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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Rich Tetrault via NAFTS

AT-86 / ATF-86 Mataco

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia Clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (4) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (7)
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Navajo Class Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, 27 June 1942, at United Engineering Co., San Francisco, CA.
  • Launched, 14 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS Mataco (AT-86), 29 May 1943, Lt. William G. Baker in command
  • Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-86), 15 May 1944
  • During WWII Mataco was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation, November 1943 Leyte operation, January 1945
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, January 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April 1945
    Marianas operation, June 1944 .

  • During the Korean War Mataco participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    18 September to 2 November 1950     		Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950
    Communist China Aggression
    3 to 28 November 1950     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    14 September 1952
    28 September to 16 October 1952

  • During the Vietnam War Mataco participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    19 to 22 April 1967
    5 to 31 May 1967     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    13 to 21 October 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 to 12 June 1967
    5 to 10 July 1967     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    1 to 5 January 1970
    28 January to 1 February 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    18 to 30 May 1968
    7 to 11 June 1968     		Consolidation II
    9 to 11 December 1971
    18 to 23 December 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    10 to 31 August 1968     		.

  • Decommissioned, 1 October 1977
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1979
  • Sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), 1 April 1979
  • Resold for foreign commercial service (date unknown), as a "party" boat at Acapulco, Mexico
  • Laid up (date unknown) and moored to a buoy at N 16'50'30.2 W 99'54'16.6 at Acapulco Mexico
  • Final Disposition, sunk (date unknown) after 12 years of neglect at the buoy in 60 feet of water and remains there today
  • Mataco received five battle stars for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War service and seven campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,235 t.(lt) 1,674 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 4"
    Speed 16k.5kts.
    Complement 85
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 gun mount
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA guns
    two depth charge tracks
    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
    Mataco 77k Mataco (ATF-86) underway, date and place unknown. Bruce Billig for his father
    CDR. August Billig USN Ret
    (deceased), CO USS Mataco (ATF-86) 1944-46
    Mataco 71k Mataco (ATF-86) circa 1960s. place unknown. Submitted by Don Mosley to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    View the Mataco (AT / ATF-86)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    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 (AT) 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 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 26 May 2006