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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Paiute (ATF-159)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - November - Golf
NZNG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



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


Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, 27 February 1945, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 4 June 1945
  • Commissioned USS Paiute (ATF-159), 27 August 1945, LT. Stanley J. Lewandowski in command
  • Decommissioned, 23 August 1985 at Mayport, FL.
  • Recommissioned, 30 September 1988
  • Decommissioned, 7 August 1992
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 14 February 1995
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 29 December 1997, for disposal
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 2003
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,205 t.(lt) 1,646 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 39'
    Draft 17' (max)
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement
    8 Officers
    68 Enlisted
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion diesel-electric
    four General Motors 12-278A diesel main engines driving four General Electric generators
    three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller, 3,600shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Paiute 386k USS Paiute (ATF-159) commissioning crew photo taken, 27 August 1945, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C. (Burton H. Idol S2/c sixth from left, front row.) Henry Idol for his father Burton H. Idol S2/c USS Paiute.
    Paiute
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-346747
    159k USS Paiute (ATF-159) Off Charleston, South Carolina, 27 August 1945, after completion by the Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.
    US National Archives Photo #'s 80-G-346747, 80-G-346746, 19-N-88684, 19-N-88685 and 19-N-88686 US Navy photos now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US NH&HC
    Paiute
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-346746
    137k
    Paiute
    US National Archives Photo # 19-N-88684
    108k
    Paiute
    US National Archives Photo # 19-N-88685
    117k
    Paiute
    US National Archives Photo # 19-N-88686
    96k
    Paiute 70k USS Paiute (ATF-159) preparing to get underway, date and location unknown. Margaret Rutledge for her father Charlie Rutledge EM, USS Paiute.
    Paiute 99k USS Paiute (ATF-159) under way, date and location unknown. Donal J Holland SKC USN Ret.
    USS Paiute April 1963 to July 1965
    Paiute 75k USS Paiute (ATF-159) under way, date and location unknown. Donal J Holland SKC USN Ret.
    USS Paiute April 1963 to July 1965
    Paiute 238k USS Paiute (ATF-159) under way in Chesapeake Bay, 7 March 1952.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-440056 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    USNH&HC
    Paiute 177k USS Paiute (ATF-159) at anchor Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 15 July 1952.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-443656 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    USNH&HC
    Paiute 37k USS Paiute (ATF-159) under way in the Chesapeake Bay, date unknown. Submitted by Duane Greninger
    to NAFTS
    (National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors)
    Paiute 114k USS Paiute (ATF-159) under way in July 1965, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Mike Green
    Paiute 200k Post card image of USS Paiute (ATF-159), USS Suribachi (AE-21) and USS English (DD-696) moored at Naval Station Mayport, Fl., circa 1956 to 1970. Mike Brock
    Paiute 97k USS Paiute (ATF-159) under way, location unknown. Photo taken from USS Garcia (DE-1040) in 1971 Photo by Steve Singlar
    Paiute 236k USS Paiute (ATF-159) moored, Pier No. 3 Washington Navy Yard, 1 May 1981.
    Photo by Don S. Montgomery, USN (Ret). US DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-ST-90-11506
    Robert Hurst
    Paiute 97k USS Paiute (ATF-159), Papago (ATF-160) and USS Recovery (ARS-43) in storage near Portsmouth, VA., 18 October 1994. In the back of the basin are two patrol missile hydrofoil patrol boats of the Pegasus class, three ocean minesweepers, USS Fortify (MSO-446) and two others. DVIC Photo DNSC9501404 Don S. Montgomery, Defense Visual Information Center
    Paiute 101k Ex-USS Paiute (ATF-159) being broken up for scrap at Chesapeake, VA in November 2003. Alan Owen

    USS Paiute (ATF-159)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Lewandowski, Stanley John, USN 27 August 1945 - August 1947
    02LT. Thompson, James Lydden, USNAugust 1947 - ?
    03LT. Garnache, Samuel Cresswell, USNJune 1957 - December 1969
    04LT. Miguel Jr., Theodore, USNDecember 1959 - 13 December 1961
    05LT. Price, Carroll Richard, USN13 December 1961 -1963
    06LT. Mathews, Richard Louis, USN1963
    07LCDR. Graff, Howard Byron, USN1965
    08LT. Hardy, James Cecil Clayborn, USN1966 - 9 January 1970
    09LCDR. Douglass, Willie Buford, USN9 January 1970 - 1971
    10LCDR. Frost, Bobby Eugene, USN1971 - January 1973
    11LCDR. Allen, Glenn R., USNJanuary 1973 - 1974
    12LT. Bishop, Peter Birney, USN (USNA 1968) 1974 - 18 February 1977
    13LT. Ryan III, Dennis Leo, USN (USNA 1970)18 February 1977 - 24 January 1979
    14LT. Whittle III, Alfred James, USN (USNA 1971)24 January 1979 - 17 July 1981
    15LT. Stark, Timothy Benton, USN17 July 1981 - 27 July 1983
    16LCDR. Gibson, James Harold, USN (USNA 1975)27 July 1983 - 23 August 1985
     Decommissioned23 August 1985 - 30 September 1988
    17LCDR. Crooks, William Thomas, USN (USNA 1975)30 September 1988 - February 1990
    18LT. Smith, Henry Clayton, USN (USNA 1983)April 1992 - 7 August 1992
    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
    Photo Collection of Charlie Rutledge USS Paiute 1945-46
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship 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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 April 2021