Takelma ATF-113

Takelma

(ATF-113: dp. 1,589; 1. 205'0"; b. 38'6"; dr. 15'4";
s. 16.6 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3", 2 40mm.; cl. Abnaki)

Takelma (ATF-113) was laid down on 7 April 1943 as AT-113 by the United Engineering Co., Alameda, Calif.; launched on 18 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. George Sutherland, redesignated ATF-113 on 15 May 1944, and commissioned on 3 August 1944.

After her shakedown, the fleet ocean tug operated along the California coast until 16 December when she sailed for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 5 January 1945 and was routed onward to Eniwetok. The ship towed vessels between various Pacific bases at Ulithi, Leyte, Hollandia, Subic Bay, Manus, Espiritu Santo, and Milne Bay until returning to Pearl Harbor on 15 June 1946. The tug sailed to San Francisco on 28 July, then moved up the coast to Seattle; and remained there until 28 December.

On that day, Takelma got underway for Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 February 1947. She was ordered to begin towing target ships to the Marshall Islands for the atomic bomb tests at Bikini. Her charges on this assignment were berthed at such widely separated ports as Pearl Harbor, San Francisco, and Bremerton. On 6 January 1948, the tug took the power barge Jacona (YFP-1) in tow and got underway for Korea. After she delivered the barge to Pusan, Takelma made port at Yokosuka, Japan, on 3 February. Five weeks later, she sailed for Pearl Harbor and proceeded thence to the west coast of the United States.

Except for a voyage to the Canal Zone in June, Takelma operated in the San Diego-Long Beach area from 22 April to mid-autumn. On 4 November, the tug departed San Diego, bound for the Aleutians and arrived at Adak 11 days later. On 6 January ;949, she got underway for the Central Pacific and arrived at Midway on the 14th. During the year, she also called at Pearl Harbor, Balboa, Coco Solo, Wake, and Kwajalein.

After communist forces attacked South Korea, the tug headed for the Far East in July 1950 and spent a year operating at Subic Bay and in Japanese waters.

Takelma returned to the United States on 1 July 1961 for a month and was then homeported at Pearl Harbor She operated out of that port until July 1952.

Takelma stood out of Pearl Harbor on 24 July en route to the Korean war zone via Japan. She arrived at Yokosuka on 7 August called at Sasebo for four days, and reached Sokcho Korea, on 19 August. The tug operated in Korean waters, serving at Sokcho, Pusan. and Wonsan, until returning to Sasebo on 18 September. The next day, she got underway for Chinhae, arrived there on the 21st, and returned to Yokosuka. Takelma then moved to Sasebo and remained there from 23 October until 29 November when she headed for the Korean ports of Cho Do and Yongyong Do.

Takelma was again at Sasebo from 1 to 16 January 1953 when she returned to the combat zone. She remained there from 18 to 25 January. Her last service during the Korean conflict began when she arrived at Wonsan on 30 January. She returned to Sasebo on 22 February.

She reached Pearl Harbor for repairs on 29 March and then sailed to San Diego. September found the tug back at Pearl Harbor, and she departed there on 26 January 1954 for Sasebo and local operations which lasted until 11 August. From August 1954 to mid-1968, the ship operated from her home port at Pearl Harbor or on deployments to the Far East.

During a time of great American involvement in combat operations in Vietnam, Takelma was at "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin from 8 July to 15 August 1968 performing special operations for the 7th Fleet, and she returned to that task again on 18 October. She operated in waters off Vietnam until 12 November when she sailed for Pearl Harbor. On 15 November 1969, she got underway for Adak, beginning a four-month tour in the Aleutians which ended on 25 February 1970. On 27 August, she sailed for a six-month deployment to the western Pacific. Takelma returned to Pearl Harbor on 23 February 1971 and operated from there until 23 October 1973 when she sailed for the Far East and duty with the 7th Fleet.

The ship returned to Hawaii on 2 May 1974 and rendered services to fleet units there until October 1976 when her home port was shifted to San Diego. On 1 June 1979, Takelma commenced service as a naval reserve training ship.

Takelma received two battle stars for Korean service and two for service in Vietnam.