Wreck of USS Seminole (AT-65)

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, place with historical importance, shipwreck, tugboat, United States Navy

USS Seminole was the second member of the Navajo Class of Fleet Ocean Tugs, and entered service with the US Navy in 1940 as a member of the US Pacific Fleet. Following Pearl Harbor, the Seminole operated around the Hawaiian Islands for most of 1941 before departing for the Tonga Islands and the South Pacific in late 1942. Assigned to support US operations off Tulagi and Guadalcanal, the Seminole arrived in Ironbottom Sound on October 18th, 1942 and took up duties as a small transport ship for Marine raiders and their supplies.

After loading a contingent of US Marines, ammunition and barrels of gasoline at Tulagi on the morning of October 25th, the Seminole departed in company with the patrol craft YP-284 for Lunga Point, where they would land her troops and cargo ashore before returning for a second load. Soon after they arrived on the shore of Guadalcanal and offloaded their cargo, the two ships had to quickly weigh anchor and get underway as three Japanese Destroyers appeared on the horizon, steaming directly for them.

Steaming due East and hugging the coastline for cover, the slow moving Seminole and YP-284 attempted to flee the area while US Destroyers tried to engage the Japanese ships. The Japanese managed to out maneuver and out flank the American ships, and quickly closed on the Seminole and YP-284 which were hopelessly outgunned for the coming engagement. The Japanese Destroyers opened fire at 11:15hrs and their shells quickly found the Seminole, whose unarmored hull was quickly shredded by the accurate Japanese fire, starting large diesel fires on deck and around the tug. Large amounts of water began to pour into the Seminole and the fires onboard quickly grew out of control, and at 11:20hrs the crew was ordered to abandon ship.

As the Japanese Destroyers shifted their attention and fire to the YP-284, the Seminole began to swamp before finally rolling over and sinking at this location on October 25th, 1942. One member of her crew was killed in the attack.

www.navsource.org/archives/09/39/39065.htm