ATA-217 at war's end | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | ATA-214 class |
Builders |
|
Operators | United States Navy |
Built | 1943–1944 |
In commission | 1944–1946 |
Completed | 5 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Type | Auxiliary Fleet Tug |
Displacement | 1,550 long tons (1,575 t) |
Length | 194.5 ft (59.3 m) |
Beam | 34.6 ft (10.5 m) |
Draft | 14.1 ft (4.3 m) |
Propulsion | Diesel-electric engines, 1 shaft, 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) |
Speed | 12.1 knots (22.4 km/h; 13.9 mph) |
Complement | 57 |
Armament | various; see text |
The ATA-214 class was a group of five auxiliary tugs built for the United States Navy in World War II and decommissioned shortly thereafter. They were laid down initially as Ailanthus-class net laying ships, but on 10 July 1944 the last ten ships of the latter class were cancelled. [1] On 5 August 1944 the cancellation was rescinded for those on which construction had commenced (these five), and they were directed to be completed as tugs. [1] The originally assigned names were dropped, and they were identified only by hull numbers ATA-214 through ATA-218. [1] However, for reasons unexplained, ATA-218 was commissioned as USS Yaupon. [2]
Some changes were made as construction progressed. After the first two were completed (ATA-214 and ATA-216) the mainmast was moved forward to rest directly behind the funnel, and the boom on this mast was eliminated as unnecessary. [3] Armament varied as well, based upon experiences with the Ailanthus class vessels already built. The first two completed had a single 3" gun mounted on a platform ahead of the bridge, and three 20mm antiaircraft guns mounted in two tiers in front of the funnel. [4] It was found that the upper of these three was too close to the funnel, and for the next two (ATA-215 and ATA-217) this mount was relocated immediately behind the mainmast. [3] [5] For the last ship (ATA-218) the 3" gun was eliminated (though its platform remained) and two 40mm AA guns were mounted on the forecastle. [6]
All five served in the Pacific theater, and ATA-215, ATA-216, and ATA-218 also participated in the occupation of Japan in various periods from September to November 1945. ATA-215 was loaned to the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition and sold upon its return; [3] the others were sold through the Maritime Commission. [1]
Hull number | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
---|---|---|---|
ATA-214 | 25 September 1944 | September 1945 | Sold to a commercial interest, 30 April 1947; sunk, 9 September 1953 |
ATA-215 | 17 December 1944 | 20 June 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 8 February 1949; sunk, 15 April 1963 |
ATA-216 | 30 October 1944 | 26 March 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 1948; sold for scrap, 1969 |
ATA-217 | 16 January 1945 | 7 May 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 25 March 1947; sunk, 17 February 1949 |
USS Yaupon (ATA-218) | 10 March 1945 | 26 March 1946 | Sold for scrap, 3 January 1947 |
USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was a Nevada-class battleship built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation for the United States Navy, notable for being the first American class of oil-burning dreadnoughts. Commissioned in 1916, the ship served in World War I as a part of Battleship Division Six, protecting Allied convoys on their way across the Atlantic. After the war, she served in both the United States Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet. Oklahoma was modernized between 1927 and 1929. In 1936, she rescued American citizens and refugees from the Spanish Civil War. On returning to the West Coast in August of the same year, Oklahoma spent the rest of her service in the Pacific.
The Benham class of ten destroyers was built for the United States Navy (USN). They were part of a series of USN destroyers limited to 1,500 tons standard displacement by the London Naval Treaty and built in the 1930s. The class was laid down in 1936-1937 and all were commissioned in 1939. Much of their design was based on the immediately preceding Gridley and Bagley-class destroyers. Like these classes, the Benhams were notable for including sixteen 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, the heaviest torpedo armament ever on US destroyers. They introduced a new high-pressure boiler that saved space and weight, as only three of the new boilers were required compared to four of the older designs. The class served extensively in World War II in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific theaters, including Neutrality Patrols in the Atlantic 1940-1941. Sterett received the United States Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle of Guadalcanal and the Battle of Vella Gulf, and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation for her World War II service. Two of the class were lost during World War II, three were scrapped in 1947, while the remaining five ships were scuttled after being contaminated from the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.
The Sims-class destroyers were built for the United States Navy, and commissioned in 1939 and 1940. These twelve ships were the last United States destroyer class completed prior to the American entry into World War II. All Sims-class ships saw action in World War II, and seven survived the war. No ship of this class saw service after 1946. They were built under the Second London Naval Treaty, in which the limit on destroyer standard displacement was lifted, but an overall limit remained. Thus, to maximize the number of destroyers and avoid developing an all-new design, the Sims class were only 70 tons larger as designed than previous destroyers. They are usually grouped with the 1500-ton classes and were the sixth destroyer class since production resumed with the Farragut class in 1932.
The Anchorage-class dock landing ships were a series of five dock landing ships (LSD) constructed and commissioned by the United States Navy between 1965 and 1972. US Navy decommissioned all five of them by 2003. They are succeeded by Whidbey Island-class LSDs and Harpers Ferry-class LSDs.
The 3-inch/50-caliber gun in United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter, and the barrel was 50 calibers long. Different guns of this caliber were used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard from 1900 through to 1990 on a variety of combatant and transport ship classes.
