USS
Cacapon (AO-52)
Western Group
Capt. R.A. Mitchell, USN
2 DEC 46 |
Departed
San Pedro, California |
12 DEC 46 |
Rendezvoused
with U.S.S. Currituck and U.S.S.
Henderson near Marquesas Islands. |
24 DEC 46 |
Reached pack-ice
northeast of Balleny Islands and served as weather station for Western
Group. |
6 JAN 47 |
Operating off
of George V Coast. |
16 JAN 47 |
Proceeded to
Scott Island to rendezvous with U.S.S.
Philippine Sea. |
21 JAN 47 |
Picked up outgoing
mail from U.S.S. Henderson. |
22 JAN 47 |
Picked up outgoing
mail from U.S.S. Currituck. |
25 JAN 47 |
Rendezvoused
with U.S.S. Philippine Sea and transferred mail to and from this
vessel. |
8 FEB 47 |
Rendezvoused
with the U.S.S. Henderson and U.S.S. Currituck after returning from
Ross Sea; refueled both ships and transferred mail. |
3 MAR 47 |
Ended Antarctic
operations and proceeded to Sydney, Australia in company of the
U.S.S. Henderson and U.S.S. Currituck. |
11 MAR 47 |
Entered Bass
Strait |
14 MAR 47 |
Arrived Sydney,
Australia. |
20 MAR 47 |
Departed Sydney,
Australia. |
8 APR 47 |
Arrived San
Pedro, California. |
Figure
1
|
Figure
2
|
Figure
3
|
The USS
CACAPON seems to have used only the double-circle general purpose
hand cancel to cancel mail during OPERATION HIGHJUMP (figure
1) and almost 100% of the cancels are dated 30 JAN 1947. A few other dates
are known, i.e. 2 DEC 1946 and 23 APR 1947 of this type cancel.
However,
one cover is known with a relative date but with a new type single-circle
cancel. This appears to be a back-dated cancel at the request of W.G.
Crosby as no Crosby covers managed to reach this ship before departure
for the Antarctic (figures 2 and 3).
No rubber-stamp
return addresses or specific cachets related to this ship are known to
this writer.
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