USS Caliente (AO-53) - Supporting Philippine Invasion Forces

Supporting Philippine Invasion Forces

For the remainder of the year Caliente refueled task forces operating off the Philippines, easily weathering a tropical cyclone on 18 December, and even entered Leyte Gulf to fuel New Jersey and Lexington on 17 January 1945. In February she departed Ulithi atoll, remembered only for "movies on the cargo deck and beer parties at Mogmog island", for the long voyage to San Francisco, California. Her first overhaul, after 13 months of continuous operations, began on 7 March when she entered the graving dock in San Pedro harbor. On 25 April, with repairs complete, she got underway for Pearl Harbor. She took on passengers and fuel, departed for Ulithi 9 May, and arrived at the familiar flat atoll to await assignment on 20 May.

Underway 30 May, despite the breakdown of her port engine circulating pump, she refueled light carriers and cruisers after weathering her second typhoon on 4 June. After receiving fuel oil from SS Pamamset she fueled escorts, and the occasional carrier, off the Bonin Islands and Honshū throughout July and August. Arriving Ulithi on 18 August the oiler, despite the Japanese surrender, did not slow her tempo and quickly refilled her tanks with black oil.