USS Abnaki (AT-96) Class

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USS Molala (AT-106) on 27 September 1943
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        ABNAKI (AT-96)
Design        Navy AT-64 variant
Displacement (tons):        1,091 light, 1,675 max.
Dimensions (feet):        205.0' oa, 195.0' wl x 38.5' e x 15.3' max.
Original Armament:        1-3"/50 4-20mm (AT 100-02, 106-09)
Later armaments:        1-3"/50 2-40mmS 2-20mmS (1944-45: ATF 101-108, 110-118); 1-3"/50 2- 40mmS 2-20mmT (1945-52: 10 units upgraded); 1-3"/50 2-40mmS (1952-63: 11 units);
1-3"/50 (1958-63: 13 units); 1-3"/50 2-20mmS (1961-3: ATF 104, 108, 118)
Complement        89 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        16.5
Propulsion (HP):        3,000
Machinery:        1 screw, G.M. or Busch-Sulzer diesel-electric (4 diesel generators)

Construction:

AT	Name	Ord.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
96	ABNAKI	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	26 Nov 42	22 Apr 43	25 Nov 43
97	ALSEA	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	29 Nov 42	22 May 43	13 Dec 43
98	ARIKARA	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	10 Jan 43	22 Jun 43	5 Jan 44
100	CHOWANOC	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	24 Apr 43	20 Aug 43	21 Feb 44
101	COCOPA	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	25 May 43	5 Oct 43	25 Mar 44
102	HIDATSA	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	8 Jul 43	29 Dec 43	25 Apr 44
103	HITCHITI	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	24 Jul 43	29 Jan 44	27 May 44
104	JICARILLA	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	25 Aug 43	25 Feb 44	26 Jun 44
105	MOCTOBI	6 Mar 42	Charleston SB & DD	7 Oct 43	25 Mar 44	25 Jul 44
106	MOLALA	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	26 Jul 42	23 Dec 42	29 Sep 43
107	MUNSEE	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	20 Aug 42	21 Jan 43	30 Oct 43
108	PAKANA	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	1 Oct 42	3 Mar 43	17 Dec 43
109	POTAWATOMI	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	19 Oct 42	3 Apr 43	12 Feb 44
110	QUAPAW	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	28 Dec 42	15 May 43	6 May 44
111	SARSI	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	25 Jan 43	12 Jun 43	24 Jun 44
112	SERRANO	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	6 Mar 43	24 Jul 43	22 Sep 44
113	TAKELMA	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	7 Apr 43	18 Sep 43	3 Aug 44
114	TAWAKONI	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	19 May 43	28 Oct 43	15 Sep 44
115	TENINO	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	16 Jun 43	10 Jan 44	18 Nov 44
116	TOLOWA	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	28 Jul 43	17 May 44	26 Dec 44
117	WATEREE	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	22 Sep 43	14 Jun 44	17 Feb 45
118	WENATCHEE	6 Mar 42	United Engineering	12 Jan 44	7 Sep 44	24 Mar 45

Disposition:

AT	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
96	ABNAKI	30 Sep 78	30 Sep 78	30 Sep 78	Trf.	--
97	ALSEA	15 Apr 55	1 Sep 62	14 May 76	Sold	--
98	ARIKARA	1 Jul 71	25 Jun 92	1 Jul 71	Trf.	--
100	CHOWANOC	1 Oct 77	1 Oct 77	1 Oct 77	Trf.	--
101	COCOPA	30 Sep 78	30 Sep 78	30 Sep 78	Trf.	--
102	HIDATSA	5 May 48	1 Jul 63	15 Mar 79	Trf.	--
103	HITCHITI	30 Sep 78	30 Sep 78	30 Sep 78	Trf.	--
104	JICARILLA	14 Jun 50	1 Jul 63	15 Mar 79	Trf.	--
105	MOCTOBI	30 Sep 85	28 Jan 92	18 Sep 98	Trf.	--
106	MOLALA	1 Aug 78	1 Aug 78	1 Aug 78	Trf.	--
107	MUNSEE	3 Nov 69	3 Nov 69	20 Jul 70	Sold	--
108	PAKANA	30 Apr 48	1 Jul 63	17 May 66	Trf.	--
109	POTAWATOMI	28 Apr 48	15 Aug 65	27 Aug 63	Trf.	--
110	QUAPAW	30 Aug 85	28 Jan 92	18 Sep 98	Trf.	--
111	SARSI	--	6 Nov 52	27 Aug 52	Lost	--
112	SERRANO	2 Jan 70	2 Jan 70	2 Nov 71	Sold	--
113	TAKELMA	30 Sep 83	28 Jan 92	30 Sep 93	Trf.	--
114	TAWAKONI	1 Jun 78	1 Jun 78	1 Jun 78	Trf.	--
115	TENINO	17 May 47	1 Sep 62	18 Aug 86	Hulk	--
116	TOLOWA	27 Jan 47	11 Nov 70	Feb 62	Trf.	--
117	WATEREE	--	1 Nov 45	9 Oct 45	Lost	--
118	WENATCHEE	19 May 47	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA	20 Jun 91

Class Notes:
FY 1942. In mid-December 1941 the Navy began developing a list of its total requirements in ships for a maximum war effort. On 12 Jan 42 the General Board submitted to SecNav a list of the additional ships of each type that would be required, including 23 more fleet tugs (AT 96-118) as replacements for aging units and possible war losses. On 16 Feb 42 SecNav directed the construction of these ships. AT-99 became ASR-12, q.v., while under construction.

