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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Kiowa (ATF-72)
ex
 USS Kiowa (AT-72) (1943 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Lima - Tango
 NULT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 2-Dominican Republic)

USS Kiowa (ATF-72) was loaned to the Dominican Republic and renamed Macorix (RM-21)
Navajo Class Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, date unknown, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 5 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS Kiowa (AT-72), 7 June 1943, LT. William O. Kuykendall in command
  • Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-72), 15 May 1944
  • During World War II USS Kiowa was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 24 June 1944
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Transferred (loaned) to the Dominican Republic under terms of the Security Assistance Act in 1972, renamed Macorix (RM-21)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 September 1979
  • Decommissioned by the Dominican Republic in 1986 and returned to US custody
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, 12 December 1994
  • USS Kiowa received one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,164 t.(lt)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 14' 3"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement 85
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    four .50 cal. mgs
    Propulsion diesel-electric, four General Motors 12-278A diesel main engines driving four General Electric generators and three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines, single screw, 3,600shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Kiowa 35k USS Kiowa (ATF-72) underway, date and location unknown. National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Kiowa 78k USS Kiowa (ATF-72) underway in 1953, location unknown. Alan Owen
    View the Kiowa (AT-72 / ATF-72)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    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 Fleet Tug (AF) Photo Index Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 19 September 2008