Carondelet II (IX-136)
(IX-136: dp. 4,500; l. 343'; b. 59'4"; dr. 25'10"; cpl. 152; a. 1 5")
Carondelet, formerly a separate village in St. Louis County, Mo., is now a part of the city of St. Louis.
II
The second Carondelet (IX-136) was built in 1921 by Societa Esercizio Bacini, Riva Trigossa, Italy, as Brennero (later renamed Gold Heels); transferred from the War Shipping Administration 24 February 1944; and commissioned 4 April 1944, Lieutenant W. W. Morphew, USNR, in command.
Carondelet spent her entire wartime service as a station tanker in the Southwest Pacific and Philippines. Except for occasional voyages to refill her tanks, she lay at Milne Bay, New Guinea, until 26 November 1944; at Leyte from December 1944 to 25 May 1945; and at Subic Bay, Luzon, from 28 May to 12 September 1945. Pouring her precious fuel into the bunkers of the ships which pressed the war home to the Japanese, she rendered essential service. She returned to Mobile, Ala., 22 January 1946, and was decommissioned and returned to the War Shipping Administration 25 February 1946.
