USS Cacapon, a 7470-ton Cimarron class oiler, was built under a Maritime Commission contract at Sparrows Point, Maryland. Acquired by the Navy and commissioned in September 1943, she carried fuel from the West Indies to Hawaii on her maiden voyage, then continued further into the Pacific to refuel ships participating in the Gilbert Islands operation. For the rest of the Second World War, Cacapon continued to support operations against Japan, carrying vital oil cargo to replenish ships of the 3rd, 5th and 7th fleets.