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Caddo (1) - (1941-1942)
See also CADDO (1) as : USS Merrimack (AO-37)
See also : Drawing "Caddo (1)"
Launch of the first "Caddo".
Bethlehem Launches Tanker at Sparrows Point Yard
At 11:15 a.m. July 1, 1941, the S.S. Caddo, latest addition to the fleet of Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, slid down the ways at the Sparrows Point, Md., yard of Bethlehem Steel Company. Mrs. Arthur T. Roberts, of Bronxville, New-York, whose husband is treasurer and a director of Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was the sponsor. A sistership, the Corsicana, was launched on April 19. Four more tankers of the same design will be built for Socony-Vacuum at Sparrows Point.
Caddo's keel was laid on September 12, 1940. She has a deadweight of 16,000 tons and a tank capacity of 129,000 barrels, or 5,418,000 gallons of oil. Her cargo space is divided into 24 compartments, allowing many dif-ferent grades of oil to be carried at one time. Pumping capacity is designed to load or unload the vessel in about 16 hours.
Principal dimensions are:
Length overall 501' 4 1/2"
Breadth molded 68'
Depth molded 37'
Draft loaded 29' 8 1/2"
The new tanker is a single-screw vessel equipped with steam turbines. Steam is supplied by two oil-fired water tube boilers.
Caddo represents the latest in tanker design. Extensive use of welding and application of the Bethlehem-Frear sys-tem of construction to longitudinals and bulkheads have produced a light, yet strong framing with a substantial in-crease in paying deadweight for the given displacement. The vessel is of the conventional tanker appearance with separate forecastle, midship navigation bridge, and poop, connected by the usual cat walk. Raked stem and cruiser stern give the vessel a pleasing, shipshape appearance.
She is built to the highest class of the American Bureau of Shipping, under their special survey, and in accordance with the regulations of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation. She complies with the highest requirements for carrying petroleum products.
Excellent accommodations are provided for 13 officers and a crew of 32 men. The men are housed two in each room, while the officers' rooms are arranged for single occupancy. Accommodations also include smoking rooms and mess rooms for officers and men, hospital, laundry, cold storage and provisions stowage.
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"Caddo (1)".
"Caddo (1)".
"Caddo (1)".
T2-SO
HISTORY :
CADDO (1)
Yardnr. 4354. USMC nr. 143. Official nr. 241020.
Keel laid 12-09-1940. Launched 01-07-1941. Completed 30-10-1941. Gr. 9890 t., Net. 5928 t., Dw. 15850 t. L.o.a. 159,57 m., Br. 20,78 m., Dr. 9,19 m. Engine: 2 steam turbines, manufactured by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee. 12000 B.h.p., 8808 kW. Speed 15 knots. 26 tanks.
History:
CADDO (1)-1941 completed for Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, New York, U.S.A.
CADDO (1)-1941 Acquired by the US Navy from Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., New York City, N.Y., 31 December.
CADDO (1)-1942 Renamed Merrimack 9 January.
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1942 Commissioned USS Merrimack (AO-37), 4 February.
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1950 Decommissioned, 8 February, laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange, TX.
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1950 Recommissioned, 6 December.
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1954 Decommissioned, 20 December at San Diego, CA. and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group.
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1959 Struck from the Naval Register, 4 February.
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1959 Transferred, to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX.
Additional Reports :
AO-37 MERRIMACK-1982 disposed of by MARAD exchange, 19 March broken up at Hamburg 2nd quarter.1982 [ By Eckhardt & Co. ]
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The Miramar Ship Index for
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CADDO
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IDNo / IMO
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2241020
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Year
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1941
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Name
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CADDO
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Flag
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USA
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Owner
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Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York
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Type
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Tanker
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Tons
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9890
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DWT
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15850
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LOA
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152.9
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LPP
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148.7
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Beam
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20.7
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Dept
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11.28
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Draft
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9.04
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Machinery
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1ST-16.5
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kW
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8832 kW
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ShipDesign
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T2
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Builder
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Bethlehem-Sparrows Point SY
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Yard
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Sparrows Point
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Yard No
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4354
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Country built
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USA
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Keel
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09.1940
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Launch
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01.07.1941
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Completed
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30.10.1941
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Subsequent History
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1942 MERRIMACK - US Navy, USA
1958 MARRIMACK - US Govt., USA
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End
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1982
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Disposal Data
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Scrapped at Hamburg 2quarter 1982. [ By Eckhardt & Co. ]
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Caddo (1)
LOA 501'4", Beam 68' Depth 37', 15,910 DWT, 129,000 bbls.
Westinghouse turbines, cross-compound, double reduction gears, developing 12,000 SHP at 105 RPM 16.5 knots
Launched 1 July and commissioned 9 October 1941 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Sparrows Point, Maryland.
This vessel was named after the Caddo Confederation of Indian tribes which once lived on and controlled land which has since yielded millions of barrels of oil in Texas and Oklahoma. Shreveport, Louisiana, is on the site of an ancient Caddo village.
In spite of the fact that this ship was in our service for only three months, she was always referred to as the “old” CADDO to distinguish her from a later vessel which bore the same name to a tragic end.
On 2 January 1942, the Navy exercised its option on the old CADDO and put her in uniform as the USS MERRIMAC (A0-37). She served as a mobile logistics unit with the feet, refuelling combatant ships at sea within earshot of naval gunfire.
Life with the Navy made a “regular” out of the old CADDO, and after the war she was retained as a permanent fleet oiler.
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No Custody & Disposal CARDS