USS ''Etlah'' (YN-98/AN-79) was a built for the
United States Navy during
World War II. She was commissioned in April 1945 and spent her entire career in the Pacific Ocean. She was decommissioned in March 1947 and placed in reserve. She was recommissioned in August 1951 for
Korean War service and remained active until May 1960. She was sold to the
Dominican Republic in September 1976 as
patrol vessel ''Cambiaso'' (P207). By 1994, ''Cambiaso'' had been removed from
Dominican Navy service and hulked.
Career
''Etlah'' was launched 16 December 1944 by
Commercial Iron Works,
Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Mrs. Phyllis I. Kane; and commissioned 16 April 1945. ("Etlah" is apparently a native American Indian word meaning "white lily".)
From 8 June 1945 to 26 November, ''Etlah'' sailed out of
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, repairing and maintaining
antisubmarine nets, and conducting salvage operations in the 11th Naval District. She then served at the Net Depot,
Tiburon, California, testing experimental equipment and giving salvage service in the
Oakland Estuary. Following
World War II. In the spring and summer of 1946, ''Etlah'' performed a miscellany of service to Joint Task Force 1, conducting
atomic weapons tests at
Bikini Atoll in "
Operation Crossroads". The net tender was overhauled at
Bremerton, Washington that fall, and on 14 March 1947 was placed out of commission in reserve at
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...
.
''Etlah'' was recommissioned 10 August 1951, and after shakedown training, sailed for
Yokosuka, Japan, arriving 24 December. Through the remainder of her naval career, she served in the
Far East. During the
Korean War, she maintained the nets guarding
Tokyo Bay, and worked on the nets at Pusan Harbor and
Cheju,
Korea. Towing ships and targets off Japan and in the
Philippines, launching and recovering radio-controlled drones in gunnery exercises, and serving as target ship for
submarines
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely o ...
and surface ships were ''Etlah''s usual employment until 16 February 1960, when she sailed from Yokosuka for
Pearl Harbor and
San Diego, California, where she was decommissioned 31 May 1960.
''Etlah'' received two
battle stars for Korean War service.
The ship was transferred to the
Dominican Republic in 1976, and renamed ''Cambiaso'' (P-207). She was decommissioned from
Dominican Navy service in the early 1990s, and reduced to a hulk by 1994.
Notes
References
*
NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive USS ''Etlah'' (AN-79)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etlah (AN-79)
Cohoes-class net laying ships
Ships built in Portland, Oregon
1944 ships
World War II net laying ships of the United States
Korean War auxiliary ships of the United States
Cohoes-class net laying ships of the Dominican Navy