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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Tom Anderson via NAFTS

USS Koka (ATA-185)
ex
 USS ATA-185 (1944 - 1948)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Oscar - Delta
 NJOD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asian-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
ATA-174 Class Auxiliary Fleet Tug:
  • Originally designated as Rescue Ocean Tug ATR-112
  • Redesignated Auxiliary Fleet Tug ATA-185, 15 May 1944
  • Laid down, 5 August 1944, at Levingston Shipbuilding Co., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 11 September 1944
  • Commissioned, USS ATA-185, 16 November 1944, LTjg. Woodrow Sullivan in command
  • During World War II USS ATA-185 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto
  • Named, USS Koka (ATA-185), 16 July 1948
  • Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register in 1971
  • Commercial Service
  • Sold for commercial service to Samoan American Tug Co. in 1971
  • Sold to Guam Marine Department, date unknown, renamed Taliga
  • In 1984 tug Taliga was sold for reuse as a breakwater in the Seattle area.
  • Final Disposition, sunk, date unknown, at Crow's Nest Marina on the east side of Commencement Bay, Tacoma, WA. while being prepared for scuttling as part of a breakwater. There is a dispute between the State and Federal authorities over her being raised and disposed of or left for a marine habitat
  • USS Koka as USS ATA-185 received one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 835 t.(fl)
    Length 143'
    Beam 33' 10"
    Draft 13' 2"
    Speed 13 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 40
    Largest Boom Capacity 5 t.
    Armament
    one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 1,200 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two GM 12-278A Diesel-electric engines
    single Fairbanks-Morse Main Reduction Gears
    two Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 1,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Koka 112k USS Koka (ATA-185) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1953    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Koka 31k USS Koka (ATA-185) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Koka 30k USS Koka (ATA-185) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Bill Mozingo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Koka 32k USS Koka (ATA-185) underway, circa Sept 1962 - June 1964, location unknown.
    Photos courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Peter Littlefield, former USS Koka Executive Officer..    		 Robert Hurst
    Koka 28k
    USS Koka (ATA-185)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Sullivan, Woodrow16 November 1944 - ?
     LT. Murrell, Charles JamesJuly 1961 - July 1963
     LT. French Jr., Dana PageApril 1965 - July 1967
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Rescue Ocean Tug (ATR) Photo Index Back To the Auxiliary Fleet Tug (ATA) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 October 2011