These tugs were virtually identical to the NAVAJO (AT-64) class except that the large smokestack was omitted. Instead a short thin vertical pipe was fitted just forward of the forward leg of the mainmast. This was soon found unsatisfactory and by late 1944 or 1945 extensions were being fitted to raise it above the level of the bridge. By the early 1950s a somewhat thicker but still inconspicuous vertical pipe was being fitted in all units.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (23 Sep 96) included a provision sponsored by Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan instructing the Navy to transfer six obsolete tugboats, ATF-105, 110, 149, 158, 159, and 160, to the Northeast Wisconsin Railroad Transportation Commission, an instrumentality of the State of Wisconsin, provided they were not needed for transfer or donation elsewhere. The Ontonagan County Economic Development Corporation signed for custody of the vessels on behalf of the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad, which operates a freight service in Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and which wanted their diesel engines (4 per tug) to put in their locomotives. Ultimately only four tugs were transferred, the Navy instead expending ATF-149 and 158 as targets.

Ship Notes:

AT	Name	Notes
96	ABNAKI	To ATF-96 15 May 44. To Mexico 1978 as YAQUI (later EHACTL 1993, YAQUI 2001). Still listed 2009.
97	ALSEA	To ATF-97 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1955-61, to NDRF 21 Jun 61, title to MA 1 Sep 62. Back to Navy 14 May 75 for equipment removal and sale. Merc. IKOSIENA (Greek for "twenty-one") 1976. Scrapped 1996 (arrived Aliaga 20 Jun 96).
98	ARIKARA	To ATF-98 15 May 44. Loaned to Chile 1971 as SERGENTE ALDEA, to Chile under grant aid 30 Sep 92, stricken 1992.
100	CHOWANOC	To ATF-100 15 May 44. To Ecuador 1977 as CHIMBORAZO. Still listed 2009.
101	COCOPA	To ATF-101 15 May 44. To Mexico 1978 as SERI (later TONATIUH 1993, SERI 2001). Still listed 2009.
102	HIDATSA	To ATF-102 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1948-62 (decom. 5 May 48). To NDRF 27 Sep 62. Title to MA 1 Jul 63. To Navy from MC and simultaneously trf. to Colombia 15 Mar 79 as RODRIGO DE BASTEDAS. Scrapped 1999.
103	HITCHITI	To ATF-103 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1946-51 (recomm. 3 Jan 51). To Mexico 1978 as CORA (later CHAC 1993, later CORA 2001). Still listed 2009.
104	JICARILLA	To ATF-104 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1950-62. To NDRF 21 Aug 62. Title to MA 1 Jul 63. To Navy from MC and simultaneously trf. to Colombia 15 Mar 79 as BAHIA SOLANO. Stricken 1987.
105	MOCTOBI	To ATF-105 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1946-50 (out of commission in reserve 24 Apr 48). To NDRF 6 Jul 92. Transferred 1998 to N.E. Wisconsin Railroad Transportation Commission (withdrawn from NDRF 18 Sep 98).
106	MOLALA	To ATF-106 15 May 44. To Mexico 1978 as OTOMI (later KUKULKAN 1993, OTOMI 2001) Still listed 2009.
107	MUNSEE	To ATF-107 15 May 44. Sold by Navy to Ocean Services Corp., Miami, Fla. (to buyer 20 Jul 70). Merc. OCEANIC 1972, ISLAND (Taiwan) 1973, scrapped 1978.
108	PAKANA	To ATF-108 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1947-62, to NDRF 21 Aug 62, title to MA 1 Jul 63. To Navy from MA 17 May 66 and loaned by navy to the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines. Merc. VIRGINIA CITY (Philippines) 1974.
109	POTAWATOMI	To ATF-109 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1946-61, to NDRF 8 Aug 61. Stk. 1 Sep 62 and title to MA same date, reinst. 1 May 63 and from MA 28 May 63 for transfer to Chile as JANEQUEO. Lost 15 Aug 65 in a violent storm in the Bay of San Pedro, Chile.
110	QUAPAW	To ATF-110 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1947-50 (inactive 30 Apr 48, recomm. 5 Dec 50). To NDRF 13 Oct 92. Transferred 1998 to N.E. Wisconsin Railroad Transportation Commission (withdrawn from NDRF 18 Sep 98).
111	SARSI	To ATF-111 15 May 44. Sunk 1952 by drifting mine off Hungnam, North Korea.
112	SERRANO	To ATF-112 15 May 44. Transferred 14 May 44 to Pollock, Stockton SB Co., Stockton, Cal., for completion. In USN reserve 1950-60. To AGS-24 15 Jun 60. Scrapped in Taiwan.
113	TAKELMA	To ATF-113 15 May 44. To NDRF 6 Oct 83, title to MA 30 Jun 92, back to Navy 27 Jul 93 and given to Argentina as SUBOFICIAL CASTILLO. Still listed 2009.
114	TAWAKONI	To ATF-114 15 May 44. To Taiwan as TA MO 1 Sep 78, still listed 2009.
115	TENINO	To ATF-115 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1946-61, to NDRF 28 Sep 61, title to MA 1 Sep 62. From MA to Navy 18 Aug 86 as a missile test target ship for the Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, Cal.
116	TOLOWA	To ATF-116 15 May 44. Completed by Pollock, Stockton SB Co., Stockton, Cal. In USN reserve 1946-62. Loaned to Venezuela 1962 as FELIPE LARRAZABAL. Damaged by grounding in Aug. 1970 and sold to Venezuela for scrapping.
117	WATEREE	To ATF-117 15 May 44. Broached on reef, crushed by drifting SACANDAGA (AOG-40), and sunk 9 Oct 45 in typhoon at Buckner Bay, Okinawa. Remains destroyed 27 Aug 52.
118	WENATCHEE	To ATF-118 15 May 44. In USN reserve 1946-61, to NDRF 31 Jul 61, title to MA 1 Sep 62. Purchased by Taiwan from MA 20 Jun 91 (date withdrawn from NDRF) for cannibalization spare parts.