USS Tate
Note: Mr. Tom Crew, a fellow Mississippian, who lives in Long Beach, Mississippi has done extensive research on the USS Tate. His goal is to post the entire USS Tate project on the Internet before Spring that includes color photos, which are rare for WW II. He also has the ships diary and action reports.
Mr. Crew has graciously consented to posting the information below on the
Tate Co, MS website. If anyone has information about the USS Tate please contact
Mr. Crew at crew@goldinc.com
My father was an officer on the USS Tate (he is still alive and lives
in Michigan) and for about a year I have been researching and writing the official history of the ship. It is unlikely anyone has any more
information than I on the subject. Since you are from Tate County I expect you are wondering why that name
was chosen. I don't know that answer, but this class of ships (AKAs) were named
for counties. I expect there was a Congressman from Tate County, Mississippi who pulled a string for a ship naming.
The Tate caught the tail end of the Philippine campaign and was in the kick
off of Operation Icebox (Okinawa) were they helped capture islands in the Kerama Retto group and saw major action at Ie Shima. The Tate was a
lucky ship and survived a number of air attacks. On one occasion her convoy was
attacked and many ships were hit, including her escort which exploded and was lost. She also had a torpedo run right under her (set too deep) in
a near miss. While seeing plenty of action she never lost a man during the war. She served on until June 1946 and was sold as a merchant, renamed
and was finally scrapped in 1970.
The USS Tate is credited with two assisted Kamikaze kills, and damage to several other aircraft.
If you have any information I'd love to hear about it.
Respectfully,
Thomas E. Crew
Naval Oceanographic Office
Allied Cooperation/Technology Transfer, N84
1002 Balch Blvd.
Stennis Space Center, MS 39522-5001
228-688-5716
FAX 228-688-4333
DSN Prefix 828
"There is no limit to the good you can do if you don't care who gets the
credit." General George C. Marshall
This page updated January 20, 2010
County Coordinators: Syble Embrey & Marie Carlton
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