Mataco (ATF 86) - Naval Cruise Book

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smvis HISTORY - . t T amed for a fierce and warlike South Amerie . USS MATACO qATFbii3t 150a0f1jfletlJXflA'I'1iC?0 is a native Californian as her keel was 1315122 Indian tribe numbering 2. , , Q d at Alameda, California on 29 May, 1943. Within Six 27 June 1942, and She.Wa.S Commlsslone leted what is believed to be the longest nonstgp tow , ' , she had comp , , nautical .miles in 36 days. W II She participated in the Gilbert Islands operation d of World ar , h , the Clgufdgg gil Ioirciilpgtialii of Saipan and the assaults on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In all,MATA, p . Service in Japan during the post war occupation was fol- . ts tars. , ?0?v33Ib1ye?nErY5 ealsiaigigiirits io tow non-self-propelled vessels being returned to the United States for preservation and future service. . . i 1 U C fl' t found MATACO participating in the Inchon landing and perform- The Korean on ic I , a rescue missions in four other major engagements. Although ing combat salvage and air-se a rotated ship, MATACO returned to the United States after she had completed more than three years of continuous overseas duty and steamed over 50,000 nautical miles. A A O 11 d three deployments in support of the Allied Forces in Southeast Asia. M T C as ma e U I MATACO has served on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf and has provided towing and salvage support for all the allied navies in Southeast Asia. Peacetime duties of IVIATACO consist of towing non-self-propelled and decommissioned vessels, search and rescue operations, diving and salvage and towing target sleds for surface gunnery exercises. Although MATACO is armed with a 3 f 50 gun, the automatic towing engine is commonly referred to as the tug's main battery. With this towing engine, IVIATACO is capable of taking any ship afloat in tow under normal conditions. Four large diesel engines are the prime mov- ers of lVIATACO's diesel-electric drive. This power system, producing 3,060 horsepower to turn MATACO's single propeller, yields speeds up to 16 knots Cabout 19M PHL Fully loaded, her length of 205 feet and beam of 38 feet displace about 1650 tons of water with an average draft of 15 feet. ' A San Diego homeported ship, MATACO is a unit of the Service Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet under the operational and administrative control of Commander Service Squadron ONE, whose insignia she proudly displays on her bridge wings. Like her Sister units Within the fleet, MA- TACO deploys .regularly overseas to assist in preserving peace. Her salvage, towing, diving and rescue facilities stand ready to serve the fleet whenever a need should arise. . , , is , ,

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A Message From The C0 As we complete this cruise to the Western Pacific there are a few thoughts I would like to share with you. At times you may have thought that the long days at sea, the arduous and often dangerous weather we experienced, and the personal hardships and anxieties caused by family seperations have gone unnoticed. Let me assure you that they have not. I would like to pass on to each of you my personal thanks for the ef- ficient, professional job you have done throughout the cruise. From the salvage of LC U-1492 at Bikini Atoll through all the various tows and other assignments, you have been directly responsible for-building an outstanding reputation for MATACO. Through your efforts, and always to your credit, MATACO met all her committrnents and was the first to be called on in an emergency. I further wish to commend your conduct ashore. In every port and foreign nation we visited your conduct was exemplary and you were a credit to MATACO as well as to our Navy and Country. It has been my personal pleasure to serve as your Commanding Officer and I am particularly proud to be a member of MATACO's fine crew. To each and everyone of you again, WELL DONE. , R. A. CLAIR