USS Mahopac (ATA 196)

USS Mahopac (ATA-196) was a Sotoyomo-class fleet tug auxiliary fleet tug. Her original planned designation was ATR-123, reflecting her intended role as a Rescue Ocean Tug, but was re-designated as Auxiliary Ocean Tug ATA-196 on May 14, 1944, before construction had started. Upon completion of shakedown and underway training, ATA‑196 departed for the Pacific. From May through November 1945 she participated in towing operations in the central and western Pacific. She then proceeded to the north Pacific for towing and search air rescue duties with the Alaskan Sea frontier. While serving in that area, she was named Mahopac 16 July 1948. The oceangoing tug remained under the operational control of the commanding officer, U.S. Naval Station Kodiak Island, Alaska, until May 1957. On 13 May, Mahopac departed Kodiak for Astoria, Oregon, for inactivation. En route she received new orders canceling inactivation and changing her homeport to Yokosuka, Japan, effective 1 July 1957.

Mahopac departed San Francisco for the western Pacific 22 July 1957 with barges in tow. Transferring the barges at Eniwetok atoll 28 August, she continued on to Yokosuka, arriving 7 September. She then performed towing and drone operations for the Fleet Training Group. Through 1964, her duties took her as far as Subic Bay in the Philippines; her 1965 to 1969 assignments have extended her cruises to include periodic tours off the coast of Vietnam in support of 7th Fleet operations there.