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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Potawatomi (ATF-109)
ex
 USS Potawatomi (AT-109) (1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Juliet - Delta
 NXJD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

USS Potawatomi (ATF-109) was transferred to Chile and renamed Janequeo (AGS-63)
Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, 19 October 1942, at United Engineering Co., Alameda, CA.
  • Launched, 3 April 1943
  • Commissioned USS Potawatomi (AT-109), 12 February 1944, LT. Charles H. Steadman, USN in command
  • Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-109), 15 May 1944
  • During WWII USS Potawatomi was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 24 October 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 8 to 18 January 1945

  • Following World War II USS Potawatomi was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 20 February 1946
  • Decommissioned, 28 April 1948, at Naval Shipyard San Francisco, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton, CA.
  • Reassigned to Alameda Group, 27 August 1948
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration in August 1961 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Flee, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Loaned to Chile under the Military Assistance Act in February 1963 and renamed Janequeo (AGS-63)
  • Final Disposition, sunk, 15 August 1965, along with ex-USS ATA-200 during a fierce storm off the coast of Chile
  • USS Potawatomi earned the Navy Unit Commendation for service in Salvage, Fire Fighting, and Rescue Unit, Service Force, 7th Fleet - Philippine Islands area, 6 January to 15 February 1945, and two battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,240 t.(lt) 1,675 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 80
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 2,225 Bbls
    Propulsion
    Diesel-electric - four 750hp Busch-Sulzer BS-539 Diesel main engines driving four General Electric main drive generators and two 1500hp pulsation motors
    three Diesel-drive General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines driving
    three Ship's Service Generators
    two Diesel-drive 200Kw 120V/240V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.single propeller, 3000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Tawakoni 850k Starboard bow view of USS Tawakoni (ATF-114) under construction at United Engineering Co., Alameda, CA., 8 October 1943. USS Potawatomi (ATF-109) is in the background.
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Munsee 1472k Six Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tugs at the fitting out pier of United Engineers and Drydock Co., Alameda, CA., 8 October 1944: Right column;
    USS Munsee (ATF-107)
    USS Pakana (ATF-108)
    USS Potawatomi (ATF-109)
    Left column;
    USS Sarsi (ATF-111)
    USS Serrano (ATF-112) and
    USS Takelma (ATF-113)
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Potawatomi 31k USS Potawatomi (ATF-109) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Submitted by Leon Hays, for J W Hays to National
    Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    USS Potawatomi (ATF-109)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Steadman, Charles Henry, USN 12 February 1944 - 19 September 1946
    02LT. White, Charles Robeum, USN 19 September 1946 - 28 April 1948
    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 Fleet Tug Photo (AT) Index Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug Photo (ATF) Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 18 April 2014