USS Sunnadin (ATA-197)
Encyclopedia
ATA-197 was laid down on 4 December 1944 at Orange, Texas
, by the Levingston Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 6 January 1945; and commissioned on 15 March 1945.
ATA-197 made her shakedown cruise from Galveston, Texas
, in late March and early April. She reported for duty on 11 April, then was ordered to the Pacific. The tug transited the Panama Canal
on 25 April and, two days short of a month later, arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She departed Pearl Harbor on 1 June and voyaged through the central Pacific to Eniwetok, Guam
, Okinawa, and Saipan
, towing various craft at and between those islands. On 10 August she cleared Saipan for Pearl Harbor, where she arrived two weeks later. On the 28th, she continued her voyage to San Francisco, arriving there on 5 September. A month later, she headed back to Hawaii
and entered Pearl Harbor again on 15 October.
Soon after her return to Hawaii, ATA-197 was assigned to duty with the 14th Naval District, out of Pearl Harbor. With the exception of a short tour of duty with the 11th Naval District out of San Diego in 1946, she spent the next twenty years towing Navy ships between the bases in the 14th Naval District. On 16 July 1948. she was named Sunnadin, the second Navy tug to bear that name. Though her duties were concentrated in the Hawaiian Islands
, Sunnadin periodically cruised to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands
. More often though, her ports of call were Pearl Harbor, Palmyra Island, and Johnston Island.
On 13 October 1965, Sunnadin deployed to the western Pacific. There she participated in a hydrographic survey operation conducted by the Naval Oceano-graphic Office in the South China Sea. During that survey she entered the Vietnam
combat zone, but saw no action. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 1 March 1966 and resumed normal towing duties, making one tow to Guam in the Marianas in July. On 5 October 1966, the tug was reassigned from the 14th Naval District to the Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Sunnadin served this organization for three years, still operating from Pearl Harbor. In early 1968, she made a voyage to American Samoa
and Canton Island. In the fall of 1969, an Inspection and Survey Board determined that Sunnadin was unfit for further naval service and, on 20 November 1969, she was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor; and her name was struck from the Navy list. Her hulk was sold to Flynn-Learner, of Honolulu, in February 1971.
Sunnadin (ATA-197) earned one battle star for service in Vietnam.
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, by the Levingston Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 6 January 1945; and commissioned on 15 March 1945.
ATA-197 made her shakedown cruise from Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, in late March and early April. She reported for duty on 11 April, then was ordered to the Pacific. The tug transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 25 April and, two days short of a month later, arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She departed Pearl Harbor on 1 June and voyaged through the central Pacific to Eniwetok, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Okinawa, and Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, towing various craft at and between those islands. On 10 August she cleared Saipan for Pearl Harbor, where she arrived two weeks later. On the 28th, she continued her voyage to San Francisco, arriving there on 5 September. A month later, she headed back to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and entered Pearl Harbor again on 15 October.
Soon after her return to Hawaii, ATA-197 was assigned to duty with the 14th Naval District, out of Pearl Harbor. With the exception of a short tour of duty with the 11th Naval District out of San Diego in 1946, she spent the next twenty years towing Navy ships between the bases in the 14th Naval District. On 16 July 1948. she was named Sunnadin, the second Navy tug to bear that name. Though her duties were concentrated in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, Sunnadin periodically cruised to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. More often though, her ports of call were Pearl Harbor, Palmyra Island, and Johnston Island.
On 13 October 1965, Sunnadin deployed to the western Pacific. There she participated in a hydrographic survey operation conducted by the Naval Oceano-graphic Office in the South China Sea. During that survey she entered the Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
combat zone, but saw no action. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 1 March 1966 and resumed normal towing duties, making one tow to Guam in the Marianas in July. On 5 October 1966, the tug was reassigned from the 14th Naval District to the Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Sunnadin served this organization for three years, still operating from Pearl Harbor. In early 1968, she made a voyage to American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and Canton Island. In the fall of 1969, an Inspection and Survey Board determined that Sunnadin was unfit for further naval service and, on 20 November 1969, she was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor; and her name was struck from the Navy list. Her hulk was sold to Flynn-Learner, of Honolulu, in February 1971.
Sunnadin (ATA-197) earned one battle star for service in Vietnam.