USS Chickasaw (AT-83)
_underway_c1963.jpg)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Chickasaw (AT-83) |
| Namesake | Chickasaw |
| Builder | United Engineering Co., Ltd., Alameda, California |
| Launched | 23 July 1942 |
| Commissioned | 4 February 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 30 June 1965 |
| Reclassified | ATF-83, 15 May 1944 |
| Stricken | 15 April 1976 |
| Honors and awards |
|
| Fate | Sold to the Republic of China , 1 May 1976 |
| History | |
 Taiwan | |
| Name | ROCS Ta Tung (A-548) |
| Acquired | 1 May 1976 |
| Decommissioned | 16 Jul 1999 |
| Fate | Sunk as an artificial reef on 10 November 2002 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | fleet tug |
| Displacement | 1,235 long tons (1,255 t) |
| Length | 205 ft (62 m) |
| Beam | 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) |
| Draft | 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement | 85 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
|
USS Chickasaw (AT-83/ATF-83) was a
battle stars
for World War II and two battle stars during the Korean War.
She was the third U.S. Navy vessel to be named Chickasaw, and was launched 23 July 1942 by United Engineering Co., Ltd., Alameda, California; sponsored by Mrs. R. Fairbanks; commissioned 4 February 1943 and reported to the Pacific Fleet.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Chickasaw departed
Midway Island until 21 January 1944, when she sailed for the Marshalls
.
Supporting island invasions
Chickasaw supported the occupation of
Eniwetok until 19 March, when she cleared Kwajalein for Pearl Harbor, arriving 27 March. She sailed from Pearl Harbor on 11 May, was reclassified ATF-83 on 15 May, and arrived at Majuro on 24 May for training duty. Clearing the Marshalls on 11 June, Chickasaw arrived off Saipan on 16 June for tug duties, patrol, and salvage in support of the occupation of that island until 24 July. Similar duty found Chickasaw off Tinian from 24 July 1944. After continued salvage duty in the Marianas Chickasaw cleared Saipan on 18 September for Guam, Eniwetok, and Manus
, arriving 4 October.
Supporting the invasion of the Philippines
Six days later she sailed for the assault on
Okinawa
, then sailed for Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 24 July for yard overhaul.
Post-war activity
Variously based at
San Diego, California
, Pearl Harbor, and in the Marianas between World War II and the Korean War, Chickasaw served the Fleet with towing, salvage, and other tug duty which took her throughout the Pacific.
Korean War support
During the first year of the Korean War, she operated on the
Sasebo, her base for direct support to forces engaged in the Korean War. Returning to San Diego, California, 17 October, she resumed an operating schedule which through 1960 included Alaskan operations in 1954-55 and 1957, and deployments to the Far East
in 1957–58, 1959, and 1960.
Decommissioning
After being decommissioned (date unknown) she was struck from the
Security Assistance Program
, 1 May 1976, and renamed Ta Tung (A-548). She was decommissioned on July 16, 1999, and sunk as an artificial reef on November 10, 2002.
Awards
Chickasaw received six battle stars for World War II service, and two for Korean War service.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Chickasaw (AT-83/ATF-83) at NavSource Naval History
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
