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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Pinto (ATF-90)
ex
 USS Pinto (AT-90) (1943-1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - November - Hotel
 NBNH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 6 June 1944) - Naval Unit Commendation 7 to 12 June 1944) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

USS Pinto (ATF-90) was transferred to Peru and renamed BAP Guardian Rios (ARA-123)
Navajo Class Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, 10 August 1942, at Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA.
  • Launched, 5 January 1943
  • Commissioned USS Pinto (AT-90), 1 April 1943, LT. Ralph Brown, USN, in command
  • Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-90), 15 May 1944
  • During World War II USS Pinto was assigned to both the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Task Group 122.3 - Salvage and Fire Fighting Group (Wreck Dispersal Vessel)     		Borneo operation
    Brunei Bay operation, 7 June to 5 July 1945
    Invasion of Southern France 15 to 25 August 1944  

  • Decommissioned, 11 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange, TX
  • Transferred, 1 May 1974, cash sale, under the Security Assistance Program to Peru, renamed BAP Guardian Rios (ARA-123)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 17 May 1974
  • USS Pinto earned a Navy Unit Commendation and three battle stars for World War II service
  • Current Disposition, active in the Peruvian Navy
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,235 t.(lt) 1,674 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 4"
    Speed 16k.5kts.
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 80
    Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one 60Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    Propulsion
    four General Motors 12-278A Diesel-electric main engines driving four General Electric generators and three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single Fairbanks-Morse Main Reduction Gear
    single propeller, 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Pinto (AT-90 / ATF-90)
    Pinto 213k Stern view of USS Pinto (ATF-90) ready for launching, 5 January 1943, at Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA.
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Pinto 298k USS Pinto (ATF-90) starboard broadside view. Photographed from an aircraft from Naval Air Station, Norfolk, VA. Photograph received 17 October 1944.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-285286, a US Navy photo, now in the collections of the National Archives.    		 Michael Mohl
    Pinto 44k USS Pinto (ATF-90) underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by D Thomas to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    LCT-544 66k USS Pinto (ATF-90) alongside USS Susan B. Anthony (AP-72) to fight fires and take off survivors as the transport sinks off Omaha Beach, Normandy, 7 June 1944. Also in the photo is the bow ramp of LCT-544 coming alongside to attempt to take off survivors. Photo was taken from LCT-544 Steve O'Neill in honor of his father William T. O'Neill LCT-544
    BAP Guardian Rios (ARA-123)
    Pinto 80k Ex-USS Pinto (ATF-90) underway, circa 1967, location unknown, while in Peruvian service as BAP Guardian Rios (ARA-123) Robert Hurst
    Pinto 126k BAP Guardian Rios (ARA-123) at anchor in 1962. location unknown.
    Official Peruvian Navy photo from the 1966/67 Edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships".    		 Robert Hurst
    Traverse County 71k BAP Guardian Rios (ARA-123) moored at left in this photo of the Peruvian Naval Base at Calleo, October 2003. Also in the photo are BAP Eten (DT-144), ex-USS Traverse County (LST-1160), moored outboard of BAP Pisco (DT-142), ex-USS Waldo County (LST-1163). Photo by Carlos Race Navy Military of Peru web site
    USS Pinto (ATF-90)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Brown, Ralph, USN1 April 1943 - 30 August 1945
    02LT. Bohgren, Marion Lowell, USN30 August 1945 - 26 December 1945
    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 Fleet Tug (AT) Photo Index Back To The Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF) 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 13 March 2020