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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Left patch contributed by Mike Smolinski - Right Decal contributed by Wolfgang Hechler

Contributed by Al Grazevich

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 (2)
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 (Taiwan Straits, Quemoy-Matsu, 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. Harry A. Guthrie, USN, in command

During WWII USS Hitchiti was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
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:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
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:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 5 to 25 August 1964	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 9 June to 7 July 1967 23 to 26 July 1967 20 to 25 August 1967
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

Decommissioned, 30 September 1979

Transferred, cash sale, under the Security Assistance Program to Mexico, 1 September 1976, fate unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1979

USS Hitchiti earned two battle star for World War II service, three battle stars for Korean War service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with three campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 1,205 t.(lt) 1,675 t.(fl)
Length 205'
Beam 38 6"
Draft 15' 5" (lim)
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

5 Officers

80 Enlisted

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts

two single 20mm AA gun mounts

Propulsion

As Built

four General Motors 12-278A Diesel-electric engines
Ship's Service Generators
two Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
one Diesel-drive 200Kw 120V/240 D.C.

Modernized

four Alco Diesel 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
	29k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Submitted by Herbert Jordan to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
	47k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** underway, date and location unknown.	Submitted by Rich Amundson to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
	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
	208k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** moored pierside, at Adak, AK, date unknown.	Tom Kermen
	534k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** moored at Hospital Point, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, November 1968.	©Richard Leonhardt
USN 1142880	198k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** under way off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, 12 January 1970 US National Archives photo #'s USN 1142880, USN 1142882, K-1125 and K-1123 US Navy photos now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command	US Naval History and Heritage Command
USN 1142882	115k
K-1125	153k
K-1123	205k
	60k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** under way, circa 1974, location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine January 1975, p.17	Robert Hurst
	164k	*USS Hitchiti* (ATF-103)** insignia was adopted in 1959. It features an Indian arrowhead and a Japanese shrine superimposed over a map of the Pacific. Date of Photo: 1968. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 65280-KN	US Naval History and Heritage Command

USS Hitchiti (ATF-103)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Guthrie, Harry Alonzo, USN	27 May 1944 - 19 August 1946
02	BOSN. Kihlstrom, Oscar William, USN	19 August 1946 - 20 August 1946
03	LT. Allen, Orval Frank, USN	20 August 1946 - 1 August 1947
04	LT. Mayo II, Henry Thomas, USN (USNA 1945)	1 August 1947 - 3 January 1951
05	LT. Scott, Wesley Bruce, USN	3 January 1951 - 1 December 1951
06	LT. Wells, Bruce Brown, USN	1 December 1951 - 1952
07	LT. Lewis Leon Garfield, USN	1952 - 8 November 1952
08	LT. Block, Claus Arnold, USN	8 November 1952 - 1953
09	LT. Berwick, Robert Louis, USN	1953 - 29 July 1955
10	LT. Masterson Jr., Alvin, USN	29 July 1955 - 17 December 1958
11	LT. DuCharme, George William, USN	17 December 1958 - 5 October 1960
12	LT. Bennett, Donald Charles, USN	5 October 1960 - 22 December 1961
13	LT. Burgess Jr., Harold Ernest, USN	22 December 1961 - 20 February 1964
14	LT. Skelly, John Frederick, USN	20 February 1964 - 3 March 1966
15	LT. Estock Jr., George, USN	3 March 1966 - 17 July 1968
16	LT. Bowen, Ralph William, USN	17 July 1968 - 5 April 1971
17	LT. Kenyon, Morton William, USN	5 April 1971 - 26 August 1972
18	LT. Fagan, Patrick Michael, USN	26 August 1972 - 14 September 1973
19	LT. Wood Jr., Gordon Leo, USN	14 September 1973 - 6 September 1975
20	LT. Kline Jr., Edward Marvin, USN	6 September 1975 - 26 August 1977
21	LT. Nelson, Gary Steven, USN	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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 23 April 2021