USS Laramie ( AO - 16 ) USS " Laramie " ( AO - 16 ) was a " Kaweah " - class fleet replenishment oiler in the United States Navy . " Laramie " was built in 1920 under USSB contract by William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia ; acquired by the Navy at Mobile , Alabama , 17 December 1921 ; and commissioned 28 December 1921 , Lt . Comdr . Preston Herndon , USNRF , in command . Steaming from Mobile 10 January 1922 , " Laramie " reached Norfolk 13 January and decommissioned 19 June . She recommissioned in ordinary 26 June 1940 at Philadelphia , Comdr . James J . Hughes in command . She arrived Brooklyn Navy Yard 28 June for alterations ; recommissioned in full 6 December ; returned to Philadelphia 15 December ; and arrived Norfolk 17 January 1941 for duty with the Atlantic Fleet . South American operations . Between 18 January and 5 June " Laramie " made six runs to Baton Rouge , Louisiana , to transport fuel oil to Norfolk and Bermuda . She sailed from Norfolk to Bahia Bay , Brazil , via Guantanamo Bay 24 June to 21 July ; operated along the Brazilian coast until 13 August ; then returned to Norfolk 1 September for overhaul . Departing 11 October , she carried fuel oil via Boston and St . John ' s , Newfoundland , to Narsarsuaq , Greenland , site of a United States air base known as Bluie West One , where she arrived 25 October . World War II Atlantic Theatre operations . When the United States entered the war against the Axis powers , " Laramie " was operating along the southwestern coast of Greenland carrying oil and gasoline . She steamed from Narsarsuaq to Norfolk via Sydney , Nova Scotia , 11 to 23 December ; and , after completing two fueling runs to Baton Rouge , she cleared Casco Bay , Maine , 8 March 1942 with a cargo of gasoline and oil for Army bases in Greenland . Throughout the remainder of 1942 and during 1943 she plied the stormy North Atlantic , transporting liquid and dry cargo to Greenland from Boston ; New York ; Sydney , Nova Scotia ; and NS Argentia and St . John ' s , Newfoundland . Torpedoed in the Belle Isle Strait . Loaded with 361 , 000 gallons of aviation gasoline , 55 , 000 barrels of oil , and with general cargo , including depth charges . " Laramie " departed Sydney for Greenland 26 August 1942 as part of convoy SG - 6 . On the evening of the 27th she was torpedoed while steaming in convoy at the eastern end of Belle Isle Strait during a part of the Battle of the Gulf of St . Lawrence . Hit on the port side forward by a torpedo fired by U - 165 commanded by Eberhard Hoffman , she immediately listed to port and went down by the bow some 37 feet . The blast demolished the forward crew ' s quarters , killing four men ; opened a hole 41 feet long and 34 feet high , causing extensive flooding forward ; and ruptured the port gasoline tank , spraying the ship with volatile liquid and explosive fumes . Despite flooding and imminent danger of explosion , the captain , Comdr . P . M . Moncy , took immediate and effective action to save " Laramie " . Although gasoline ran ankle - deep over the forward gun platforms , no fires broke out , and a steam - smothering system protected unruptured holds . Prompt pumping of liquid cargo corrected the list and reduced the forward draft . Return to Sydney for repairs . Escorted by U . S . Coast Guard cutter " Mohawk " , " Laramie " returned to Sydney 30 August before steaming to Boston 2 to 5 September for damage repairs . Commander Moncy later received the Navy Cross for directing the saving of " Laramie " under extremely hazardous conditions . After a run to Aruba , Netherlands West Indies , from 21 February to 2 March 1944 for a cargo of gasoline , " Laramie " resumed voyages to Greenland out of Boston 25 March . She returned to Aruba 28 August ; carried fuel to Newfoundland via Guantanamo and Boston 7 to 27 September ; then returned to the Caribbean 17 October to shuttle liquid cargo between Aruba and Guantanamo . Steaming to New York via Bermuda 9 to 20 November , she resumed shuttle runs along the eastern seaboard to Newfoundland and Greenland . After the war . On 8 August 1945 " Laramie " arrived Boston from Grønnedal , Greenland . Steaming to Norfolk 4 to 6 September , she decommissioned 16 November 1945 . She was transferred to the Maritime Commission 11 June 1946 and on 1 July 1947 was delivered to Boston Metals Co . , Baltimore