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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Lost to mine explosion, 27 August 1952

USS Sarsi (ATF-111)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Zulu - Yankee
 NWZY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (2) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (4-KIA, 4-WIA), 27 August 1952
Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tug:
  • Laid down, 25 January 1943, as Sarsi (AT-111) at United Engineering and Drydock Co., Alameda, CA.
  • Launched, 12 June 1943
  • Reclassified as Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF-111), 15 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Sarsi (ATF-111), 24 June 1944
  • During the Korean War USS Sarsi participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Second Korean Winter
    18 April to 18 August 1952     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 18 and 23 to 27 May 1952
    3 to 6 and 11 to 14 June 1952
    1 to 16 July 1952
    28 July to 1 August 1952
    20 to 28 August 1952

  • Final Disposition, sunk, 27 August 1952, from a mine explosion off the Korean coast between Wonsan and Hungnam
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Sarsi earned two campaign stars for her service during the Korean War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,240 t.(lt) 1,675 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 2,225 Bbls
    Propulsion
    Diesel-electric
    four 750hp Busch-Sulzer BS-539 Diesel main engines driving four General Electric main drive generators and two 1500hp pulsation motors
    three Diesel-drive General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines driving
    three Ship's Service Generators
    two 200Kw 120V/240V DC
    one 100Kw 120V/240V DC
    single propeller, 3000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Sarsi 680k Four Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tugs at the fitting out pier of United Engineering and Drydock Co., Alameda, CA., 8 October 1944. USS Sarsi (ATF-111) (foreground), to her starboard side is USS Munsee (ATF-107) and astern of Sarsi is USS Serrano (ATF-112). An unidentified Fleet Tug is to starboard of Serrano
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Munsee 1472k Six Abnaki Class Fleet Ocean Tugs at the fitting out pier of United Engineering and Drydock Co., Alameda, CA., 8 October 1944: Right column;
    USS Munsee (ATF-107)
    USS Pakana (ATF-108)
    USS Potawatomi (ATF-109)
    Left column;
    USS Sarsi (ATF-111)
    USS Serrano (ATF-112) and
    USS Takelma (ATF-113)
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Mataco
    093908607    		 339k USS Mataco (ATF-86) and USS Sarsi (AFT-111) moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor T.H., circa 1945. Note YW-118 in the backkground. Hank Zaletel
    Sarsi 152k USS Sarsi (ATF-111) under way circa 1946, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 83816, courtesy of D.M. McPherson, 1975    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Sarsi 23k USS Sarsi (ATF-111) under way, date and location unknown. Submitted by Tom Wilbeck
    to NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Sarsi 24k USS Sarsi (ATF-111) under way, date and location unknown. Submitted by Tom Wilbeck
    to NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    USS Sarsi (ATF-111)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Perry Jr., Herbert James, USNR24 June 1944 - 25 August 1945
    02LT. Blakeney, Jack Charles, USNR25 August 1945 - 17 November 1945
    03LT. Malayter, John Savage, USNR17 November 1945 - 1947
    04LT. Buday, John, USN1947 - 1949
    05LT. Sprowl, John Arnold, USN1949 - Noember 1949
    06LT. Leonard, Francis John, USNNovember 1949 - 10 November 1951
    07LT. Howard, William Meyer, USN10 November 1951 - 28 August 1952
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 22 March 2024