# USS Zuni

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**USS *Zuni* (AT/ATF-95)**, a [*Cherokee*-class fleet tug](/source/Cherokee-class_fleet_tug) fleet [tugboat](/source/Tugboat), formerly called [*Navajo*-class fleet tug](/source/Navajo-class_fleet_tug), was a ship of the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) named for the [Zuni](/source/Zuni_people), the popular name given to a tribe of [Pueblo Indians](/source/Pueblo_Indian) indigenous to the area around the [Zuni River](/source/Zuni_River) in central [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico) near the [Arizona](/source/Arizona) state line.

*Zuni* (AT-95) was laid down on 8 March 1943 at [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland,_Oregon), by the [Commercial Iron Works](/source/Commercial_Iron_Works); [launched](/source/Ship_naming_and_launching) on 31 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. J. J. O'Donnell; and [commissioned](/source/Ship_commissioning) on 9 October 1943.

## 1943

*Zuni* completed shakedown training late in October and on the 28th reported for duty with the [Western Sea Frontier](/source/Western_Sea_Frontier), The following day, she departed [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound), bound for [Kodiak, Alaska](/source/Kodiak,_Alaska). On 10 November, she stood out of the harbor at Kodiak with two [barges](/source/Barge) in tow. In extremely heavy weather during the voyage south, the towlines to both barges parted; and *Zuni* experienced great difficulty in keeping herself afloat. Though she managed to maintain contact with the second barge after it broke loose, she ultimately received orders to abandon it and make for [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle,_Washington).

On 1 December, the tug was reassigned to Service Squadron 2 (ServRon 2) and departed Seattle that same day with a barge in tow, bound for [Oakland, California](/source/Oakland,_California). After repairs at Oakland, the tug headed west for the [New Hebrides](/source/New_Hebrides) on 27 December 1943, in company with four cargo ships, and arrived in [Espiritu Santo](/source/Espiritu_Santo) at the end of January 1944.

## 1944

Early in February, the tug left Espiritu Santo, set her course for Hawaii, and arrived in [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor) on 17 February. She performed routine missions at [Oahu](/source/Oahu) for about a month, getting underway on 21 March for a round-trip voyage to [Canton Island](/source/Canton_Island). She returned to Oahu on 9 April towing two barges from Canton Island. On 20 April, she stood out of Pearl Harbor, pulling three barges bound for [Majuro Atoll](/source/Majuro_Atoll), and returned to Hawaii on 11 May. On 15 May 1944, she was redesignated a Fleet Ocean Tug, **ATF-95**.

A week later, she began an extended tour of duty in the Central Pacific. Towing the [floating dry dock](/source/Floating_dry_dock) [USS *ARD-16*](/source/USS_ARD-16), the tug arrived in [Kwajalein](/source/Kwajalein) lagoon on 2 June. Reassigned to ServRon 12, *Zuni* served as a harbor tug at Kwajalein until mid-July when she again took *ARD-16* in tow and got underway for the [Mariana Islands](/source/Mariana_Islands). There, she participated briefly in the 24 July [assault on Tinian](/source/Battle_of_Tinian) before settling into a routine of shuttle voyages between [Eniwetok](/source/Eniwetok) and the Marianas. Late in September, she towed a different floating dry dock, [USS *ARD-17*](/source/USS_ARD-17), to the [Palau Islands](/source/Palau_Islands) where, during the first 18 days of October, she provided support services to the combined forces [invading Peleliu](/source/Battle_of_Peleliu). At that point, she received urgent orders to rendezvous with [USS *Houston*](/source/USS_Houston_(CL-81)) after that [light cruiser](/source/Light_cruiser) had been damaged by two torpedoes during a Japanese aerial blitz to answer [Task Force 38](/source/Task_Force_38)'s raids on [Okinawa](/source/Okinawa_Island) and [Formosa](/source/Taiwan). She relieved [USS *Pawnee*](/source/USS_Pawnee_(ATF-74)) of the light cruiser and towed her into [Ulithi](/source/Ulithi) lagoon on 27 October. After serving at the anchorage there for five days, the tug returned to sea with a group of [oilers](/source/Oiler_(ship)). Soon another set of urgent orders sent her to aid another light cruiser, [USS *Reno*](/source/USS_Reno_(CL-96)), which had been torpedoed in the [Philippines](/source/Philippines), off the [San Bernardino Strait](/source/San_Bernardino_Strait), on 3 November by Japanese submarine . Though the cruiser nearly capsized, the ships' companies of *Zuni* and *Reno* combined efforts to meet the threat; and the tug succeeded in towing the cruiser 1,500 miles (2,800 km) back to [Ulithi](/source/Ulithi).

The tug remained in Ulithi for the rest of November and throughout most of December. During the latter month, she towed the disabled merchantman [SS *John B. Floyd*](/source/SS_John_B._Floyd) into Ulithi and conducted a solitary cruise eastward of the Philippines. On 29 December, *Zuni* put to sea with Task Group 30.8, the replenishment group for TF 38, and cruised for almost a month off [Luzon](/source/Luzon). She returned to Ulithi on 28 January 1945 for engine repairs.

