View source for USS Pakana

{{short description|Tugboat of the United States Navy}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
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|Ship image=Tugs towing bow of USS Pittsburgh (CA-72) to Guam in June 1945.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Pakana'' and [[USS Munsee (ATF-107)]] towing the broken off bow of [[USS Pittsburgh (CA-72)]]
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1948}}
|Ship name=''Pakana''
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|Ship laid down=1 October 1942
|Ship launched=3 March 1943
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|Ship commissioned=17 December 1943
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|Ship decommissioned=30 April 1948
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|Ship reclassified=15 May 1944
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|Ship struck=1 July 1963
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|Ship honours=*American Campaign Medal
*Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
*World War II Victory Medal
*Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
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|Ship fate=Sunk as a target, 27 May 1975
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|Ship type={{sclass|Abnaki|tugboat|0}} [[fleet ocean tug]]
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|Ship displacement=1,675 tons
|Ship length={{convert|205|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=*4 × General Motors 12-278A diesel main engines
*4 × General Electric generators
*3 × General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
*single screw
* {{convert|3,600|shp|lk=in|abbr=on}}
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* 2 x [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm guns]]
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'''USS ''Pakana'' (AT–108)''' was an {{sclass|Abnaki|tugboat|0}} [[fleet ocean tug]]. It was named after the Pakana, a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribe of [[Texas]].  This ship saw service in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific theater]] of [[World War II]], and was later transferred to the [[United States Bureau of Mines]] for use in [[Alaska]] before being deliberately sunk in 1975.

==Construction and commissioning==
''Pakana'' was laid down 1 October 1942 by the United Engineering Company, [[Alameda, California]].  It was launched on 3 March 1943, and was sponsored by Miss Louise Mary Shipp.  The ship was formally [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 17 December 1943, it was reclassified as (ATF–108) on 15 May 1944.

After shakedown, ''Pakana'' conducted numerous towing assignments up and down the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] and carried out familiarization training for her crew. On 8 March 1944 she departed [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California|San Pedro, California]], and sailed for [[Pearl Harbor]] with a tow and in company with two YW’s. En route, she spent many hours at [[general quarters]] due to frequent [[submarine]] contacts.

==Pacific Theater service==
Several weeks were spent at Pearl Harbor providing services for fleet units, towing targets and performing salvage operations. On 28 April, ''Pakana'' sailed for [[Majuro]] accompanied by {{USS|Saunter}} and {{USS|Molala}} with three fuel [[barge]]s in tow. She arrived at Majuro on 11 May, whereupon she returned to Pearl Harbor. On 9 June, while proceeding to [[Kwajalein]] with a tow, her tow wire parted in heavy weather. ''Pakana'' subsequently retrieved the tow and completed her voyage. Through June and most of July she carried out salvage operations at Kwajalein and [[Enewetak|Eniwetok]], removing beached craft from the landing areas.

Upon completion of salvage operations, she was given towing assignments to [[Guam]], back to Eniwetok, to [[Saipan]], and to Guam again, where she became engaged in additional salvage work.

From Guam, ''Pakana'' sailed 1 October for the [[Palau|Palau Islands]] encountering a [[Tropical cyclone|typhoon]] en route, which tore lose her tow. Again ''Pakana'' was forced to ride out heavy weather and watch-dog her charge until she could re-rig her wire. She arrived at [[Ulithi]] on 6 October, dropped the tow and headed for Pearl via Guam, to undergo alterations.

==Okinawa campaign==
On completion of scheduled alterations, ''Pakana'', with {{USS|Deliver}}, began salvage operations on an [[Tank landing ship|LST]] at [[Maui]], on 25 January 1945, completing the job on 3 February. She was then assigned convoy duty through 25 March, ending up at [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] on the 30th.

Okinawa proved to be hazardous as ''Pakana'' spent several days extracting LSTs from the beaches while under Japanese aerial attacks. On 6 April she was called to pick up survivors of the destroyer {{USS|Bush|DD-529|6}} which had sunk by Japanese planes, and to assist {{USS|Wesson}}, which was flooding from battle damage.

Next came salvage assignments at [[Kerama Retto]] and [[Hagushi]]. On 22 April ''Pakana'' picked up survivors of {{SS|Canada Victory}}.  The next day, she had three crewmen wounded during a strafing attack in which one of her lookouts, manning a 40&nbsp;mm gun, brought down the plane. A short time later the ship's gunners downed another plane.

On 9 May, ''Pakana'' assisted the battleship {{USS|New Mexico|BB-40|6}} in fighting fires resulting from bomb hits, then went alongside SS ''Bucknell Victory'' to supply power to the stricken vessel, remaining with her until 18 May.  Divers from ''Pakana'' engaged in underwater operations to remove obstructions at the Hagushi anchorage in Okinawa on 1 June.  Later, on 8 June she was directed to rendezvous with {{USS|Munsee|ATF-107|6}}, to assist her in towing the bow of the cruiser {{USS|Pittsburgh|CA-72|6}}, which had broken off in a typhoon, to Guam. They arrived on the 20th, and by the 22nd ''Pakana'' was en route to [[Leyte (island)|Leyte]].

''Pakana'' underwent repairs at Leyte, leaving on 20 August. She subsequently provided services and salvage assistance at Saipan, Okinawa, [[Kagoshima, Kagoshima|Kagoshima]], [[Sasebo, Nagasaki|Sasebo]], and Nago Wan.

==Post-war service==
From 20–25 January 1946, ''Pakana'' was in [[Tokyo]] in conjunction with salvage operations following a recent typhoon. She departed on the 25th for Guam, arriving on the 30th for installation of [[LORAN]] equipment. On 20 February she began a series of shuttle runs between Saipan and Guam with various tows.

On 26 April, ''Pakana'' sailed for Pearl Harbor with a tow, arriving on the 26th. She returned to [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] and operated locally until October 1947 when she was assigned to the [[United States Navy reserve fleets|Pacific Reserve Fleet]]. She was retained for temporary duty by Service Force, Pacific Fleet until 9 December 1947, when she was ordered to San Diego for inactivation. ''Pakana'' was placed out of commission in reserve 30 April 1948 and berthed at San Diego. She was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] 1 July 1963, transferred to the [[Maritime Administration]], and laid up at [[Suisun Bay]], [[California]].

On 17 May 1966 she was reinstated and assigned to the [[United States Bureau of Mines]] for use in [[Alaska]]. On 27 May 1975, she was disposed of via sinking by gunfire.

==Awards==
''Pakana'' earned one [[service star|battle star]] for service in [[World War II]].

==References==
* {{DANFS}}[http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p1/pakana.htm]

==External links==
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/39/39108.htm NavSource Online: AT-108 / ATF-108 Pakana]

{{Abnaki class fleet ocean tug}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakana}}
[[Category:Abnaki-class tugs]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Alameda, California]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]