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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Penobscot (ATA-188)
ex
 USS ATA-188 (1944 - 1948)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Oscar - Sierra
 NJOS
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)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Sotoyomo Class Auxiliary Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, 11 September 1944, as Rescue Ocean Tug (ATR-115) at Levingston Shipbuilding Co., Orange, TX.
  • Reclassified Auxiliary Fleet Tug (ATA-188), 15 May 1944
  • Launched, 12 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS ATA-188, 14 December 1944, LTjg. Ferdinand C. Thompson, USN in command
  • During World War II USS ATA-188 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 16 to 28 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS ATA-188 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 1945 to 29 June 19462 September 1945 to 29 June 1946

  • Named, USS Penobscot (ATA-188), 16 July 1948
  • Decommissioned in 1971
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 February 1975
  • USS ATA-188 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Sold, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) to American Offshore Inc. ,St. Louis (Sources: NVR and Tugs of the World 1994/1995 page 20)
  • Renamed American Patriot, International Radio Call Sign (WTE8457)
  • Currently registered since 2008 as American Lady, homeported at New Orleans, LA.
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 835 t.(lt) 1,360 t.(fl)
    Length 143'
    Beam 33' 10"
    Draft 13' 2" (limiting)
    Speed 12 kts.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Largest Boom Capacity 5 t.
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 40
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 1,200 Bbls
    Propulsion
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear
    two GM 12-278A Diesel-electric engines
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 60Kw 120V. D.C.
    single propeller, 1,200shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS ATA-188
    Penobscot
    093818806    		 149k USS (ATA-188 officers on commission1ng day, 14 December 1944 at Orange, Texas.
    US Navy photo from the scrapbook of the ship's first commanding officer, LTjg. Ferdinand C. Thompson, USN    		 Paul W, Wallace, grandson of LTjg Thompson
    Penobscot
    093818805    		 142k USS (ATA-188 commission1ng crew photo, Orange, Texas, 14 December 1944.
    US Navy photo from the scrapbook of the ship's first commanding officer, LTjg. Ferdinand C. Thompson, USN    		 Paul W, Wallace, grandson of LTjg Thompson
    Penobscot
    093818807    		 144k LTjg. Ferdinand C. Thompson, USN assumes command of USS (ATA-188, 14 December 1944 at Orange, Texas.
    US Navy photo from the scrapbook of the ship's first commanding officer, LTjg. Ferdinand C. Thompson, USN    		 Paul W, Wallace, grandson of LTjg Thompson
    Penobscot
    093818804    		 142k USS (ATA-188 underway at Orange, Texas, shortly after commission1ng on 14 December 1944.
    US Navy photo from the scrapbook of the ship's first commanding officer, LTjg. Ferdinand C. Thompson, USN    		 Paul W, Wallace, grandson of LTjg Thompson
    Penobscot 19k USS (ATA-188 at anchor, date and location unknown.
    Courtesy the National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, photo contributed by Joe Reed, plank owner.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Penobscot (ATA-188)
    Penobscot 53k USS Penobscot (ATA-188) underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by Harry Jaeger
    to NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Nipmuc 101k USS Penobscot (ATA-188) moored inboard of USS Nipmuc (ATF-157), at Newport R.I., date unknown. ©Richard Leonhardt
    Chepanoc 86k USS Penobscot (ATA-188), USS Koelsch (DE-1049) and USS Van Voorhis (DE-1028) moored to the pier at Naval Station Newport, R.I. in November 1967. The Harbor Tug Chepanoc (YTM-381) is underway. ©Richard Leonhardt
    Merchant Service
    Penobscot
    		51k Ex-USS Penobscot (ATA-188) underway while in merchant service as American Lady, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Alejandro Zayas, Marinetraffic.com    		 John Spivey
    USS Penobscot (ATA-188)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg/LT. Thompson, Ferdinand Curtis, USN14 December 1944 - February 1947
    02CHBOSN. Schulte, Harold Christopher, USNFebruary 1947 - March 1947
    03LTjg. Ring, Henry William, USNMarch 1947 - 1949
    04LT. Mumford, Homer Ellis, USN1949 - ?
    05LTjg. Reid, Jack Moody, USN1957 - 1959
    06LT. Clynes, Charles Edward, USN1959 - ?
    07LT. Ike, William Franklin, USN1961 - December 1963
    08LCDR. Philipps, George, USN (USNA 1957)December 1963 - 16 December 1965
    09LT. Murphy, Jerome Thomas, USN16 December 1965 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 17 July 2024