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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Chippewa (ATF-69)
ex
 USS Chippewa (AT-69) (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Golf - Uniform
 NUGU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Navajo Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, 18 January 1942, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 25 July 1942
  • Commissioned USS Chippewa (AT-69), 14 February 1943, LTjg. Avery V. Swarthout in command
  • Reclassified Fleet Ocean Tug, (ATF-69), 15 May 1944
  • Decommissioned, 26 February 1947 at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1961
  • Turned over to an EDU unit assigned to the Naval Facility at Panama City, FL. for explosives tests, 10 January 1989
  • Final Disposition, sunk as part of an artificial reef off Destin, FL., 8 February 1990 at 29 deg. 57' N x 85 deg. 48' W
    Specifications
    Displacement 1,235 t.(lt) 1,675 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 80
    Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 2,265 Bbls
    Propulsion
    four General Motors 12-278 Diesel-electric main engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 100Kw 120V D.C.
    one 60Kw 120V D.C.
    three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller, 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Chippewa 32k USS Chippewa (AT-69) underway off Trinidad in 1944. Contributed by Al Consiglio to
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Chippewa 43k Ex-USS Chippewa (AT-69) off Panama City, FL. while in use to test explosives prior to being sunk as part of an artificial reef off Destin, FL., circa January 1969 to February 1970. Ron Reeves
    USS Chippewa (AT-69)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Swarthout, Avery Vernon/b>14 February 1943 - April 1945
    02LT. Thomas, Milfred Wesley, USNApril 1945 - 1 August 1945
    03LT. Kuykendall, William Oliger, USN1 August 1945 - September 1945
    04LT. Thomas, Milfred Wesley, USNSeptember 1945 - February 1946
    05LTjg. Writon, C. C.February 1946 - July 1946
    06LT. Beezley, Jesse Wright, USNJuly 1946 - 26 February 1947
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Fleet Tug (AT) Photo Index Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 14 February 2014