USS Tolowa
History | |
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United States | |
Name | Tolowa |
Namesake | Tolowa |
Builder | United Engineering Co. |
Laid down | 28 July 1943 |
Launched | 17 May 1944 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. B. D. Bales |
Commissioned | 29 December 1944 |
Decommissioned | 27 January 1947 |
Reclassified | ATF-116, 1944 |
Stricken | 11 November 1970 |
Identification |
|
Honours and awards | See Awards |
Fate | Sold to Venezuela, 1 February 1962 |
History | |
Venezuela | |
Name | Felipe Larrazábal |
Namesake | Felipe Larrazábal |
Acquired | 1 February 1962 |
Decommissioned | 1974 |
Identification | Pennant number: R-11 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Abnaki-class tugboat |
Displacement |
|
Length | 205 ft 0 in (62.48 m) |
Beam | 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) |
Draft | 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
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Speed | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
Range | 15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) |
Complement | 85 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
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USS Tolowa (ATF-116) was Abnaki-class tugboat during the World War II. She was later sold to Venezuela as ARV Felipe Larrazábal (R-11). Her namesake is an Athabascan Native American tribe of northwestern California that formerly occupied the coast from the Klamath River to the Oregon border.[1]
Design and description
The ship is displaced 1,589 tonnes (1,564 long tons) at
The ships had two General Motors 12-278A diesel engines, one shaft. The engines produced a total of 3,600 shaft horsepower (2,700 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). They carried a maximum of 10 tonnes (10 long tons) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).
The Abnaki class was armed with a
Construction and career
The ship was built at the
Tolowa held
on 13 May and returned to Ulithi to deliver a concrete ship and a barge to Leyte.Joining a convoy of 12 tugs, 20 tows, and two escorts en route to Okinawa on 8 June 1945, Tolowa reached Kerama Retto on 12 June and embarked a fire-fighting team. The ship then took station off Ie Shima as an emergency salvage and fire-fighting tug. She operated in those waters until the end of hostilities in August.
On 11 September 1945, Tolowa headed for the Philippines and operated there until late in October, when she took two tows from Subic Bay to Hong Kong. She returned to Subic Bay on 2 November and, six days later, headed again for Chinese waters. After operating out of Shanghai and Tsingtao from 16 November 1945 to 1 April 1946, she called at Sasebo en route back to the Philippines. On 16 April, Tolowa began the long return voyage to the U.S. She called at Eniwetok, Kwajalein, Johnston, and Oahu before arriving at San Diego on 9 July. The ship proceeded to San Pedro the next day, remaining there until 6 August when she got underway for the east coast to be inactivated.
After a stay at
Awards
- China Service Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1 battle star)
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
- Philippines Liberation Medal
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- ^ "Tolowa (ATF-116)". NHHC. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Fleet Tug (ATF)". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Navy Times 28 Feb 1962". Navy Times. 28 February 1962.