## 1945

She moved back out to sea in February and arrived off [Iwo Jima](/source/Iwo_Jima) three days after the [initial assault](/source/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima). For 31 days, she performed yeoman service for the warships in the area. She pulled a transport off a sand bar. She provided engine partial power to [USS *LST-944*](/source/USS_LST-944), which had lost one engine, as *LST-944* made her run for the beach, and *Zuni* remained alongside *LST-944* to assist the vessel to remain in position on the beach against the very high surf to land the US Army 506th 90 mm AAA Battalion, which was attached to the 3rd Marine Division. The use of a tug to help power an LST ([Landing Ship, Tank](/source/Landing_Ship,_Tank)) to the beach was a Navy first in amphibious landings. Her more routine missions consisted of assisting broached landing craft and laying submerged fuel pipes.

Work in the shallows, however, was as dangerous to her as to others. While attempting to save [USS *LST-727*](/source/USS_LST-727) on 23 March 1945, *Zuni* was stranded on Yellow Beach on Iwo Jima when a broken towline fouled her anchor and propeller. She lost two crewmen, Frederick Francis Palkovics, 18, of Elizabeth, N.J., and James Michael Byrnes, in the disaster, and suffered a broken [keel](/source/Keel) and holed sides. She was pulled off the beach by [USS *Zebra*](/source/USS_Zebra_(AKN-5)) and [USS *ATR-52*](/source/USS_ATR-52), temporarily repaired, and towed to [Saipan](/source/Saipan). After further temporary repairs, *Zuni* was towed to Pearl Harbor where she arrived at the end of May. During the more than 14 weeks of repairs she underwent there, World War II ended.

*Zuni* resumed active duty on 15 September and served with the [Pacific Fleet](/source/U.S._Pacific_Fleet) until early in 1946, when she was transferred to the [Atlantic Fleet](/source/U.S._Atlantic_Fleet). She served in the [8th Naval District](/source/8th_Naval_District) until she was decommissioned on 29 June 1946 and transferred to the [United States Coast Guard](/source/United_States_Coast_Guard). *Zuni* was struck from the [Naval Vessel Register](/source/Naval_Vessel_Register) on 19 July 1946.

*Zuni* earned four [battle stars](/source/Battle_star) for her World War II service. Admiral [William Halsey](/source/William_Halsey) awarded the [Legion of Merit](/source/Legion_of_Merit) to her skipper, Lt. Ray E. Chance. From the time of her commissioning *Zuni* was underway 80% of the time.

## USCGC *Tamaroa*

Main article: [USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166)](/source/USCGC_Tamaroa_(WMEC-166))

The ship was renamed [USCGC *Tamaroa* (WAT-166)](/source/USCGC_Tamaroa_(WAT-166)), after the [Tamaroa](/source/Tamaroa_(tribe)) tribe of the [Illiniwek](/source/Illiniwek) tribal group. She was later reclassified a [Medium Endurance Cutter](/source/Medium_endurance_cutter), **WMEC-166**. As *Tamaroa*, she is best known for her rescue work during the "[Perfect Storm](/source/1991_Perfect_Storm)" of 1991. She was decommissioned by the Coast Guard on 1 February 1994.

From 2009 till 2011 *Tamaroa* had been undergoing restoration work at Little Creek in preparation to its move to its future home port in the City of Portsmouth. In 2011 she was moved to the [Nauticus](/source/Nauticus) on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk where she remained for a brief stay. She was then moved to a private shipyard across the Elizabeth river where she awaits her final fate. In late 2011 or early 2012 she suffered a major leak during a storm. Her owner decided that it was no longer worth keeping and turned her over to the shipyard owner. The Zuni Maritime Foundation was able to remove the property that they had acquired to outfit the ship and has transferred to other museum ships.

## Scuttling and use as reef

Prior to scuttling, parts of the Tamaroa were removed by the Black Dog Salvage company for two episodes of the TV show "Salvage Dawgs". Her main mast was repurposed as a flagpole for the [Ballast Point Brewing Company](/source/Ballast_Point_Brewing_Company) in [Roanoke, Virginia](/source/Roanoke,_Virginia). In 2017 the hull of the ship was [scuttled](/source/Scuttling) off the coast of [Cape May](/source/Cape_May), [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey) to add to an existing [artificial reef](/source/Artificial_reef). New Jersey and Delaware acquired the Tamaroa for $300,000, mostly raised through non-profit groups. It joins the Navy destroyer [USS *Arthur W. Radford*](/source/USS_Arthur_W._Radford) 120 feet below the ocean's surface on the Del-Jersey-Land Reef, which is managed by Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.[1]

## References

1. ["Historic Navy and Coast Guard Ship Still of Service as a Reef"](http://www.northjersey.com/news/historic-navy-and-coast-guard-ship-still-of-service-as-a-reef-1.1681610). *www.northjersey.com*

## External links

- Zuni Maritime Foundation [\[1\]](http://zunitamaroa.org/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100623040658/http://www.zunitamaroa.org/) 2010-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
- [\[2\]](http://www.zuninews.4t.com) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080414231539/http://www.zuninews.4t.com/) 2008-04-14 at the Wayback Machine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Zuni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Zuni) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Zuni?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.