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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Ontario (ATO-13)
ex
 USS Ontario (AT-13) (1920 - 1944)
 USS Ontario (Fleet Tug #13) (1912 - 1920)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Delta - Xray
 NIDX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Medal (Pearl Harbor) - World War I Victory Medal - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Sonoma Class Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, 23 November 1911, at New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, N.J.
  • Launched, 11 April 1912
  • Commissioned, USS Ontario, 4 September 1912, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA., CHBOSN. Stephen M. McCarthy in command
  • Designated, Fleet Tug (AT-13), 17 February 1920
  • USS Ontario was at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941
  • Redesignated Fleet Tug Old (ATO-13), 15 May 1944
  • Decommissioned, 3 June 1946, at Long Beach, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946
  • USS Ontario earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Sold, 7 March 1947, to Floyd Harrington, Wilmington, CA, removed 4 April 1947
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,571 t.(fl)
    Length 185' 2"
    Beam 35' 6"
    Draft 16'
    Speed 10.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 56
    Largest Boom Capacity 5 t.
    Armament
    two machine guns
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO 2,735 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one New York Ship Building vertical triple-expansion steam engine
    two Scotch Single End boilers, 200psi Sat°
    Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 25Kw 120V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 30Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 1,800 shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Ontario 120k USS Ontario on builder's trials circa August 1912 flying a flag possibly inscribed NYSB.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, photo # NH 43725, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Ontario 99k USS Ontario at anchored near Queenstown, Ireland, circa 1918. Note the 3-inch gun on a raised platform forward that was fitted during World War I. She retained this gun during her two decades as station ship at Samoa from 1922 to 1941.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 43726, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Ontario 72k USS Ontario (AT-13) moored pierside, circa 1921, location unknown.
    Image from Popular Mechanics Magazine 1921.    		 Robert Hurst
    Ontario
    096401304    		 270k Post card image of USS Ontario (AT-13) in drydock, date and location unknown. Jay Milewski
    USS Ontario (AT-13 / ATO-13)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01BOSN McCarthy, Stephen M.4 September 1912 - 4 June 1914
    02CHBOSN Sandstrom, Ernest Victor4 June 1914 - 12 August 1916
    03CHBOSN Halliwell, Briney Oscar12 August 1916 - ?
    04ENS. Judge, John Paul? - 15 December 1917
    05ENS. Swisher, Earl15 December 1917 - 6 February 1918
    06ENS. Delavy, Edmund6 February 1918 - 4 October 1918
    07LT. Murray, Christopher4 October 1918 - 10 November 1919
    08LT. Billings, Harold Garfield10 November 1919 - 1 July 1921
    09LTjg. Steedly, James Perry1 July 1921 - 28 July 1921
    10LT. Anderson, William Bryan28 July 1921 - 12 February 1923
    11CHBOSN. Huxford, Henry Norman12 February 1923 - 1 April 1925
    12LT. Clark, John Albert1 April 1925 - 15 November 1926
    13LT. Danner, John15 November 1926 - 10 March 1927
    14LT. Hayes, Timothy Francis10 March 1927 - 2 February 1928
    15LT. Eldridge, Meade Holme2 February 1928 - 26 December 1929
    16LT. Keller, Walter Smith26 December 1929 - 17 July 1931
    17LT. Bennington, John Page17 July 1931 - 20 January 1933
    18LT. Parker, Harold Earl20 January 1933 - 24 January 1933
    19LT. Mercer, John Gerald24 January 1933 - 27 December 1933
    20LT. MacKerracher, Robert Archibald27 December 1933 - 20 February 1934
    21LT. Freseman, William Langfitt20 February 1934 - 31 May 1935
    22LT. Wirth, Theodore Rudolph31 May 1935 - 9 May 1936
    23LT. Blakeslee, Horrace William9 May 1936 - 4 December 1937
    24LT. Howard Jr., William Stamps4 December 1937 - 29 July 1939
    25LT. Sears, Norman Walker29 July 1939 - 12 July 1940
    26LT. Mayer, Eldon Cunningham12 July 1940 - 3 March 1942
    27LT. Wolcott, Theodore3 March 1942 - 5 July 1943
    28LT. Sheasby, Eugene Guilmette, USNR5 July 1943 - 1 March 1944
    29LT. Schulke, Russell Carl1 March 1944 - 27 September 1944
    30LT. Gordon, Hubert Francis27 September 1944 - 15 June 1945
    31LT. Branyon, Herman Howard15 June 1945 - 3 June 1946
    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
    Pearl Harbor Action Report
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Fleet Tug (AT) Photo Index Back To The Fleet Tug Old (ATO) 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 28 February 2020