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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USCGC Ute (WMEC-76)
ex
 USNS Ute (T-ATF-76) (1974 - 1980)
 USS Ute (ATF-76) (1944 - 1974)
 USS Ute (AT-76) (1942 - 1944)


International Radio Call Signs,

USS Ute (AT/ATF-76)
1944 International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Quebec - Echo
 NUQE
USCGC Ute (WMEC-76)
1961 International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Xray - Lima
 NBXL
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - "Abbey Xray"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (9)
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Navajo Class Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, 27 February 1942, at United Engineering Co., Alameda, CA.
  • Launched, 24 June 1942
  • Commissioned USS Ute (AT-76), 13 December 1942, LT. William F. Lewis USN in command
  • Reclassified as a Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-76), 15 May 1944
  • During World War II USS Ute was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Aleutians operation
    Attu occupation, 12 to 29 May 1943     		Okinawa Gunto operation 16 April to 16 June 1945
    Iwo Jima operation
    5th Fleet raids against Honshu and the Nansei Shoto,9 to 28 February 1945     		 

  • Decommissioned, 13 July 1946
  • Recommissioned, 14 September 1951 at Naval Station Tongue Point, Astoria, OR., LT. Everett R. Flynn USN in command
  • During the Korean War USS Ute participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Second Korean Winter
    23 February to 20 March 1952
    2 to 25 and 29 to 30 April 1952     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 10 May 1952
    7 June to 1 July 1952
    23 August to 23 September 1952

  • During the Vietnam War USS Ute participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    19 to 25 April 1966
    1 to 20 and 21 to 23 May 1966
    15 to 17 and 27 to 30 June 1966     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    16 to 22 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 to 10 July 1966
    2 to 6 August 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    5 to 18 January 1971
    30 March to 4 April 1971
    14 to 22 April 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    22 to 27 August 1967
    30 August to 9 September 1967
    6 to 8 October 1967
    14 October to 6 December 1967     		Consolidation II
    10 to 18 March 1972
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    1 June 1968     		Vietnam Ceasefire
    17 to 19 May 1972
    Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    24 February to 3 March 1969
    24 March to 2 April 1969
    9 April to 11 May 1969
    1 to 5 June 1969     		 

  • Decommissioned, 30 August 1974,
  • Transferred to the Military Transportation Service (MSTS) and placed in service as USNS Ute (T-ATF-76)
  • Placed out of service and transferred to the Coast Guard, date unknown
  • Commissioned USCGC Ute (WMEC-76), 30 September 1980
  • Decommissioned, 26 May 1988
  • Returned to Naval custody, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 January 1989
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • USS Ute earned three battle stars for her World War II service, two battle stars for Korean War service, and nine campaign stars Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 4 August 1991
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,646 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 3"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement
    8 Officers
    68 Enlisted
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 gun mount
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    Diesel-electric, four General Motors 12-278A Diesel main engines driving four General Electric generators and three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller, 3,600shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Ute (ATF-76)
    Ute 65k USS Ute (ATF-76) under way, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Ute 45k USS Ute (ATF-76) under way, date and location unknown Submitted by John Watson
    to NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Ute 97k USS Ute (ATF-76) under way, date and location unknown Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Ute 128k USS Ute (ATF-76) under way, date and location unknown
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1964.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Ute 42k USS Ute (ATF-76) underway, date and location unknown. ©Richard Leonhardt
    Ute
    093907611    		 379k USS Ute (ATF-76) underway, circa 1970s, location unknown.
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Darryl Baker
    USCGC Ute (WMEC-76)
    Ute 48k USCGC Ute (WMEC-76) at Key West, FL, circa 1980s Submitted by Larry Richter
    to NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Ute 68k USCGC Ute (WMEC-76) under way, 2 June 1986, location unknown, photo by Stan Ferreira. US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Ute 1154k USCGC Ute (WMEC-76) in the harbor at Key West, FL., September 1987.
    Photo by Raymond L. Blazevic. Florida Keys--Public Libraries from Key West, FL.    		 Robert Hurst
    Ute 172k USCGC Ute (WMEC-76) moored in her berth at Key West, FL. in April 1988.
    Photo by Raymond L. Blazevic. Florida Keys--Public Libraries from Key West, FL.    		 Robert Hurst
    Ute 191k
    USS Ute (ATF-76)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Lewis, William Francis, USN13 December 1942 - 4 September 1944
    02LTjg. Krick, Orville Leigh, USN4 September 1944 - 20 June 1945
    03LT. Musto, Vincent Peter, USN30 June 1945 - 13 July 1946
     Decommissioned13 July 1946 - 14 September 1951
    04LT. Flynn, Everett Raymond, USN14 September 1951 - ?
    05LCDR. McClenahan, Richard Myrl, USN1958 - January 1961
    06LCDR. Kraft, Frederick Wendell, USN (USNA 1952)January 1961 - June 1962
    07LCDR. Colley, Richard Thomas, USNJune 1962 - September 1964
    08LT. DeLanoy, Billie Leroy, USNSeptember 1964 - 19 January 1966
    09LT. Furr, Jack Carlton, USN19 January 1966 - 16 July 1968
    10LT. Campbell, Archibald George, USN16 July 1968 - 1971
    11LT. Lee, Howard Frank, USN1971 - 8 June 1973
    12LCDR. Burns Jr., William Robert, USN (USNA 1967)8 June 1973 - 30 August 1974
    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 Ocean Tug (AT) Photo Index Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 12 May 2024