USS Chilula: Difference between revisions

	USCGC Chilula (WMEC-153) underway 2 July 1960, location unknown. The Coast Guard used her primarily for search and rescue.
History
Name	USS Chilula (ATF-153)
Namesake	Chilula
Builder	Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.
Laid down	13 June 1944
Launched	1 December 1944
Commissioned	5 April 1945
Decommissioned	8 February 1947
Reclassified	Fleet ocean tug ATF-153; 15 May 1944;
Recommissioned	USCGC Chilula (WAT-153); 3 October 1956;
Decommissioned	19 June 1991
Reclassified	Medium Endurance Cutter Chilula (WMEC-153) 1 May 1966
Fate	sunk as a target in 1997
General characteristics
Class and type	Navajo-class fleet tug
Displacement	1,240 long tons (1,260 t)
Length	205 ft (62 m)
Beam	38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
Draft	15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; four General Motors 12-278A diesel main engines; single screw; 3,000 shp (2,237 kW);
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Complement	86
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun; 2 × single 40 mm AA guns; 2 × single 20 mm AA guns; 2 × depth charge tracks;

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Revision as of 04:16, 14 April 2017

USS Chilula (ATF-153) was a Navajo-class fleet tug constructed for the United States Navy during World War II.^[1] Her purpose was to aid ships, usually by towing, on the high seas or in combat or post-combat areas, plus "other duties as assigned."

Description

International radio call sign of *USS Chilula* (ATF-153)**^[1]

November	Papa	India	November

Chilula was laid down 13 June 1944, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Charleston and launched on 1 December 1944. She was commissioned 5 April 1945, with Lt. O. L. Guinn in command.^[1]

Decommission and sale

After the war, Chilula sailed for home. In Portland on 15 November 1946, she was decommissioned and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was struck from the Naval Register 1 November 1959, and transferred to Indonesia on 26 January 1961 as part of the Military Assistance Program. She served Indonesia as Rakata (928) until 1969.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

^ ^a ^b ^c "USS Chilula". NavSource Naval History. Retrieved 22 July 2015.

External links

Photo gallery of USS Chilula (ATF-153/ATF-73) at NavSource Naval History

[navsource-1] "USS Chilula". NavSource Naval History. Retrieved 22 July 2015.

