Chawasha (ATF-151)
1945–1963
The Chawasha (Chaouacha) is a sub-tribe of the Chitimacha people of southeastern Louisiana. Its name is Choctaw, meaning “Racoon Place.”
(ATF-151: displacement. 1,240; length 205'0"; beam 38’6”; draft 15’4”; speed 16.0 knots; complement 85; armament 1 3-inch, 2 40-millimeter, 2 20-millimeter, 2 depth charge tracks; class Achomawi)
Chawasha (AT-151) was laid down on 7 April 1944 at Charleston, S.C by the Charleston Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.; redesignated as ATF- 151 on 15 May 1944; launched on 15 September 1944, sponsored by Mrs. R. H. Grantham; and commissioned at the Charleston (S.C.) Navy Yard on 5 February 1945, Lt. Howard K. Smith in command.
After 10 days of fitting out, Chawasha cleared Charleston on her shakedown cruise through Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk, Va. The cruise went smoothly, and the Inspection Board approved her. A 10-day post-shakedown availability in Norfolk Navy Yard followed.
She underwent three days of standardization trials for fuel economy and towing capabilities at Annapolis, Md. by the Bureau of Ships. Passing these trials, she returned to Norfolk, and was ordered to proceed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 21 March 1945. She arrived the next day. She departed Philadelphia, towing two dump scows on 24 March, bound for Samar in the Philippines. En route, she stopped at Key West, Fl., transited the Panama Canal, and stopped at Seymour Island Naval Base in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, on 16 April. Chawasha fueled and departed for Bora Bora in French Polynesia the same day.
She arrived in Bora Bora on 7 May 1945. On the 8th, she took on fuel and water and departed for Hollandia, New Guinea. On May 31, she arrived in Imbi Bay, Hollandia, took on stores, and added a motor torpedo boat dry dock to her tow before departing on 4 June for Samar. After approximately 12,630 nautical miles, possibly the longest tow in U.S. Navy history, she arrived at Samar on 16 June.
After being relieved of her tow, she underwent five days of availability. She departed Samar for Ulithi on 25 June 1945 in company with fleet tugs Sioux (ATF-75), Moctobi (ATF-105), and Chowanoc (ATF-100). Upon arrival, Chawasha was attached to Task Group 30.8, which departed Ulithi on 3 July, operating as Logistics Support Group, Third Fleet.
On 8 July 1945, Sioux suffered an explosion in a switchboard, causing a fire less than 10 minutes into the morning watch (0408). Her men extinguished the blaze within a quarter of an hour, but she had to stop her engines, leaving her with no propulsive power. The task group commander ordered Chawasha to take Sioux in tow and, accompanied by the escort vessel Lyman (DE-302), she proceeded to Saipan as Task Unit 30.18.11, where Sioux would undergo repairs alongside the floating dry dock ARD-25. Chawasha and Lyman, meanwhile, rejoined TG 30.8 on 15 July and resumed normal operations.
Chawasha remained at sea with TF 30.8 until 5 September 1945, assisting in fleet replenishment and carrying mail and passengers between ships. She stood in to Tokyo Bay that day as part of TU 30.8.56. There, she was detached and transferred to the control of Commander, Third Fleet, mooring at the Yokosuka Naval Base, Yokosuka, Japan.
From 5 to 9 September 1945, Chawasha helped clear damaged Japanese shipping from the docks at Yokosuka and Yokohama. She departed on 9 September for Saipan for a period of availability. She arrived on the 13th and underwent maintenance until the 30th. She continued to aid occupation activities until 19 February 1946, when she cleared Kobe, Japan, for Samar. There, she took ARD-18 in tow for Pearl Harbor. She assumed another tow there for Balboa, Canal Zone.
She arrived without a tow in San Pedro, Calif., on 4 June 1946, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve there on 30 September. Chawasha entered the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet at 12:15 p.m. on 25 October 1962. She was stricken from the Naval Register and permanently transferred to the Maritime Administration at 12:01 a.m. on 1 July 1963.
The Maritime Administration released the ship to the Navy at 9:00 a.m. on 14 August 1978 for eventual use in target practice. Towed to Subic Bay in November 1978 along with ex-Sciota (ATA-205), the well-traveled ship was sunk in a fleet training exercise sometime in late 1978 or early 1979.
Chawasha received one battle star for her World War II service, for her participation in Third Fleet Operations against Japan (!0 July – 15 August 1945).
Commanding Officers Date Assumed Command
Lt. Howard K. Smith 5 February 1945
Gary J. Candelaria
30 May 2024
