USS Pawnee (ATF-74)

Last updated
USS Pawnee (ATF-74).jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svg United States
NameUSS Pawnee
Builder United Engineering Company, Alameda, California
Laid down23 October 1941
Launched31 March 1942
Commissioned7 November 1942
DecommissionedJanuary 1947
ReclassifiedATF–74, 15 May 1944
Stricken1 September 1962
Fate
  • Disposed of by scrapping
  • 9 November 1971
General characteristics
Class and type Navajo-class fleet tug
Displacement1,675 long tons (1,702 t)
Length205 ft (62 m)
Beam38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
Draft15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Complement85 officers and enlisted
Armament

USS Pawnee (AT-74/ATF-74) was a Navajo-class fleet tug in the United States Navy.

Contents

Pawnee was laid down on 23 October 1941 by the United Engineering Company, Alameda, California; launched on 31 March 1942 and commissioned on 7 November 1942.

Service history

After a Pacific coast Shakedown cruise Pawnee was assigned to Service Force, Pacific. In December 1942, she steamed for Pearl Harbor and commenced towing operations. She stood out of Pearl Harbor in early January, steamed for the forward Pacific area with the floating drydock USS ARD–5 in tow, and reported to ComSoPac for duty the 29th at Espiritu Santo.

Pawnee operated in the Solomons from June through August 1943, providing towing services at New Georgia and Rendova. She next provided services at Vella Lavella until October. Other operations took her to the Western Carolines, Okinawa, Leyte, and Luzon. She was reclassified as ATF–74 on 15 May 1944.

On 14 October 1944, off the coast of Formosa, the Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Houston was hit by a torpedo amidships and taken under tow by Pawnee. Two days later, with the damaged cruiser still attached by a tow line, another wave of Japanese torpedo bombers attacked Houston hitting her in the stern with a second torpedo. Damage was controlled and Pawnee with Houston reached Ulithi on 27 October. [1]

She served with the Naval Occupation Forces in the Philippines from 28 September 1945 until 24 February 1946, when she sailed to Pearl Harbor. In January 1947 she decommissioned and entered the Columbia River Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Pawnee was struck from the Navy List on 1 September 1962 and placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, Washington, where she remained until 1971.

Pawnee was sold on 9 November 1971 to Hatch and Kirk, Inc of Seattle, WA for $31,850 [2] and was broken up the next year. [3]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Brooklyn</i> (CL-40) Brooklyn-class light cruiser

USS Brooklyn (CL-40) was a light cruiser, the lead ship of her class of nine, and the third United States Navy ship to bear its name. Commissioned in 1937, she served in the Atlantic during World War II, as a convoy escort and as fire support for amphibious landings.

USS <i>Pensacola</i> (CA-24) Pensacola-class heavy cruiser

USS Pensacola (CL/CA-24) was a cruiser of the United States Navy that was in service from 1929 to 1945. She was the lead ship of the Pensacola class, which the navy classified from 1931 as heavy cruisers. The third Navy ship to be named after the city of Pensacola, Florida, she was nicknamed the "Grey Ghost" by Tokyo Rose. She received 13 battle stars for her service.

USS <i>Houston</i> (CL-81) Light cruiser of the United States Navy

USS Houston (CL-81), was a Cleveland-class light cruiser and the third vessel in the United States Navy named after Houston, Texas. She was active in the Pacific War and survived two separate aerial torpedo hits in October 1944.

USS <i>Honolulu</i> (CL-48) Brooklyn-class light cruiser

USS Honolulu (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War. Honolulu was launched in 1937 and commissioned in 1938. The ship served in the Battle of Tassafaronga, the Battle of Kula Gulf, the Battle of Kolombangara and the Battle of Peleliu. She was taken out of action by serious torpedo damage just before the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was repaired, but not in time to rejoin the war. She was decommissioned in 1947 and was held in reserve until she was scrapped in 1959.

<i>Mahan</i>-class destroyer Former class of US Navy destroyers

The Mahan-class destroyers of the United States Navy were a series of 18 destroyers of which the first 16 were laid down in 1934. The last two of the 18, Dunlap and Fanning, are sometimes considered a separate ship class. All 18 were commissioned in 1936 and 1937. Mahan was the lead ship, named for Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, an influential historian and theorist on sea power.

