS ''Laramie'' (AO-16)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laramie (Ao-16) Design 1128 ships 1919 ships Kaweah-class fleet replenishment oilers World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Ships built by William Cramp & Sons