Mahopac III ATA-196

Mahopac III
(ATA-196: dpl. 760; 1. 143', b. 33'10", dr. 13'2", s. 13 k.
colt 45; a. 1 3"; cl. 4TA-181)

Originally planned as ATR-123, ATA-196 was laid down 24 November 1944 by the Levingston Ship Building Co. Orange, Tex.; launched 21 December 1944; and commissioned 6 March 1945, Lt. (jg.) L Phipps in command.

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 ocean going 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, Oreg., 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.