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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 Chowanoc (ATF-100)
ex
 USS Chowanoc (AT-100) (1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Whiskey - Charlie
 NUWC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia Clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (1) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Op. Frequent Wind, Mayaquez Op.)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Frequent Wind) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) was transferred to Ecuador and renamed BAE Chimborazo (RA-70)
Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, date unknown, at Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 20 August 1943
  • Commissioned USS Chowanoc (AT-100), 21 February 1944, LT. Rodney F. Snipes USN in command
  • Redesignated Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-100), 15 May 1944
  • During WWII USS Chowanoc was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 3 to 10 August 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 3 to 15 August 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 18 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 22 November 1944     		3d Fleet operations against Japan, July 1945

  • USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.8.1 Service Group - Repair and Service Unit for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • During the Korean War USS Chowanoc participated in the following campaign:

    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Korean, Summer-Fall 1953 Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1to 3 May 1953
    13 to 16 and 19 June 1953
    9 and 11 to 22 July 1953

  • During the Vietnam War USS Chowanoc participated in the following campaign:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    9 to 12 April 1966     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    18 September to 11 October 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    28 July to 1 August 1966     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    19 to 29 November 1969
    5 to 7 December 1969
    20 December 1969 to 8 January 1970
    9 to 18 April 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    8 to 10 October 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    19 to 22 May 1971
    7 to 23 January 1973
    21 February to 21 March 1973
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    10 to 17 November 1968
    29 November to 5 December 1968
    12 December 1968 to 11 January 1969     		.

  • Decommissioned and Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1977
  • USS Chowanoc earned the Navy Unit Commendation for service in Salvage, Fire Fighting, and Rescue Unit, Service Force, 7th Fleet - Philippine Islands area, 6 January to 15 February 1945, and four battle stars for World War II service, one battle star for the Korean War Service and seven campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Transferred to Ecuador, cash sale, under the Security Assistance Program to Ecuador, 1 October 1977, renamed BAE Chimborazo (RA-70)
  • Current Disposition, active in commission in the Ecuadoran Navy
    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
    USS Chowanoc (ATF-100)
    Chowanoc 46k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) under way date and location unknown. Submitted by Doug Lindsey to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Chowanoc 195k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) at anchor with a yard oiler or water barge alongside at Koje (Geoje) island, South Korea in 1953
    Photographer: Pfc Donald K. Grovom    		 Douglas Price
    Chowanoc 42k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) under way off San Diego, circa February 1957 Submitted by Rodger Dana to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Chowanoc 45k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) under way off San Diego, circa February 1957 Submitted by Rodger Dana to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Chowanoc 50k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) tows the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CVS-47), circa 1958. Philippine Sea was decommissioned, 28 December 1958. and berthed with the United States Reserve Fleet at Long Beach, California.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine November 1962, p.30.    		 Robert Hurst
    Chowanoc 50k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) under way date and location unknown. Submitted by Carl Robinson, photo taken by his father Robert L. Robinson HMC USN
    Chowanoc 52k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) under way date and location unknown. Submitted by Carl Robinson, photo taken by his father Robert L. Robinson HMC USN
    Chowanoc 28k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) underway date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Chowanoc 28k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) under way in Alaskan waters in 1962. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Chowanoc 375k USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) officers, 1963 Rodger Dana
    BAE Chimborazo (RA-70)
    Chowanoc 19k Ex USS Chowanoc (ATF-100) in Ecuadoran Naval service as BAE Chimborazo (RA-70) Submitted by Rodger Dana to National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Chowanoc
    093910014    		 132k BAE Chimborazo (RA-70) celebrates her 44th anniversary of commissioned service in the Ecuadoran Navy, 1 October 2021. Dave Shirlaw
    USS Chowanoc (ATF-100)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Snipes, Rodney Fred, USN21 February 1944 - February 1946
    02LCDR. Ziesenhenne, Fred Conrad, USNRFebruary 1946 -29 July 1946
    04LT. Dickinson, Bradley Wells, USN29 July 1946 - 25 October 1948
    04LT. Seeberg, Reuben, USN25 October 1948 - 23 October 1950
    05LT. Byzet Jr., Ferdinand John, USN23 October 1950 - 23 February 1953
    06LT. Taylor, Richard Edward, USN (USNA 1950)23 February 1953 - 15 January 1954
    07LT. Bugge, Robert A., USNR15 January 1954 - 28 February 1954
    08LT. Morgan, William Roy, USN28 February 1954 - 7 April 1955
    09LT. Reynolds, Roy Allen, USN7 April 1955 - 27 August 1957
    10LT. Jackson, Earl Alonzo, USN27 August 1957 - 23 October 1957
    11LT. Rollins Jr., Henry Gaston, USN23 October 1957 - 26 September 1959
    12LT. Forsyth, Robert Joseph, USN26 September 1959 - 4 April 1961
    13LT. Dowd, Francis Xavier, USN4 April 1961 - 29 June 1963
    14LT. Gardner, Geoffery Leland, USN29 June 1963 - 3 March 1965
    15LT. Siegrist Jr., Edward Adam, USN3 March 1965 - 21 February 1967
    16LT. Roller, Donald Gordon21 February 1967 - 19 July 1969
    17LT. Wolfgang Jr., Paul Webster, USN19 July 1969 - 17 December 1970
    18LT. Wheaton Jr., James Harold, USN17 December 1970 - 5 October 1972
    19LT. Stillmaker, William James, USN5 October 1972 - 10 May 1974
    20LCDR. Howick, James Francis, USN10 May 1974 - 27 August 1975
    21LT. Cohlmeyer, Chris Harold, USN (USNA 1968)27 August 1975 - 1 October 1977
    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 8 October 2021