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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Abnaki (ATF-96)
ex
 USS Abnaki (AT-96) (1943 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Tango - November
NUTN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)- China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Service Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam, Op. Frequent Wind) - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Humanitarian Service Medal
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Abnaki (ATF-96) was transferred to Mexico, renamed ARM Yaqui (A18)
Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, 28 November 1942, as Fleet Tug (AT-96) at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 22 April 1943
  • Commissioned, USS Abnaki (AT-96), 15 November 1943, LT. Dewey Walley in command
  • Reclassified as Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-96), 15 May 1944
  • During World War II USS Abnaki served in the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters
  • Following World War II USS Abnaki was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    8 September 1945 to 1 July 194611 July to 19 October 1946
    25 October to 8 November 19467 July to 29 August 1948
    28 March 1948 to 6 July 1948 
    12 to 14 August 1950 

  • During the Korean War USS Abnaki participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    6 to 8 July 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    28 November to 1 December 1951
    24 December 1951 to 20 January 1952
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    9 to 19 July 1951
    8 to 13 September 1951
    10 to 27 November 1951     		 

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

    Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Advisory Campaign
    5 to 31 March 1965
    12 April to 1 May 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    21 to 24 May 1971
    24 to 28 June 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    21 May to 24 June 1966     		Consolidation I
    20 and 30 to 31 July 1971
    3 to 5 and 15 to 17 August 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    25 August to 26 September 1966
    25 to 30 October 1966     		Vietnam Ceasefire
    5 to 29 October 1972
    23 November to 2 December 1972
    20 to 31 December 1972
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    15 September to 17 October 1967
    19 to 24 October 1967
    27 November 1967 to 1 January 1968     		 

  • Sold under the Security Assistance Program to Mexico, 1 September 1978
  • Decommissioned, stuck from the Naval Register and transferred to Mexico, 30 September 1978
  • USS Abnaki earned three battle stars for Korean War service and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with six campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Commissioned into the Mexican Navy as ARM Yaqui (A-18), Lt. Guttierez in command
  • Renamed ARM A. H. Ehecatl (A-53), date unknown
  • Name changed back to ARM Yaqui (ARE-02), date unknown
  • Current Disposition, active in Republic of Mexico Navy
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,205 t.(lt) 1,675 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 5" (lim)
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    5 Officers
    80 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    As Built
    four Busch-Sulzer (mod 12-278) Diesel-electric engines
    Ship's Service Generators
     two Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 200Kw 120V/240 D.C.
    Modernized
    four Alco Diesel engines driving four General Electric generators and three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Abnaki (AT-96)
    Abnaki 17k USS Abnaki (AT-96) underway, circa 1940s Submitted by Carl C. Murdock to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Abnaki 1349k USS Abnaki (AT-96) with a tow along the east coast, 12 February 1944. Joseph Colombara
    USS Abnaki (ATF-96)
    Abnaki 1372k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) with the captured German submarine U505 in tow, 7 June 1944. Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery's Task Group (TG) 22.3 built around USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) had just succeeded in capturing the German submarine raider, and Abnaki was tasked to tow her to Bermuda. She arrived there with the prize on 19 June and remained 10 days before shaping a course for New York.
    US Navy photos    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 61k
    Abnaki 655k
    Abnaki 1390k
    Abnaki 207k
    Abnaki 220k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) towing the German Navy U505 taken from USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60). Left to right; unknown, Bos'n Schroeder and CDR. Jesse C. Johnson USN, 4 June 1944.
    US Navy photo from the Photographic Library Bureau of Aeronautics.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 37k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) (left), the German Navy U505 (center) and covered lighter YFN-275 moored at Bermuda, circa 19 to 29 June 1944. George Harper
    Abnaki 321k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway in 1944, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 73k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway off the Azores, in December 1944. Abnaki carried salvage divers from USS Weight (ARS-35) to perform temporary repairs to USS Fogg (DE-57). (While escorting a homeward bound convoy Fogg was torpedoed, 20 December 1944.) Photo by Frank Kocourek, ME1, USN Salvage Diver, USS Weight 1943-45. Submitted by his son Peter Kocourek
    Weight 54k Torpedoed USS Fogg (DE-57) with USS Abnaki (ATF-96) standing by, December 1944. Photo by Frank Kocourek, ME1, USN Salvage Diver, USS Weight 1943-45. Submitted by his son Peter Kocourek
    Weight 85k USS Weight (ARS-35) salvage crew leaving USS Abnaki (ATF-96) to assist USS Fogg (DE-57) Photo by Frank Kocourek, ME1, USN Salvage Diver, USS Weight 1943-45. Submitted by his son Peter Kocourek
    Abnaki 51k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) steams into Pearl Harbor after months of towing and buoy-planting in the Korean waters.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, issue dated May 1947    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Abnaki 387k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) crew photo, Spring 1947. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1209k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway in Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, WA., 15 July 1947.
    US Navy Yard Puget Sound photos.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 942k
    Abnaki 454k
    Abnaki 699k
    Abnaki 776k
    Abnaki 76k Six photos showing the removal of USS Abnaki (ATF-96)'s main propulsion motor and switchboard at US Naval Shipyard Terminal Island, CA. in 1947. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 75k
    Abnaki 62k
    Abnaki 62k
    Abnaki 59k
    Abnaki 74k
    Abnaki 403k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) crew photos, circa 1950-51.
    On the dock - Back Row; Olsen, High, Acker, Land, Kraft, Fries, Gerard, Sullivan, Hudson
    Middle Row; Mr. Brandon, Baker, Wilson, Teague, Glover, Wiage, Brouws, J.A. Bell, Smith, Hutchings
    Sitting; Ellsworth, Danniel, Gunnel, Degn, T. D. Bell, Scott, Dostie, Demerius, Tanner.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki courtesy Glen Gerard USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 435k
    Abnaki 75k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) during an anchor salvage operation at Sasebo, Japan in the spring 1951. Photos by W. E.Yott, crew member of LCM assigned to assist. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 55k
    Abnaki 60k
    Abnaki 59k
    Abnaki 43k
    Abnaki 906k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway at Pearl Harbor, February 1952.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1496k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) and USS Current (ARS-22) underway off the Hawaiian Islands, 22 November 1953.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1046k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) moored pierside Pier 3 Attu, AK, June 1953. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 957k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) crew photo Fall 1954 at Pearl Harbor, HI. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 287k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway October 1956, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1358k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway at either Pearl Harbor, Midway or Johnson Island, 10 December 1956.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1341k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway in 1957, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 960k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) moored pierside at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, 21 June 1958.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1303k Painting of USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway with a tow in rough seas. By CAPT. Stanislaus J. Sowinsky, 1960 - 1962. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 352k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway off Oahu Island, HI., 15 November 1962.
    US Navy photos.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1615k
    Abnaki 272k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 47k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by Emmett Firmin to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Abnaki 98k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway, date and location unknown Submitted by Emmett Firmin to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Abnaki 716k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Joseph Colombara
    Abnaki 609k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway in the Western Pacific, 1 June 1965.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1420k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway in 1966, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 958k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) enroute from Pearl Harbor to Seattle, WA. , May 1967.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1044k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) keeps the Soviet trawler Gidrofon under surveillance in the South China Sea, December 1967.
    US Navy photo # K-43379 by PHC Neal Crowe, now in the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 48k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway, at Pearl Harbor, HI, 22 February 1968. Submitted by Emmett Firmin to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Abnaki 576k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway off Hawaii with an "Apollo" space capsule loaded on her aft deck, 12 January 1971
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 41k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by S. Thomas to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Abnaki 578k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) underway in 1972, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 952k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) towing with chain at the end of the tow cable. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 1246k
    Abnaki 1238k View of USS Abnaki (ATF-96) cable chafing gear at stern roller. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 512k USS Abnaki (ATF-96) decommissioning and transfer to Mexico, 30 September 1978. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    Abnaki 585k USS Cocopa (ATF-101) (left) and USS Abnaki (ATF-96) (right) during their decommissioning and transfer to Mexico, 30 September 1978 Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    ARM A.H. Ehecatl (A-53)
    Abnaki 25k Ex-Abnaki (ATF-96) in Mexican service
    as ARM A. H. Ehecatl (A-53), moored, 1996    		 National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Abnaki 42k ARM A. H. Ehecatl (A-53) underway, date and location unknown. Hans van der Ster
    Abnaki 301k ARM A. H. Ehecatl (A-53) in Port Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico in 1997. Joseph Colombara USS Abnaki
    USS Abnaki Additional Ships Patches
    Abnaki
    Contributed by Art Ramierz via NAFTS    		 abnaki
    Adapted in 1962
    Contributed by Joseph Colombara    		 Abnaki
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski

