USS Maumee (AO-2)-- Part 2: Service in World War I and Pioneering Refueling Operations

After the Declaration of War on 6 April 1917, the Maumee was ordered to refuel destroyers being sent to Britain in the North Atlantic.  She was stationed 300 miles south of Greenland.

The Maumee refueled the second group of six destroyers on 28 May 1917 and in so doing pioneered  the Navy's underway refueling operations.  This established the pattern of mobile logistic support which enables the Navy to keep  fleets at sea for extended periods of time.  No need to go to a port and lose time.

The ship was under the command of William Victor Tomb at the time.  Fleet Admiral Nimitz was executive officer of the Maumee at the time and he applied this to fleet use during World War II.

By July 5, the Maumee had refueled 34 destroyers in such manner.

The Maumee made two other  ocean crossings to Europe where she refueled naval units attached to the American Expeditionary Force.  After the end of the war, the Maumee operated off the U.S. east coast until decommissioned 9 June 1922 and layup in reserve in Philadelphia.

I also wrote about the Maumee's service in the next war in my Tattooed On Your Soul:  World War II blog.  Also, there was a USS Maumee in the Civil War and that one is covered right now in my Running the Blockade: Civil war Navy blog.

--Cooter

USS Maumee (AO-2)-- Part 1: First Navy Ship With Diesel Engines

From Wikipedia.

I wrote about William Tomb in the last post and he commanded the USS Maumee in World War I, a ship noted for refueling six U.S. destroyers on the sea while enroute for England after the U.S. entry into the war in 1917.

There was an earlier USS Maumee which was a gunboat in the Civil War that took part in the attacks on Fort Fisher.

The second USS Maumee was laid down as Fuel Ship No. 14 at Mare Island, California.  When the Navy's ship classifications were introduced in 1920, it became the AO-2.  The "O" standing for oiler.

It was the first surface ship in the Navy to be powered by diesel engines in 1919.  Supervising the engine installation and operation was Executive and Chief Engineering Officer, Lt. Chester W. Nimitz.  This would have been after it had refueled the destroyers in 1917.

It was commissioned in October 1916 and prior to the war, operated off the coast of Cuba.

--Cooter

William Victor Tomb

From Wikiversity.

The last two posts were about one of Confederate Navy Chief Engineer James H. Tom's sons, James Harvey Tomb.  This is about his other son.  Since Mr. Tomb lived to be 90 years old, dying in 1926, I am sure he was quite proud of his sons.

William Tomb was born in Missouri in 1877.  He kept a diary while on convoy duty during World War I which provides an important primary source on the development of the convoy system.

He commanded the USS Maumee (AO-2) which made a major accomplishment during World War I when it refueled six destroyers in mid-voyage on their way over to England after the United States entered the war.  Had the Maumee not done that, they would have had to lose a lot of time going into a port.  This was the first time that this had ever been done.

He received the Navy Cross for distinguished service.

In 1918, he became the first commander of the new destroyer USS Upshur (DD-144).

He died in Los Angeles in 1941.

--Cooter