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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Greg Collins courtesy Mike Turner

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Moctobi (ATF-105)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Xray - Delta NWXD

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American 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 (2)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3 -Quemoy-Matsu, 4-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (2) - Coast Guard Unit Commendation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:

Laid down, 7 October 1943, as Fleet Tug (AT-105) at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C.

Launched, 25 March 1944

Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-105), 15 May 1944

Commissioned USS Moctobi (ATF-105), 24 July 1944, LT. Troy Braesher USN in command

Following World War II and during the Korean War USS Moctobi 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 25 December 1945	18 June to 5 July 1951
2 to 9 December 1946
16 to 29 January 1947

Decommissioned, 30 June 1948

Assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet San Francisco Group at Alameda CA., 27 August 1948

Recommissioned, 8 November 1950, at San Francisco, CA., LT. John M. Geortner USN in command

During the Korean War USS Moctobi participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
Communist China Spring Offensive 30 April to 20 May 1951 1 to 18 June 1951	UN Summer-Fall Offensive 7 to 25 September 1951 27 to 29 September 1951 5 to 8 November 1951

During the Vietnam War USS Moctobi participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 13 July to 17 August 1967 10 to 16 September 1967 7 to 11 October 1967 29 October to 4 November 1967	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII 31 August to 6 September 1970 1 to 13 November 1970

Decommissioned, 30 September 1985, at Long Beach, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton, WA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 27 January 1992

USS Moctobi earned two battle stars for the Korean War and two campaign stars for the Vietnam War

Sold, 29 December 1997 to the Northeast Wisconsin Railroad Transportation Commission, to be leased to Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad Co.

Final Disposition, scrapped in 2012

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
093910532	140k	LT. Troy Braesher USN reads his orders assuming command of *USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** during the ships commissioning ceremony at Charleston, S.C., 24 July 1944.	Daniel Schluge for his father Leon Schluge USS Moctobi 1944-1946
093910533	203k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** crew standing at attention saluting as the United States flag is raised during the ships commissioning ceremony at Charleston S.C., 24 July 1944.	Daniel Schluge for his father Leon Schluge USS Moctobi 1944-1946
	58k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** in World War II dark gray paint scheme circa April 1946 US Navy photo	Norman Davis via Mike Turner
	168k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105) underway arriving in San Francisco Bay, the morning of 10 April 1946. (Note the Golden Gate Bridge tower in the background.) Moctobi** had completed towing a floating drydock from Okinawa to Pearl Harbor and was returning to San Francisco for engine repairs. Photo from "The Towline" the National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors magazine, 1 September 1996.	Stan Svec
	91k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** moored pierside at Adak, AK., spring 1962.	Photo by Dennis Colton USS Moctobi
	99k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** bridge and wheelhouse area, 1962.	Photo by Dennis Colton USS Moctobi
	91k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** fantail area. Note; tow in distance, 1962.	Photo by Dennis Colton USS Moctobi
	109k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** with hazegray paint scheme circa June 1946	Norman Davis via Mike Turner
	42k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** at Alpha Dock, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI, 1966	Photo by Ralph Carpenter via Mike Turner
	33k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** undergoing salvage drills	Photo by Joe Siesal, submitted to NAFTS (National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors)
	154k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** underway, circa late 1960s to early 1970s	Steve Bingham via Mike Turner
	88k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** recovering an Air Force drone, Lingayen Gulf, P.I., November 1970.	Jack W Miller, EMC USN, Ret.USS Moctobi
	115k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** crewmembers, spring 1971. The ship was in drydock at Pearl Harbor.	Jack W Miller, EMC USN, Ret.USS Moctobi
	73k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** moored pierside at Naval Station Sasebo, Japan circa 1980s.	Ron Reeves
	89k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** underway circa 1979-1982	Jim McLean via Mike Turner
093910531	244k	Overhead view of *USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** underway in the Pacific Ocean, circa 1980s U.S. Navy photo	Nicholas Tiberio
	79k	*USS Moctobi* (ATF-105)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr
	75k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF-105) and ex-Quapaw (ATF-110), Pier 9, former Naval Station Long Beach, CA., circa 1993	Photo by Art Ramirez USN Ret via Richard Tetrault Contributed by Mike Turner
	143k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF 105) moored to port of the ex-Quapaw (ATF-110), date unknown, Historic Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA.	Roger Herbst
	173k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF 105) and ex-Quapaw (ATF-110) moored together at Historic Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA. Photo was taken 28 April 2011 by Eoghanacht	Robert Hurst
	85k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF 105) moored inboard of ex-Quapaw (ATF-110) . Both are moored astern of the old wooden hulled West Coast passenger and freight steamer *Wapama*, date unknown, Historic Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA.	Roger Herbst
	124k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF 105) (renamed MV Lion) moored inboard of ex-Quapaw (ATF-110) (renamed MV Tiger). Both are moored astern of the old wooden hulled West Coast passenger and freight steamer *Wapama*, 28 October 2011, Historic Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA.	Photo by Mike McCullough
	115k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF 105) (renamed MV Lion) moored inboard of ex-Quapaw (ATF-110) (renamed MV Tiger). Note ex-*Quapaw* lies partially on her starboard side after sinking at her moorings at Historic Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA. Photo was taken 28 December 2011	Photo by Mike McCullough
	115k	Ex-Moctobi (ATF 105) moored at Historic Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA., circa December 2011.	Photos by Mike McCullough
	177k
	118k
	140k