USS Navajo (AT-64) was an oceangoing tugboat in the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was named for the Navajo people. Originally called the Navajo-class of fleet tugs, they were later renamed the Cherokee-class after loss of the first two ships of the class.
The YMS-1 class of auxiliary motor minesweepers was established with the laying down of YMS-1 on 4 March 1941. Some were later transferred to the United Kingdom as part of the World War II Lend-Lease pact between the two nations. One ship eventually made its way into the Royal Canadian Navy postwar.
USS Challenge (ATA-201) was a Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug acquired by the United States Navy for service during and after World War II.
USS Penobscot (ATA-188/ATR–115) -- a Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug—was originally placed in service by the U.S. Navy as USS ATA–188 until she was renamed USS Penobscot (ATA-188) 16 July 1948. She served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, and on the U.S. East Coast after the war’s end. She was finally decommissioned in 1971.
USS ATA-214 was the lead ship of the ATA-214 class of tugs for the United States Navy and was built near the end of World War II. Originally laid down as Palo Blanco (YN-85), a net tender of the Ailanthus class, she was redesignated as AN-64, a net layer, before launch. Before completion, the name Palo Blanco was cancelled and the ship was named ATA-214, an unnamed auxiliary ocean tug. Palo Blanco served in the Pacific Theatre during her brief career with the Navy.
USS ATA-215 was an ATA-214-class tug of the United States Navy built near the end of World War II. Originally laid down as Paloverde (YN-86), a net tender of the Ailanthus class, she was redesignated as AN-65, a net layer, before launch. Before completion, the name Paloverde was cancelled and the ship was named ATA-215, an unnamed auxiliary ocean tug. Post-war she was assigned to the Finn Ronne Antarctic Expedition where she became stuck in the ice for 12 months before returning to the United States for decommissioning.
USS ATA-216 was an ATA-214-class tug of the United States Navy built in 1944. Originally laid down as the net tender Allthorn of the Ailanthus class, she was redesignated before being launched. The ship was commissioned on 30 October 1944. ATA-216 had a brief naval career, and was decommissioned on 26 March 1946.
USS ATA-217 was an ATA-214-class tug of the United States Navy built near the end of World War II. Originally laid down as Tesota (YN-95), a net tender of the Ailanthus class, she was redesignated as AN-71, a net layer, before launch. Before completion, the name Tesota was cancelled and the ship was named ATA-217, an unnamed auxiliary ocean tug.
USS Yaupon (ATA-218) was an ATA-214-class tug of the United States Navy built near the end of World War II. Originally laid down as a net tender of the Ailanthus class, she was redesignated before being launched. The ship was commissioned on 10 March 1945. Yaupon had a brief naval career, and was decommissioned on 26 March 1946.
The Ailanthus class were a group of 35 wooden-hulled net laying ships of the United States Navy built during World War II as part of the huge building programs of late 1941 and early 1942 for small patrol and mine warfare vessels. Five of the class were transferred to the British Royal Navy under Lend-Lease, and another five were converted while at their shipyards into Auxiliary Fleet Tugs, the ATA-214-class.
USS Cahto (YT/YTB-215) was the lead ship of the Cahto-class large harbor tug in the service of the United States Navy.
The USS Pinola (ATA-206) was a Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug launched in 1945 and serving until 1956. The ship was transferred to the Republic of Korea in 1962.
The Sotoyomo-class tugboats were a class of United States Navy rescue tugboats. The lead ship was USS Sotoyomo, laid down in September 1942. Designed as "rescue tugs", the class consisted of forty-nine ships, classified as auxiliaries. Sotoyomo commemorates a part of the Sioux tribe.
The Albona class were mine warfare ships used by the Italian Regia Marina and Royal Yugoslav Navy. Fourteen ships were originally laid down between 1917 and 1918 for the Austro-Hungarian Navy as the MT.130 class. However, the end of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary left them incomplete until 1920, when three ships were finished for the Regia Marina. These ships were armed with two 76 mm (3 in) guns. An additional five ships were completed for the KM in 1931 as the Malinska or Marjan class, and were armed with a single 66 mm (2.6 in). All of the completed ships could carry 24 to 39 naval mines. The remaining ships were never completed.
Fulton Shipyard was a shipbuilding company in Antioch, California. The shipyard was founded in 1924 by Frank Fulton and Angeline Fulton Fredericks. To support the World War II demand for ships, Fulton Shipyard built minesweepers, tugboats, and troopships. The shipyard was located on the Stockton Channel at 701 Fulton Shipyard Rd, Antioch, near Antioch pier and the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. The site was the former Jarvis Brothers, opened in 1918, then Laurtzen shipyard. In 1977 the site became the California Corporation. The shipyard closed in 1999 and the land is owned by the Fulton Family Trust. Fulton Shipyard was on the San Joaquin River and an inland port located more than seventy nautical miles from the ocean, emptying into Suisun Bay. Fulton Shipyard was featured in a 1914 movie called The Stolen Yacht, a short drama film released on November 5, 1914. Frank Fulton and Angeline's son James Lloyd Fulton became an operator of a Fulton Shipyard tugboat.