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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Tate (AKA-70)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - India - Juliet
 NHIJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 22 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission hull (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1396), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 26 September 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 3 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS Tate (AKA-70), 25 November 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. Wayne Jordan, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Tate was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Nineteen, COMO C.D. Edgar USN (12);
    TransDiv Fifty-Six, CAPT. G.F. Galpin USN (21) and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (Kerama Retto - Aka Shima, Kuba Shima, Yakabi Shima, Zamami Shima, le Shima), 25 March to 22 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Tate was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September to 1 October 194519 to 23 November 1945
    24 to 25 November 1945 

  • Decommissioned, 10 July 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 13 July 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946
  • USS Tate earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Merchant History
    Sold, 12 November 1947, to Luckenbach Steamship Co., NY, renamed SS Julia Luckenbach
    Resold to States Marine Lines, 19 October 1959, renamed SS Bay State
    Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 November 1970, to Li Chong Steel and Iron Works, Co. Ltd., Taiwan
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl), 14,160 (lim)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 62
    Enlisted 333
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVPs
    eight LCMs
    Cargo Capacity 5,275DWT
    non-refrigerated 380,000 Cu ft.
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 10,425 Bbls
    Diesel 805 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler header-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    three Ship's Service Generators 300Kw, 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Tate (AKA-70)
    Tate 51k USS Tate (AKA-70), date and location unknown Terry Sanders Webmaster
    USS Suffolk (AKA-69)
    Tate
    100207003    		 179k USS Tate (AKA-70) anchored in San Francisco Bay, circa 1945-1946.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 83253    		 Darryl BAker
    Merchant Service Luckenbach Line States-Marine Lines
    Tate 64k Ex-USS Tate (AKA-70) in Merchant service as the States Marine Lines SS Bay State moored pierside at Bremerhaven, Germany in June, 1967. Photo Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Tate (AKA-70)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Jordan, William, USNR25 November 1944 - 16 December 1944
    02CDR. Lyon, Rupert E.16 December 1944 - December 1945
    02LCDR. Morthland, AndrewDecember 1945 - 10 July 1946
    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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USS Tate (AKA-70) War Diary / History and Action Reports November 1944 to November 1945
    Bangor Public Library - Digital Commons - War-Time log of the USS Tate (AKA-70)
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 June 2023