Iuka II AT-37

Iuka II

(AT-37: dp. 795; 1. 156'8"; b. 30'2"; dr. 14'7"; s. 13 k.;
colt 44; a. 1 mg.)

The second Iuka ( AT-37) was launched 12 January 1920 by the Staten Island Shipbuilding Co., Port Richmond, N.Y., commissioned 29 October 1920, Lt. Harry F. Quandt in command.

Attached to the Train Squadron, Atlantic Fleet, Iuka sailed for Guantanamo 2 January 1921. After towing and delivering duties there and at the Canal Zone, the tug returned to Norfolk 28 April. Iuka completed a year's service with the Train Squadron, operating along the East Coast in the summer and at Guantanamo in the winter. On 29 April 1922 she reported to the 3d Naval District, at New York, where she served well for the next decade. From 27 April to 7 July 1926, Iuka operated out of Newport, R.I., to salvage the submarine S-51, sunk by collision with SS Cita/ of Rome. When the hulk of S-51 was raised 5 July as a result of skillful salvage work, Iuka and Sagamore towed it to New York. Iuka decommissioned at New York 20 July 1932.

She recommissioned at Philadelphia 23 November 1940 and rejoined the Train Squadron, Atlantic Fleet, for operations along the East Coast and out of Guantanamo. After 3 years of harbor duties and towing target rafts, mainly operating from Portland, Maine, luka was traneferred to the Western Sea Frontier, reporting for duty 4 February 1945. She had been reclassifled ATO-37, 15 May 1944. Harbor duties at San Diego formed Iuka's basic work for the following year. She decommissioned but remained in service 15 August 1946 and was placed out of service at San Francisco 15 April 1947. Iuka was delivered to her purchasers, Pan American Steamship Corp. of Panama, at Los Angeles 8 July 1948.