USS ''Wateree'' (ATF-117/AT-117) was an ''Abnaki''-class

fleet ocean tug 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, such ...

acquired by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

during World War II. ''Wateree'' was sent to the western Pacific Ocean to perform towing services; however, during a

typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...

, she was damaged beyond repair and lost, with eight crew members missing.

Built in California

The second ship so named by the U.S. Navy, ''Wateree'' (ATF-117) was laid down on 22 September 1943 at

Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is built on an informal archipe ...

, by the United Engineering Company as an ocean tug, ''AT-117''; redesignated a fleet ocean tug, ''ATF-117'', on 15 May 1944; launched on 14 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Henry B. Wagner; and commissioned on 17 February 1945 at

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

Pacific Ocean operations

After fitting out at San Francisco, ''Wateree'' got underway for

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...

, on 4 March. She reported for duty at the Small Craft Training Center on 6 March and, for the next 25 days, trained strenuously. During the first week in April, she conducted more training, this time out of

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

. From 6 to 13 April, the tug underwent repairs at the San Diego repair base. She arrived back in San Francisco on 15 April and, on the 23rd, got underway towing three pontoon barges to the forward areas. The ship arrived in

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

on 10 May and conducted voyage repairs. On the 22rd, she was put to sea to rescue a disabled freighter; found the ship on the 24th; took her in tow; and arrived back in Pearl Harbor on the 26th. On 30 May, she stood out of the port once again towing the three pontoon barges. After a month's voyage, which included a five-day stop at

Eniwetok Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; , , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with its 296 people (as of 2021) forms a legi ...

between 18 and 23 June and a brief pause at

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

on the 30th, ''Wateree'' delivered the barges to

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

on 12 July. Two days later, she headed back to

, where she arrived on 25 July. She remained there until 15 August, first undergoing some repairs and then providing harbor tug services in the anchorage.

End-of-war operations

The tug's departure coincided with the

Surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

ending hostilities in the Pacific. She steamed to Kwajalein where she took ''ARD-29'' in tow, bound via Guam for Okinawa. She and her charge departed Kwajalein on 24 August, stopped at Guam from 2 to 15 September, and arrived at Okinawa on 23 September. Six days later, she assisted several tugs with tows in trouble between the Philippines and Okinawa. On 1 October, she encountered ''Cinnabar'' (IX-162) adrift with ''ATR-29'' standing by. ''Wateree'' took both ships in tow and arrived back in

Buckner Bay is a bay on the southern coast of Okinawa Island on the Pacific Ocean in Japan. The bay covers and ranges between to deep. The bay is surrounded by the municipalities of Uruma, Kitanakagusuku, Nakagusuku, Nishihara, Yonabaru, Nanjō, all ...

on 4 October.

Trapped by a typhoon

When it was ascertained that a

would soon strike the anchorage at Buckner Bay, the tug received orders on 7 October to stand by to assist any ships which got into trouble during the storm. ''Wateree'' herself, however, fell victim to typhoon "Louise" when it hit the anchorage on 9 October. At about 12:20, her

starboard Port and starboard are Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z), nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the Bow (watercraft), bow (front). Vessels with bil ...

anchor was carried away by one of the many ships and barges cast about by the storm. To ease the strain on her remaining port anchor chain, she started her engines. Soon, however, she had to weigh anchor to avoid all the vessels adrift in the anchorage. The wind blew her afoul the anchor buoy for ''APL-28'', and she was drawn in toward that ship. She and ''APL-28'' collided, but the damage was repaired quickly, and she untangled herself from the anchor buoy. Between 15:15 and 15:58, she cleared the APL and attempted to drop her port anchor again. The anchor machinery failed; and, at 15:28, the wind blew her onto a reef and battered out her starboard side before she could be brought clear. At about 15:55, the order to abandon ship went out; and, by 16:10, all crewmen had gone over the side. Soon thereafter, ''Wateree'' sank in about 8 fathoms of water. The ship's commanding officer, her executive officer, and six enlisted men were lost. ''Wateree''s name was struck from the

Navy list A Navy Directory, 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 authorities of a co ...

on 1 November 1945.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wateree World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Abnaki-class tugs Ships built in Alameda, California 1944 ships