Cimarron Class Oiler Summary

This is a 3D printed sculpt of the Cimarron oiler class game piece from EBard Models.

The Cimarron-class oilers were an underway replenishment class of oil tankers which were first built in 1939 as National Defense Tankers, with the assumption that they could be militarized in the event of war. Tentative plans had been reached with the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey to build ten high-speed tankers with the government paying the cost of the larger engines needed for increased speed. By the first week in December 1937, Standard Oil had solicited and received bids from a number of yards providing for the construction of a number of 16,300-ton (deadweight) capacity tankers. Bids were requested for two versions: a single-screw design of 13 knots and a twin-screw design of 18 knots. The price difference between the two would be used to establish the government's cost subsidy for greater speed. 

Three of the original twelve ships were commissioned directly into the Navy at launch in 1939; the remainder entered merchant service with Standard Oil of New Jersey and Keystone Tankships before being acquired under the Two-Ocean Navy Act of July 1940. A further eighteen were built for the Navy between 1943 and 1946, with five additional units, sometimes called the Mispillion class, built to the slightly larger Type T3-S2-A3 design.

The US Navy's mastery of underway replenishment and its ability to refuel the fleet at sea without returning to port was a major factor in its successful operations against the Japanese during the Second World War. As the largest and fastest of the Navy's oilers, the Cimarrons were the principal class employed in direct support of the task forces. Many of the Cimarron class continued to sustain this function through the Korean and Vietnam wars as well, with the enlarged "jumbos" serving up to the Persian Gulf War.

Ultimately 35 tankers were built. Four of the Cimarrons were converted to Sangamon class escort carriers in 1942; two others were sunk by enemy action.

Ships of class:

• USS Cimarron (AO-22)
• USS Neosho (AO-23) - Sunk during the Battle of Coral Sea, 1942
• USS Platte (AO-24)
• USS Sabine (AO-25)
• USS Salamonie (AO-26)
• USS Kaskaskia (AO-27)
• USS Sangamon (AO-28) - Converted to CVE-26
• USS Santee (AO-29) - Converted to CVE-29
• USS Chemung (AO-30)
• USS Chenango (AO-31) - Converted to CVE-28
• USS Guadalupe (AO-32)
• USS Suwannee (AO-33) - Converted to CVE-27
• USS Ashtabula (AO-51)
• USS Cacapon (AO-52)
• USS Caliente (AO-53)
• USS Chikaskia (AO-54)
• USS Elokomin (AO-55)
• USS Aucilla (AO-56)
• USS Marias (AO-57)
• USS Manatee (AO-58)
• USS Mississinewa (AO-59) - Torpedoed and sunk at Ulithi, 1944
• USS Nantahala (AO-60)
• USS Severn (AO-61)
• USS Taluga (AO-62)
• USS Chipola (AO-63)
• USS Tolovana (AO-64)
• USS Allagash (AO-97)
• USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98)
• USS Canisteo (AO-99)
• USS Chukawan (AO-100)

Approximate dimensions (LWH): 46.5 mm x 7 mm x 8.5mm

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