Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Mahopac (ATA-196)
ex
 USS ATA-196 (1945 - 1948)

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



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (10) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Mahopac (ATA-196) was transferred to Taiwan and renamed ROCS Ta Peng (ATA-549)
Sotoyomo Class Auxiliary Fleet Tug:
  • Planned and authorized as Rescue Ocean Tug ATR-123
  • Reclassified Auxiliary Fleet Tug ATA-196, 15 May 1944
  • Laid down, 24 November 1944, at Levingston Ship Building Co., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 21 December 1944
  • Commissioned, USS ATA-196, 6 March 1945, LTjg Lawrence Phipps, USN in command
  • During World War II USS ATA-196 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Named, USS Mahopac (ATA-196), 16 July 1948
  • During the Vietnam War USS Mahopac (ATA-196) participated in the following campaigns:

    Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Advisory Campaign
    30 June to 2 July 1965     		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    15 to 23 January 1969
    Vietnam Defense
    30 July to 3 August 1965
    25 September to 11 October 1965
    2 to 11 November 1965     		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    23 to 25 April 1969
    8 to 17 May 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    20 October to 4 December 1966
    25 January to 1 February 1967
    8 to 13 April 1967
    23 to 24 May 1967     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    24 to 28 September 1969
    5 to 7 October 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    7 to 9 June 1967
    28 September to 2 October 1967     		>Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    25 to 27 March 1970
    6 to 7 April 1970
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    17 to 24 April 1968
    		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    24 to 26 September 1970
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    14 to 9 July 1968
    17 to 21 August 1968
    25 to 30 August 1968     		 

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 April 1976
  • USS Mahopac earned ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Sold to Taiwan under the Security Assistance Program (SAP), 1 May 1976, renamed Ta Peng (ATA-549)
  • 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
    two GM 12-278A Diesel-electric engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear
    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 Mahopac (ATA-196)
    Mahopac 22k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) moored pierside at Attu, Alaska, circa 1950. Note the crews bedding is being aired in photo # 0919609.
    Photos courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Charles Zakolan.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mahopac 106k
    Mahopac 10k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) aground at Kodiak Alaska, July 1952 Paul Webb LSU-778
    Mahopac 16k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) aground at Kodiak Alaska, July 1952 Paul Webb LSU-778
    Mahopac 170k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) underway , date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "Mud, Muscles and Miracles", by CAPT. Charles A. Bartholomew, USN and CDR. William I. Milwee, Jr., USN (Ret.)    		 Robert Hurst
    Mahopac 126k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) underway , 11 April 1961, in Tokyo Bay near Yokosuka.
    US Navy Photo No. USN 1055783, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mahopac 84k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) underway , date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, June 1970    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Mahopac
    093819611    		 359k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) moored pierside across from USS America (CVA-66) at Naval Station Yokosuka, Japan in 1968.
    Photo by Saburo Inoue    		 Bob Canchola
    Mahopac 91k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) moored alongside USS Wandank (ATA-204), date unknown, Japan. Eli Blanco USS Wandank, 1967-68
    Wandank 180k USS Mahopac (ATA-196) moored inboard of USS Wandank (ATA-204) at Naval Base Yokosuka Japan in 1968 while training for a special ops mission. Photo by Eli Blanco RM3, USS Wandank 1967-1968
    ROCS Ta Peng (ATA-549)
    Mahopac 18k Ex-USS Mahopac (ATA-196) in Taiwanese service as ROCS Ta Peng (ATA-549) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Taiwan Navy web site
    Mahopac 22k ROCS Ta Peng (ATA-549) underway , date and location unknown. Taiwan Navy web site
    USS Mahopac (ATA-196)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Phipps, Lawrence, USN6 March 1945 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Keel, Charles Haskette, USNDecember 1945 - ?
    03LT. Shea, Dale Dennis, USN1947
    04LT. Zakoian, Charley, USNR1949 - 31 October 1950
    05LT. Jones, Howard Whittle, USN31 October 1950 - ?
    06LTjg. Dowds, Donald Hurbert, USN1955 - 1957
    07LT. Dally, David Ferrall, USN (USNA 1953)1957 -25 June 1959
    08LT. Sudduth, Roger Marlowe, USN25 June 1959 - 19 July 1961
    09LT. Comstock, Richard Isaac, USN (USNA 1955)19 July 1963 - 6 July 1963
    10LT. Cook III, John Henry, USN (USNA 1957)6 July 1963 - 22 October 1964
    11LT. Jones, Jerry Scott, USN22 October 1964 - 22 October 1966
    12LT. Ansley, James Henry, USN22 October 1966 - 31 December 1968
    13LT. Wyatt, Thomas Walden, USN31 December 1968 - July 1971
    14LT. Andruss Jr., Frank D., USNJuly 1971 - 1972
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Rescue Ocean Tug (ATR) Photo Index Back To The Auxiliary Fleet Tug (ATA) 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 22 November 2024