Chippewa- AT-69

Chippewa IV

(AT-69: dp. 1,240; 1. 205'; b. 38'6"; dr. 15'4"; s. 16 k.;
cpl. 85; a. 1 3"; cl. Cherokee)

The fourth Chippewa (AT-69) was launched 25 July 1942 by Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Charleston, S.C.; sponsored by Mrs. T. Horton an] commissioned 14 February 1943, Lieutenant (junior grade) A. V. Swarthout in command.

Chippewa crossed the Atlantic from Norfolk to Casablanca to lay buoys there between 4 May 1943 and 9 June, returning to Boston 26 June. Two days later, she cleared for Norfolk and overhaul, and on 19 July began towing duty with a passage to Bermuda and Jacksonville. Assigned to duty in the Caribbean Sea Frontier she made Trinidad British West; Indies, her principal base until 6 May 1944, when she returned to Norfolk for repairs. On 15 May she was reclassified ATF-69.

With repairs complete 11 June 1944, Chippewa returned to towing and salvage duty in the Caribbean out of Trinidad until 29 March 1945. After repairs at Norfolk, she was reassigned for duty based on Argentia Newfoundland, between 19 May and 1 November. During this time, she made a long towing voyage to Houston Tex. Chippewa made her last towing passage from Boston to Bermuda to Norfolk, where she arrived 28 December with SS War Bonnet in tow. In March 1946 Chippewa sailed to Orange, Tex., where on 26 February 19.47 she was decommissioned and placed in reserve.