USS Menominee (AT-73)

USS Menominee (AT-73) in San Francisco Bay, 30 September 1942.
History
United States
Name	USS Menominee
Namesake	Menominee
Builder	United Engineering Co.
Laid down	27 September 1941
Launched	14 February 1942
Commissioned	25 September 1942
Decommissioned	15 November 1946
Reclassified	Fleet ocean tug ATF-73, 15 May 1944
Stricken	1 November 1959
Identification	Hull symbol: AT-73 Code letters: NUMO[1]
Honors and awards	5 × battle stars for World War II
Fate	Transferred to Indonesia, renamed Rakata (928)
Indonesia
Name	KRI Rakata
Namesake	Rakata
Acquired	26 January 1961
Identification	Pennant number: 928 (1961) Pennant number: 922 (1980s)
Fate	Sunk as target 2004
General characteristics
Class and type	Navajo-class fleet tug
Displacement	1,240 long tons (1,260 t)
Length	205 ft (62 m)
Beam	38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
Draft	15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric four General Motors 12-278 diesel main engines driving four General Electric generators and three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines single screw 3,000 shp (2,237 kW)
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Complement	86 (initial) 67 (as of 1989)
Sensors and processing systems	as of 1989 AN/SPS-5B surface-search radar G/H band as of 2004 Racal-Decca surface-search radar I band
Armament	as built 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun 2 × single 40 mm AA guns 2 × single 20 mm AA guns as KRI Rakata 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun 2 × single 40 mm AA guns 2 × twin 25 mm AA guns

USS Menominee (AT-73) was a Navajo-class fleet tug constructed for the United States Navy during World War II.^[1] Her purpose was to aid ships, usually by towing, on the high seas or in combat or post-combat areas, plus "other duties as assigned." During World War II she was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater where she participated in four campaigns earning four battle stars.

Menominee was laid down 27 September 1941, at United Engineering Co. in San Francisco and launched on 14 February 1942. She was commissioned 25 September 1942.^[1]

After the war, Menominee sailed for home. In Portland on 15 November 1946, she was decommissioned and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was struck from the Naval Register 1 November 1959, and transferred to Indonesia on 26 January 1961 as part of the Military Assistance Program. She served in Indonesia as Rakata (928). While in Indonesian service, the Oerlikon 20 mm cannons located in bridge wings were replaced with 2M-3 twin 25 mm cannons of Soviet origin.^[2] In the 1980s, her pennant number were changed to 922.^[3] As of 2004, the ship was mostly used as patrol ship.^[4] Rakata was sunk as target by KRI Nanggala (402) in a joint exercise in Indian Ocean between 8 April and 2 May 2004.^[5][6]

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• Moore, Capt. John (1979). Jane's Fighting Ships 1979-80. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0354005876.
• Sharpe, Capt. Richard (1989). Jane's Fighting Ships 1989-90. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710608864.
• Saunders, Cdre. Stephen (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710626233.

• Photo gallery of USS Menominee (AT-73/ATF-73) at NavSource Naval History
• KRI Rakata 922: Tugboat with a Long History Track (in Indonesian)