USS Kittaton (YTM-406)

	USS Kittaton (at right) escorting USNS General LeRoy Eltinge (T-AP-154)
History
United States
Name	Kittaton
Namesake	A creek in Virginia named for a Native American word meaning "the great town or village."
Ordered	as YT-406
Builder	Ira Bushey & Sons, Inc., Brooklyn, New York
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	30 June 1944
Acquired	by the U.S. Navy in December 1944
In service	19 January 1945 as Kittaton (YTB-406)
Out of service	date unknown
Reclassified	Harbor Tug, Large YTB-406, 15 May 1944; District Harbor Tug, Medium YTM-406 in February 1962;
Stricken	date unknown
Identification	IMO number: 8853568
Honours and; awards	World War II Victory Medal
Fate	sold for scrapping, 23 April 1987
General characteristics
Type	Sassaba-class district harbor tug
Displacement	238 tons
Length	100'
Beam	25'
Draft	9' 7"
Propulsion	Diesel, single screw
Speed	12 knots
Complement	not known
Armament	none

USS Kittaton (YT-406 /YTB-406 /YTM-406) was a district harbor tug that served the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean, often in the Japan and Philippine Islands area and was eventually struck from the Navy list at an unspecified date.

Built in Brooklyn, New York[]

Kittaton (YTB-406) was laid down as YT-406; re-classified YTB-406 on 15 May 1944; launched 30 June 1944, by Ira Bushey & Sons, Inc., Brooklyn, New York; and placed in service 19 January 1945, Ens. T. J. Barfield in command.

World War II-related service[]

Assigned to duty in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations, Kittaton joined Task Force 16 at Pearl Harbor 21 May. Departing 2 days later, she steamed via Kwajalein and arrived Guam in June for towing operations out of Apra Harbor.

Post-war service[]

Kittaton served at Guam and in the western Pacific until February 1947 when she was assigned to further duty with Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Reclassified YTM-406 in February 1962, Kittaton in 1967 remained on active service with the U.S. Pacific Fleet out of U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippine Islands.

Deactivation[]

Kittaton was decommissioned and struck by the Navy at an undisclosed date. She was sold for scrapping on 23 April 1987.^[1]

Honors and awards[]

Qualified Kittaton personnel are eligible for the following:

References[]

^ "KITTATON (YTM 406) vessel details". nvr.navy.mil.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - YT-406 / YTB-406 / YTM-406 Kittaton

[1] "KITTATON (YTM 406) vessel details". nvr.navy.mil.

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