[1]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 {{Infobox ship career
 |Hide header=yes
-|Ship recommissioned=*[[USCGC]] ''Chilula'' (WATF-153)
+|Ship recommissioned=*[[USCGC]] ''Chilula'' (WAT-153)
 *3 October 1956
 |Ship commissioned=
@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 ''Chilula'' was laid down 13 June 1944, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]] and launched on 1 December 1944. She was commissioned 5 April 1945, with Lt. O. L. Guinn in command.<ref name=navsource/>
+==Decommission and sale==
-Cutter History:
+After the war, ''Chilula'' sailed for home. In [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] on 15 November 1946, she was decommissioned and entered the [[Pacific Reserve Fleet]]. She was struck from the Naval Register 1 November 1959, and transferred to [[Indonesia]] on 26 January 1961 as part of the [[Military Assistance Program]]. She served Indonesia as Rakata (928) until 1969.
-Chilula, a [[Cherokee-Class]] fleet ocean tug, was launched on 1 December 1944 by [[Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.]], [[Charleston, South  Carolina]].  She was sponsored by Mrs. C. G. Thigpen and was commissioned by the Navy on 5 April 1945, under the command of LT O. L. Guinn, USN.  Chilula stood out from Norfolk 14 May 1945 for [[Algiers, Louisiana]], arriving 19 May.  She took section 58 of ABSD-7 in tow, and sailed 27 May for the Canal Zone, arriving Cristobal 5 June. Between 7 and 12 June she towed ABSD sections through the [[Panama Canal]].  Clearing Balboa 16 June she reached Eniwetok 31 July for towing duties.  She left Eniwetok 8 September, entered Tokyo Bay 20 September, and until 11 January 1946 operated from [[Yokosuka]].  Between 11 January and 28 January, she voyaged from Yokosuka to Tsingtao towing YO-17.  Chilula sailed from Yokosuka 3 April for [[Orange, Texas]], and was placed out of commission in reserve on 8 February 1947.
-She was lent to the [[Coast Guard]] on 9 July 1956.  She was converted for Coast Guard use at the Coast Guard Yard, [[Curtis Bay, Maryland]], and after conversion, she was commissioned by the Coast Guard on 5 October 1956, under the command of CDR Roy M. Hutchins, USCG.  She was first designated as WAT-153 and this quickly changed to WATF-153.  She was assigned to [[Morehead City, North Carolina]], and was used for law enforcement and search and rescue duties, including towing disabled vessels to safety.
-On 26 September 1961 she responded to an explosion and fire aboard the tanker [[USNS Potomac]] which had been discharging her cargo at Morehead City, North Carolina.  Chilula fought the fire and was designated as the "On Scene Commander" for the incident.  In October 1963 during a hurricane Chilula, under the command of CDR Richard W. Young, towed the mothballed Navy destroyer escort [[Fogg]] to [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], where she was relieved of her tow by a Navy tug.
-On 1 May 1966, her designation was changed to WMEC-153 in a Coast Guard-wide effort to simplify the service's classifications of its larger cutters.  On 24 July 1967 she rescued four from the disabled [[F/V Dorothy Bee]] off [[Cape Lookout]].  On 28 September 1967 she assisted the grounded [[M/V Wolverine State]] 10 miles west of Cuba.  On 25 February 1968 she escorted the distressed Liberian tanker [[Potomac]] 130 miles southeast of [[Cape Hatteras]] to [[Wilmington, North Carolina]].  On 5 December 1968 she towed the abandoned yacht Good Hope 70 miles east of Cape Fear to Morehead City, North Carolina.  On 7 December 1968 she recovered seven bodies after the [[F/V Fenwick Island]] sank.
-On 20 May 1969 she towed the [[F/V Glen Echo]] to Morehead City.  On 1 June 1969 she was officially removed from the Navy List.  On 30 December 1969 she towed the disabled tanker [[N. W. Cokey]] 90 miles southeast of Cape Fear until relieved by a commercial tug.  On 2 May 1970 she towed the disabled [[USS Mississinewa]] 100 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras until relieved by [[USS Hoist]].  On 4 July 1970 party from cutter helped fight a fire in downtown Morehead City.  On 28 October 1970 she towed the disabled [[F/V Sheela L.]] from 15 miles southeast of Cape Lookout to safety.  On 30 October 1970 she towed the disabled tug Linda to [[Georgetown, South Carolina]].  On 6 November 1970 she rescued five from the [[M/V Caribbean Mist]] 150 miles off Cape Fear.
-On 6 February 1973 Chilula was off the Virginia Capes towing a "runaway" liberty ship that had broken away from the German tug [[Seetrans]] when her crew spotted 10 waterspouts heading for the cutter when they passed through a squall.  Her commanding officer at that time, CDR J. R. Mitchell, reported that they managed to avoid nine of the spouts but one hit the cutter, causing minor damage.
-In 1975 she was transferred to [[Atlantic Beach, North Carolina]], where she was based out of until she was decommissioned.  On 12 August 1984 she seized the [[F/V Max]], carrying 3 tons of marijuana, in the [[Windward Passage]].  On 18 May 1985 she seized the [[F/V Tripolina]] for fishing inside a closed area.  In July 1985 she seized a F/V carrying marijuana 30 miles southeast of [[Cuba]].  In November 1986 she rescued eight from the P/C Skivvy Waver 240 miles east of the [[Delaware River]] during a heavy storm.
-Chilula was decommissioned on 19 June 1991 and was returned to the Navy.
 == See also ==