- USS Sarsi (ATF-111)
USS "Sarsi" (AT-111/ATF-111) was a "Abnaki"-class
fleet ocean tug commissioned inCalifornia in1943 . She served duringWorld War II in North Pacific waters, and during theKorean Conflict , she performed her towing services until she was sunk duringTyphoon Karen in 1952 by a driftingnaval mine off the coast ofKorea .Constructed in California
"Sarsi" (AT-111) was laid down on
25 January 1943 by the United Engineering and Dry Dock Co.,Alameda, California ; launched on12 June 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. Robert E. Christy; redesignated "ATF-111" on15 May 1944 ; and commissioned on24 June 1944 , Lt. H. J. Perry, Jr.,USNR , in command.World War II service
Following shakedown training off southern
California , "Sarsi" headed north to assume fleet tug duties in the17th Naval District , headquartered atKodiak (temporarilyAdak )Alaska .She arrived in the
Aleutians on19 August and, by the end ofWorld War II , had completed 45 jobs in the Aleutians and, on four occasions, had supported units of the North PacificTask Force s engaged in raids against theKuriles and enemy shipping north ofHokkaido . During the latter, no casualties were inflicted on the ships of the attack forces. In carrying out her varied missions-salvage, towing, personnel and cargo lifts-in the Aleutian chain, the tug operated fromUnalaska , Kodiak,Umnak ,Seguam , Adak,Tanaga ,Amatignak ,Amchitka ,Shemya , andAttu .Post-war service
After the war, she remained on active duty and continued to provide tug and transportation services to ships and bases in the Aleutians. In the spring of 1947, she returned to southern California and commenced operations out of
San Diego, California , which took her south along the west coast toPanama ; west to theHawaii an, Marshall, andMariana Islands ; and, five years later, north, back to the Aleutians. By that time, however, war had returned to the Pacific; and theUnited States was involved in theUnited Nations effort inKorea .Korean War service
On
24 March 1952 , "Sarsi", commanded by Lt. W. M. Howard, departedSan Diego, California , and sailed west. On18 April , she arrived atSasebo, Japan . On the 20th, she took on ammunition; and, a week later, she continued on toward the embattled Korean peninsula. At the end of the month, she moored on the east side of Yodp, in the approaches toWonsan harbor; and, as a unit of Task Group 92.2, the east coast Blockade and Escort Force, she performed towing, salvage, patrol, escort, buoy tender, and transportation duties.On
19 May , she returned to Sasebo, whence she completed one rescue mission and several towing assignments to southeastern Korean andJapan ese ports. In late June, she operated off the west coast of Korea. In July, she again operated between southeastern Korea andKyushu ; and, on19 August , she returned to theWonsan area and resumed her varied duties there.Sunk in Typhoon Karen
On the 20th, typhoon “Karen” hit the coast. For the next week, "Sarsi" towed various vessels; carried light cargo and personnel; relocated buoys and conducted nighttime, close-inshore anti-mining and anti-junk patrols.
On the afternoon of the 27th, she refueled from "Cimarron"; and, at 1847, moved north to patrol along the edge of the mineswept waters between
Wonsan andHungnam . At 2200, all unnecessary lights were extinguished. She reached Hungnam without incident; but, as she turned to return to Wonsan, a drifting mine, probably cut loose by thetyphoon , exploded against her hull. Damage control efforts proved futile, and "Sarsi" sank in twenty minutes. Four men were killed. The remainder, including four wounded, spent the night in, or clinging to, life rafts, life preservers, and the ship'swhale boat . The whale boat, kept pointed out to sea with lines to the rafts, prevented drifting onto the enemy held shore. Rescue ships –destroyer "Boyd", and minesweepers "Zeal" and "Competent" -- arrived in the morning; and carried the survivors to friendly territory for medical treatment and reassignment.Honors and awards
"Sarsi" earned two
campaign stars for her service during the Korean Conflict.See also
*
United States Navy
*Korean War References
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* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/39/39111.htm NavSource Online: AT-111 / ATF-111 Sarsi]
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