USS ''ATA-214'' was the lead ship of the of

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, suc ...

s for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and was built near the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Originally

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

as ''Palo Blanco'' (YN-85), a net tender of the , she was redesignated as AN-64, a

net layer A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of naval auxiliary ship. A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid ...

, before launch. Before completion, the name ''Palo Blanco'' was cancelled and the ship was named ''ATA-214'', an unnamed auxiliary ocean tug. ''Palo Blanco'' served in the Pacific Theatre during her brief career with the Navy.

Career

''Palo Blanco'' (ATA–214) was laid down 22 May 1943 as ''YN–85'' at Canulette Shipbuilding Co., Slidell, Louisiana; re-designated ''AN–64'', 20 January 1944; launched 17 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Isabella A. Gamage; re-designated ''ATA–214'', 12 August 1944; lost the name ''Palo Blanco''; and commissioned 25 September 1944. During her brief war-time career, ''ATA–214'' served in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. In July 1945, she provided auxiliary tug services in and around

Leyte Gulf Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...

. On the 12th, she steamed to

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 in ...

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, but returned to San Pedro Bay, Leyte the 25th. After the war, the ship decommissioned in September 1945; she was transferred to the

U.S. Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

30 April 1947.

References

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NavSource Online: YN-85 / AN-64 Palo Blanco - ATA-214
{{DEFAULTSORT:ATA-215 ATA-214-class tugs Ships built in Slidell, Louisiana 1944 ships World War II auxiliary ships of the United States