USS <i>Zuni</i> (ATF-95) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Zuni (AT/ATF-95), a Cherokee-class fleet tugboat, formerly called Navajo class, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the Zuni, the popular name given to a tribe of Pueblo Indians indigenous to the area around the Zuni River in central New Mexico near the Arizona state line.

USS <i>Hutchins</i> Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Hutchins (DD-476), was a Fletcher-class destroyer, of the United States Navy named after Naval aviator Lieutenant Carlton B. Hutchins (1904–1938), who though mortally injured, was able to remain at the controls of his aircraft and allow his surviving crew to parachute to safety and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

USS <i>Munsee</i> (ATF-107) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Munsee (AT/ATF-107) was an Abnaki-class fleet ocean tug. She is the only ship of the United States Navy to hold the name Munsee, which is the name of a subtribe of the Delaware Indians, still living in Wisconsin and Kansas.

USS <i>Pakana</i> (ATF-108) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Pakana (AT–108) was an Abnaki-class fleet ocean tug. It was named after the Pakana, a Native American tribe of Texas. This ship saw service in the Pacific theater of World War II, and was later transferred to the United States Bureau of Mines for use in Alaska before being deliberately sunk in 1975.

USS <i>Quapaw</i> (ATF-110) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Quapaw (ATF–110/AT-110) was a Abnaki-class fleet ocean tug in the United States Navy. She was named after the Quapaw.

USS <i>Navajo</i> (AT-64) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Navajo (AT-64) was an oceangoing tugboat in the United States Navy, and the lead ship of its class. It was named for the Navajo people. Originally called the Navajo-class of fleet tugs, it was later renamed the Cherokee-class after loss of the first two ships of the class.

USS <i>Bridge</i> (AF-1) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

The first USS Bridge (AF-1) was a stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1917 to 1946. Following a short commercial service, she was scrapped in 1953.

USS <i>Turkey</i> (AM-13) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Turkey (AM-13) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper the U.S. Navy, thus named after the bird, not after the country which in 1917 was an enemy in the ongoing World War I. The minesweeper was acquired by for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

USS <i>Lipan</i> (AT-85) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Lipan (AT-85) was a Navajo-class fleet tug constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Her purpose was to aid ships, usually by towing, on the high seas or in combat or post-combat areas, plus "other duties as assigned." She served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II and the Korean War. She was awarded two battle stars for World War II and four battle stars for the Korean War.

USS <i>Narragansett</i> (AT-88) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Narragansett (AT-88) was a Navajo-class fleet tug constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Her purpose was to aid ships, usually by towing, on the high seas or in combat or post-combat areas, plus "other duties as assigned." She served in the Atlantic Ocean and, at war’s end, returned home with three battle stars to her credit.

USS <i>Nemasket</i> (AOG-10) Patapsco-class gasoline tanker

USS Nemasket (AOG-10) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1959. She was scrapped in 2006.

USS <i>Vireo</i> (AM-52) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Vireo (AM-52) was a U.S. Navy Lapwing-class minesweeper, No. 52, reclassified on 1 June 1942 as a fleet tug. The bulk of her combat career was served in this capacity.

USS Arapaho (AT-68/ATF-68) was a Navajo-class fleet ocean tug which served the U.S. Navy during World War II with her towing services. She was assigned initially to support the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and was eventually assigned to support Allied forces in the war zones of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in her crew returning home after the war with four battle stars to their credit.

USS <i>Pavlic</i> (APD-70)

USS Pavlic (APD-70) was built by Dravo Corporation at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a Buckley-class destroyer escort. Pavlic was launched 18 December 1943 and towed to Texas for refitting as a United States Navy high-speed transport. Pavlic was in commission from 1944 to 1946, serving in the Okinawa campaign as a radar picket ship. Pavlic was decommissioned 15 November 1946. After more than 20 years of inactivity in reserve, she was stricken from the Navy List on 1 April 1967. On 1 July 1968, she was sold for scrapping to North American Smelting Company.

USS <i>Molala</i> (ATF-106) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Molala (AT-106/ATF-106) was a US Navy Abnaki-class tugboat, named after the Molala people of Oregon.

References

  1. "NH 98825 USS Houston (CL-81)".
  2. "PMARS is currently down for maintainence". Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  3. "PMARS is currently down for maintainence". Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2010-07-26.

Suggested Reading