| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Cherokee |
| Builder | Bethlehem Staten Island |
| Launched | 10 November 1939 |
| Sponsored by | Miss E. Mark |
| Commissioned | 26 April 1940 |
| