USS Geronimo (ATA-207)
USS Geronimo (ATA-207) was a Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. It began as ATR-134, built by Gulfport Boiler and Welding Works in Port Arthur, Texas. Launched January 4, 1945, it was commissioned March 1, 1945 and renamed Geronimo on July 16, 1948.
Service history
- After shakedown, Geronimo towed a barracks ship to the Pacific. It crossed the Panama Canal on April 15, 1945, and arrived at Leyte, Philippines, June 25, 1945.
- It served as a harbor and rescue tug at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, then to Leyte with cargo lighters in tow after July 21, 1945, arriving just after Japan’s surrender.
- In the Pacific postwar period, it towed and performed rescue work around the islands, carried dock sections to Eniwetok, and served at Nouméa, New Caledonia.
- It later hauled RAAF equipment to Brisbane (arriving April 29, 1946), helped the SS John Miller at Pearl Harbor, and towed the disabled USAT Peter M. Anderson to San Pedro.
- In 1946 it returned to the mainland, moving from Charleston to New Orleans, where it conducted Gulf towing voyages.
- Decommissioned September 19, 1947, it joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and was renamed Geronimo (ATA-207) in 1948.
Later life and transfer
- Stricken from the Navy list March 1, 1962.
- Loaned to the Department of the Interior in 1963 for oceanographic and marine research.
- Transferred to the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1968 and served as ROCS Chiu Lien (AGS-563) for ocean research.
- Retired in 1984; ultimate fate unknown.
Specifications
- Class and type: Sotoyomo-class auxiliary fleet tug
- Displacement: 534 tons
- Length: 143 ft (44 m); Beam: 33 ft (10 m); Draft: 13 ft (4 m)
- Propulsion: diesel-electric, single screw; Speed: 13 knots
- Crew: 45
- Armament: 1 × 3"/50 caliber gun; 2 × twin 40 mm AA
- Notable roles: harbor and rescue tug; towing; cargo and dock transfer; later oceanographic research vessel in government service and then Taiwan service
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:15 (CET).