    For more photos and information about USS Abnaki, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Abnaki (ATF-96)
  • National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    • Commanding Officers
    01LT. Walley, Dewey, USN25 November 1943 - 23 April 1946
    02LT. Minshew, Davis, USNR 23 April 1946 - 26 June 1946
    03LT. Schmulovitz, Herman Lovett USNR26 June 1946 - 8 September 1946
    04ENS. Dallis, William A. USNR8 September 1946 - 11 September 1946
    05LT. MacKay, Andrew George, USN11 September 1946 - 23 Septmeber1947
    06LT. Gunn Sr., Louis Claud, USN23 September 1947 - 24 October 1947
    07LT. Racette, William Anthony, USN24 October 1947 - 5 December 1947
    08LT. Bays, Frederic Lee, USN (USNA 1943)5 December 1947 - 16 May 1948
    09LT. Sawin, Maurice Llewellyn, USN16 May 1948 - 3 July 1951
    10LT. Tribble, Roy Truitt USNR3 July 1951 - 9 August 1952
    11LCDR. Keehn, Walter Clifford Davenport, USN9 August 1952 - 29 May 1954
    12LT. Haines, George Vernon, USN29 May 1954 - 18 April 1957
    13LCDR. Thorson, Robert Leroy, USN18 April 1957 - 21 June 1958
    14LT. Downey, Louis Aloysius, USN21 June 1958 - 8 October 1960
    15LT. Sowinski, Stanislaus Joseph, USN8 October 1960 - 21 July 1962
    16LT. Reed, Calvin Clarke, USN21 July 1962 - 7 August 1964
    17LT. Williams, James Raymond, USN (USNA 1958)7 August 1964 - 9 December 1966
    18LT. Alexander, Dale Eugene, USN9 December 1966 - 2 November 1968
    19LT. Secord, Ronald James, USN2 November 1968 - 5 December 1970
    20LT. Renwick, John Maxwell, USN5 December 1970 - 21 July 1972
    21LCDR. Salinas II, Daniel, USN (USNA 1966)21 July 1972 - 15 December 1974
    22LT. Parker, Jimmy Wayne, USN15 December 1974 - 1 January 1977
    23LT. Masters, William David, USN1 January 1977 - 30 September 1978
    Contributed by Joe Colombara, Edited by Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    2021 USS Abnaki (ATF-96) Annual Reunion
    Contact Person: Steven Andersland
    E-Mail Address: andersland@outlook.com
    Phone: (210) 410-1820
    Location: Holiday Inn, St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, Texas
    Dates: October 3, 2021 - October 7, 2021
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Fleet Tug Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF) Photo Index
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    Last Update 2 April 2021