Abnaki-class tugboat

The Abnaki-class tug is a class of United States Navy fleet ocean tugs which began construction in November 1942. Comprising 22 oceangoing tugboats, the class was constructed in response to the needs of World War II, but members of the class served in the Korean War and Vietnam War as well. The United States Navy no longer has any ships of this class in active duty.

USS Abnaki (right), alongside a Soviet trawler
Class overview
NameAbnaki class
Operators
Preceded byCherokee class
Succeeded byPowhatan class
Built1942–1945
In commission1943–present
Completed27
Active6
Lost3
Retired17
Preserved1
General characteristics
TypeOcean fleet tug
Displacement1,589 tons
Length205 ft 0 in (62.48 m)
Beam38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
Draft15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Propulsion
  • 4 × General Motors 12-278A diesel main engines
  • 4 × General Electric generators
  • 3 × General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
  • Single screw
  • 3,600 shp (2,700 kW)
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Range6000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 16 knots15,000 nautical miles (28,000 km) at 8 knots
Complement85
Armament
USS Moctobi (Lion) and USS Quapaw (Tiger) in 2011

Ships

Ship nameHull numberBuilderComm.Decomm.Fate
AbnakiATF-96Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Company25 Nov 194330 Sep 1978Transferred to Mexico; currently active
AlseaATF-9713 Dec 194315 Apr 1955Sold for scrap, 20 June 1996
ArikaraATF-985 Jan 19441 Jul 1971Transferred to Chile, 1 July 1971; Sunk as target, 1992
ChetcoATF-9929 May 194429 Jun 1970Converted to submarine rescue ship during construction; renamed USS Penguin (ASR-12).
ChowanocATF-10021 Feb 19441 Oct 1971Transferred to Ecuador, 1 October 1977; currently active
CocopaATF-10125 Mar 194430 Sep 1978Transferred to Mexico, 30 September 1978; currently active
HidatsaATF-10225 Apr 19445 May 1948Transferred to Colombia, 1 March 1979; fate unknown
HitchitiATF-10327 May 194430 Sep 1979Transferred to Mexico, 1 September 1976; Decommissioned 16 June 2021 & awaiting disposal in Colima.[1]
JicarillaATF-10426 Jun 194414 Jun 1950Transferred to Colombia, 1 March 1979; sunk as artificial reef 2 September 2004
MoctobiATF-10525 Jul 194430 Sep 1985Sold to the Northeast Wisconsin Railroad Transportation Commission, 29 December 1997; scrapped 2012
MolalaATF-106United Engineering Company29 Sep 19431 Aug 1978Transferred to Mexico, 1 August 1978; currently active
MunseeATF-10730 Oct 19433 Nov 1969Sold into commercial service, 2 July 1970; scrapped 1978.
PakanaATF-10817 Dec 194530 Apr 1948Sunk as a target, 27 May 1975
PotawatomiATF-10912 Feb 194428 Apr 1948Transferred to Chile February 1963; sunk, 15 August 1965
QuapawATF-1106 May 194430 Aug 1985Sank as a result of neglect, 11 December 2011; scrapped 2012
SarsiATF-11124 Jun 1944n/aSunk, 27 August 1952
SerranoATF-11222 Sep 19442 Jan 1970Sold for scrap, 2 November 1971
TakelmaATF-1133 Aug 194428 Jan 1992Transferred to Argentina as Suboficial Castillo, 30 September 1993; auctioned off 2022[2]
TawakoniATF-11415 Sep 19441978Transferred to Taiwan, 1 June 1978; decommissioned 1 November 2020 and sunk as a target on 15 August 2023.[3]
TeninoATF-11518 Nov 194417 May 1947Sunk as a target, 18 Aug 1986
TolowaATF-11626 Dec 194427 Jan 1947Unknown
WatereeATF-11717 Feb 1945n/aSunk, 9 October 1945
WenatcheeATF-11824 Mar 194519 Mar 1947Sold to Taiwan in 1992 for use as a parts hulk, laid up at Kaohsiung as of December 2023.[4]
AchomawiATF-148Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Company11 Nov 194410 Jun 1947Transferred to Taiwan, 1991; currently active
AtakapaATF-1498 Dec 19441 Jul 1974Sunk as a target, 25 August 2000
CahuillaATF-15210 Mar 194527 Jun 1947Transferred to Argentina, 9 July 1961; museum ship
ChimarikoATF-15428 Apr 194530 Oct 1946Sunk as a target, 27 August 1978
CusaboATF-15519 May 19453 Dec 1946Transferred to Ecuador, 30 August 1978; stricken 1999
LuisenoATF-15616 Jun 19451 Jul 1975Transferred to Argentina, 1 July 1975; currently active
NimpucATF-1578 Jul 1945n/aTransferred to Venezuela, 1 September 1978; fate unknown
MosopeleaATF-15828 Jul 1945n/aSunk as a target, 27 October 1999
PaiuteATF-15927 Aug 19457 Aug 1992Scrapped 2003
PapagoATF-1603 Oct 194528 Jul 1992Decommissioned 28 July 1992, as of 2010 part of the Naval mothball fleet located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[3]
SalinanATF-1619 Nov 19451 Sep 1978Transferred to Venezuela, 1 September 1978; fate unknown
ShakoriATF-16220 Dec 194529 Feb 1980Transferred to Taiwan, 1 October 1980; decommissioned 1 August 2023 after being damaged in a January 2022 fire.[5]
UtinaATF-16330 Jan 19463 Sep 1971Transferred to Venezuela, 1 December 1977; fate unknown

See also

References