RV ''Pacific Escort I'' – previously the U.S. Army ''LT-535'' – was an Army

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...

acquired by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

in 1985 as an escort for

submarines A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

and as a for-hire

oceanographic research ship Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...

at the

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...

Construction

''LT 535'' was a Large Tug (LT), Design 377-A, 505 gross ton, vessel built as hull #331 by Levingston Shipbuilding of

Orange, Texas Orange is a city and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,324. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Hous ...

for the

U.S. Army Transportation Corps The Transportation Corps is a combat service support branch of the U.S. Army. It is responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air, and sea. It is one of three U.S. Army logistics branches, the others being the Q ...

during 1943-1944. She was delivered to the Army April 26, 1944 and placed in service as the U.S. Army ''LT-535''.

Service career

''LT-535'' had been in service with the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1984 when she was acquired and placed in service with the U.S. Navy in 1985, performing her duties with the Navy until finally struck at an unknown date and disposed of.

U.S. Navy career

When acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1985, she was renamed ''Pacific Escort'' was placed into service as an escort for American submarines. She was based at the

, in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and was available for lease to commercial interests as a general research ship.

Inactivation

''Pacific Escort'' was struck from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

at an unknown date and sold commercial as ''Ataboy'' (IMO 8936906). She is believed to be still in commercial service a
''Brittania U III''
in Nigeria.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacific Escort I Ships built in Orange, Texas 1944 ships Ships of the United States Army Oceanographic research ships of the United States Navy Tugs of the United States Navy

Construction

Service career

U.S. Navy career

Inactivation

See also

References