Washakie YTB-386

Washakie

(YTB-386: dp. 218; 1. 100'0"; b. 25'0"; dr. 10'0"; s. 11 k. (tl.); cl. Iwana)

Washakie (YTB-386) was laid down on 13 October 1943 at Brooklyn, N.Y., by Ira S. Bushey & Sons as YT-386; launched on 13 February 1944, reclassified a large harbor tug and redesignated YTB-386 on 15 May 1944; delivered to the Navy on 30 June 1944; and placed in service on 1 July 1944.

The tug steamed from New York, transited the Panama Canal, and served the service force, Pacific Fleet, for the duration of World War II. During the last year of hostilities, she served at various forward bases in the Central Pacific but finally ended up at Okinawa. She remained active at Okinawa even after the Japanese capitulation in mid-August 1945. When a typhoon struck Okinawa in October, Washakie was one of several ships grounded or otherwise damaged by the storm. As a result of that damage, she was placed out of service on 16 October 1945. Soon refloated, she was returned to the United States sometime in November and, after completing inactivation overhaul, was placed in reserve with the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.

In May 1953, Washakie came out of reserve, retransited the Panama Canal, and reported for duty at Mayport, Fla. There she remained for the next 22 years, serving under the auspices of the Commandant, 6th Naval District. In February 1962, she was reclassified a medium harbor tug and received the new designation YTM-386. Apparently, she was placed out of service and her name struck from the Navy list sometime between 1 October 1975 and 1 January 1976, for her name appears in the Naval Vessel Register for 1975 but not in that for 1976. Presumably, she was sold.

Washakie received one battle star for World War II service.