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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Hitchiti (ATF-103)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Uniform - Bravo
NWUB

USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) was transferred to Mexico
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia Clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Taiwan Straits, 3-Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (3) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, 24 August 1943, at Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 29 January 1944
  • Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-103), 15 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Hitchiti (ATF-103), 27 May 1944, LT. H. A. Guthrie in command
  • During WWII USS Hitchiti was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 6 to 7 January 1945
    Formosa attacks, 9, 15 and 21 January 1945
    China Coast attacks, 12 and 16 January 1945
    Nansei Shoto attack, 22 January 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto operation

  • Following World War II USS Hitchiti was assigned to Occupation service for the following period, 5 November 1945 to 6 April 1946
  • Decommissioned, 30 April 1948, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco Group
  • Recommissioned, 3 January 1951, at Alameda, CA.
  • During the Korean War USS Hitchiti participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    5 May to 6 June 1951
    14 June to 7 July 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    28 to 29 November 1951
    20 December 1951 to 1 January 1952
    6 to 11 January 1952
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    4 to 10 August 1951
    26 September to 7 October 1951
    27 October 1951
    4 to 11 November 1951     		 

  • During the Vietnam War USS Hitchiti participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    7 to 20 December 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    9 June to 7 July 1967
    23 to 26 July 1967
    20 to 25 August 1967
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    7 February to 22 March 1966     		 

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Transferred, cash sale, under the Security Assistance Program to Mexico, 1 September 1976, fate unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1978
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS Hitchiti earned two battle star for World War II service, three battle stars for Korean War service and three campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,240 t.(lt) 1,589 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 80
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 2,310 Bbls
    Propulsion
    Diesel-electric, four Alco Diesel main engines driving four General Electric generators and three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller, 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Hitchiti 29k USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) at anchor, date and location unknown. Submitted by Herbert Jordan
    to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Hitchiti 47k USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by Rich Amundson to
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Hitchiti 113k USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) Bridge crew at Pearl Harbor in 1947. Left to right; H.Jordan QMS3/c, Sprinkle S2/c, Levandowski QM1/c. Submitted by H.C.Jordan QMS3c USS Hitchiti
    Hitchiti 208k USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) moored pierside, at Adak, AK, date unknown. Tom Kermen
    Hitchiti 534k USS Hitchiti (ATF-103) moored at Hospital Point, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, November 1968. ©Richard Leonhardt
    USS Hitchiti (ATF-103)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Guthrie, H. A.27 May 1944 - ?
    11LT. DuCharme, George William17 December 1958 - 5 October 1960
     LCDR. Kline Jr., Edward M.September 1975 - August 1977
     LT. Nelson, Gary S.26 August 1977 - 30 September 1979
    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 (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 19 August 2011