USS Sonoma (ATA-175)

History
United States
Builder	Levingston Shipbuilding Co., Orange, TX
Laid down	9 December 1943
Launched	29 January 1944
Reclassified	Auxiliary Fleet Tug ATA-175, 13 April 1944
Commissioned	3 August 1944
Decommissioned	8 November 1946
Renamed	Sonoma (ATA-175), 16 July 1948
Stricken	1 September 1962
Identification	IMO number: 7942269
Fate	Sold in 1976;; sold for scrapping in 1989;
General characteristics
Class and type	Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug
Displacement	534 t.(lt) 835 t.(fl)
Length	143 ft (44 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	13 ft (4.0 m)
Propulsion	diesel-electric engines, single screw
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement	45
Armament	1 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount; 2 20 mm AA gun mounts;

Last updated June 08, 2022

USS Sonoma (ATA-175) was a tugboat of the United States Navy, which served during World War II. She was the third Navy ship to bear the name "Sonoma", which is of American-Indian origin, in accordance with the Navy's naming convention for tugs.

The tug was laid down on 9 December 1943 by the Levingston Shipbuilding Co., Orange, Texas, as the rescue tug, ATR-102; launched on 29 January 1944; reclassified an auxiliary ocean tug, ATA-175, on 13 April 1944; and commissioned on 3 August 1944.

Following shakedown training in August, USS ATA-175 joined the Service Force, Atlantic Fleet in September. However, by 1 October, she was in the South Pacific at Bora Bora in the Society Islands. After almost a month of in-port operations, the tug departed Bora Bora on 29 October; stopped at Guadalcanal from 16 to 20 November; and arrived in Seeadler Harbor, Manus, on the 26th. For the remainder of 1944, ATA-175 operated in the vicinity of New Guinea and the Admiralty Islands, making two visits to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and one to Cairns, Australia.

On 31 December, she stood out of Milne Bay for Hollandia, New Guinea, where she arrived on 7 January 1945. For the next seven months, she operated from Hollandia towing barges and other craft to various American bases in the western and southern Pacific. She made four voyages to Leyte in the Philippines and one each to Mackay, Australia, and Manus Island. On her first voyage to Leyte in late January and early February, the tug also visited Lingayen Gulf and Subic Bay. In June and July, she participated in post-landing operations at Morotai by towing three LSTs clear of the beach. She returned to Hollandia on 16 July and commenced 10 days overhaul at the Destroyer Repair Base. On the 29th, she set out on the fourth voyage from Hollandia to Leyte.

For the rest of 1945, ATA-175 conducted operations in the Philippines. From 24 to 28 August, she assisted SS Alice N. Rice^[1] in clearing Kinabakagan Reef and damaged her rudder in the process. After repairs at Subic Bay, she resumed towing operations between the islands of the Philippine Archipelago. On 25 and 26 October, the tug participated in the salvage of SS Ralph W. Emerson^[2] which had run aground on a mud shoal in Davao Gulf off Mindanao. During her assignment in the Philippines, she also visited Samar Island and the city of Manila.

In January 1946, ATA-175 returned to the United States for inactivation. On 7 June, she joined the 19th Fleet at Columbia River, Washington; and, on 8 November, she was placed out of commission. On 16 July 1948, ATA-175 was named Sonoma. In August 1960, custody of Sonoma was transferred to the Maritime Administration. She was laid up at Olympia, Washington, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 September 1962. On 18 June 1971, she was briefly reacquired by the Navy for tow to Suisun Bay, California, where she was returned to the custody of the Maritime Administration.

On 13 April 1976, Sonoma was sold to Erato Shipping & Trading Corp., and renamed Deka Epta. The ship was sold for scrapping in 1989.

Notes

↑ Liberty ship SS Alice H. Rice ?
↑ Liberty ship SS Ralph Waldo Emerson ?

Related Research Articles

USS Jobb (DE-707) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold for scrap in 1970.

The first USS Ogden (PF-39) was a Tacoma-class frigate in commission from 1943 to 1945. Originally classified as PG-137, she was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Ogden, Utah. She later served in the Soviet Navy as EK-10 and in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as Kusu (PF-1), Kusu (PF-281), YAS-50 and YAC-22.

The USS Culebra Island (ARG-7) was a Luzon-class internal combustion engine repair ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Named after Culebra, an island between Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

USS James E. Craig (DE-201) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was sunk as a target in 1969.

USS Witter (DE-636), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Ensign Jean C. Witter (1921–1942), who was killed in action aboard the heavy cruiser San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12 to 13 November 1942.

USS Torrance (AKA-76) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship of the United States Navy named after Torrance County, New Mexico. She was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. She served as a commissioned ship for 19 months.

USS Towner (AKA-77) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship of the United States Navy named after Towner County, North Dakota. She was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. She served as a commissioned ship for 18 months.

USS Porcupine (IX-126), an Armadillo-class tanker designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the porcupine.

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>Rail</i> (AM-26) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Rail (AM-26/AT-139/ATO-139) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War I. She was the first U.S. Navy ship named for the rail, a small wading bird, related to the cranes.

The first USS Lark (AM-21) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper in the United States Navy. She was named for the lark.

USS Sonoma (AT-12) was a Sonoma-class fleet tug which had the distinction of serving her country during World War I and World War II. For her work as a tugboat in some very dangerous battle areas, she earned five battle stars during World War II. She ended her battle career when she was sunk by a crashing Japanese bomber.

USS ATA-176 was an ATR-1-class rescue tug built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was laid down on 30 January 1944 and launched on 1 March as USS ATR-103, but was re-designated ATA-176 on 15 May. She was commissioned as USS ATA-176 on 19 August. She served in the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the war and was decommissioned on 30 June 1947. She was then manned with a civilian crew and placed in service, being renamed USNS Tonkawa (T-ATA-176) on 16 July 1948. Tonkawa, the first U.S. Navy vessel named for the Tonkawa, was taken out of service in 1956 and placed in reserve.

USS Mahnomen County (LST-912) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation. She was later named after Mahnomen County, Minnesota, and was the only US Navy vessel to bear the name.

USS Triangulum (AK-102) was an Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. Triangulum was named after the constellation Triangulum. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

USS Wateree (ATA-174), the third ship named USS Wateree, was a Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug in the service of the United States Navy during World War II. She later served with the Military Sea Transportation Service and the Peruvian Navy as a diving support ship. In Peruvian naval service she was renamed BAP Unanue (ATA-136).

USS Tinsman (DE-589) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold for scrapping in 1973.

USS Allegheny (ATA-179) was an American Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug launched in 1944 and serving until 1968. She underwent conversion to a research vessel in 1952.

USS LST-22 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II and staffed by a United States Coast Guard crew. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS Hidatsa (ATF-102) was Abnaki-class tugboat during the World War II. The ship was later sold to Colombia as ARC Rodrigo de Bastidas (RM-74). Her namesake is an Indian group of the Sioux Tribe of North Dakota, now living on the Fort Berthold Reservation.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.
Priolo, Gary P. (29 August 2008). "USS Sonoma (ATA-175)". Service Ship Photo Archive. NavSource Naval History. Retrieved 2010-05-09.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Liberty ship SS Alice H. Rice ?

[2] Liberty ship SS Ralph Waldo Emerson ?

[1]

[2]