USS Moctobi Additional Ships Patches
Contributed by Mike Smolinski	Adapted in 1962 Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Moctobi (ATF-105)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Braesher, Troy USN	24 July 1944 - 7 September 1945
02	LT. Brothers, William Edward, USN	7 September 1945 - 24 April 1946
03	LT. Hein, John Abraham, USN	24 April 1946 - 8 November 1959
	Decommissioned	30 June 1948 - 8 November 1950
04	LCDR. Geortner, John M., USNR	8 November 1950 - 27 June 1952
05	LT. Freiberger, Joseph George, USN	27 June 1952 - 16 August 1952
06	LT. Chanslor, John W., USNR	16 August 1952 - 22 October 1952
07	LT. Bonham Jr., John Wayne, USN	22 October 1952 - 6 April 1954
08	LT. Leonnig, Robert Bayard, USN	6 April 1954 - 25 May 1956
09	LT. Turner, William A., USNR	25 May 1956 - 1 May 1958
10	LT. Lindenmayer, Louie Leonard, USN	1 May 1958 - 18 January 1960
11	LT. Uehlinger, John, Clark, USN	18 January 1960 - 27 December 1961
12	LCDR. Gooden, Richard Owen, USN	27 December 1961 - 25 September 1963
13	LT. Connolly, Leo Joseph, USN	25 September 1963 - 25 September 1964
14	LT. Pizinger, Donald Dean, USN	25 September 1964 - 20 July 1967
15	LT. Erwin, Arthur Robert, USN	20 July 1967 - 3 October 1969
16	LCDR. Mikolajczyk, Ronald Joseph, USN	3 October 1969 - 24 December 1971
17	LT. Barry, Thomas Anthony, USN (USNA 1965)	24 December 1971 - 10 September 1973
18	LT. Creasser Jr., William Nial, USN	10 September 1973 - 30 September 1975
19	LCDR. Long, Peter Avard Chipman, USN (USNA 1967) :RADM	30 September 1975 - 11 December 1977
20	LT. Martin, John Thomas Oliver, USN	11 December 1977 - 26 September 1979
21	LT. Smith, Chester Burton, USN	26 September 1979 - 25 November 1981
22	LCDR. Londot, Jack Lane, USN	25 November 1981 - 7 January 1984
23	LCDR. Malone, Laurence James, USN	7 January 1984 - 30 September 1985


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 Moctobi (ATF-105) Crew Photos By Dennis Colton
Various documents, USS Moctobi 1944-1946 By Leon Schluge
National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 8 December 2023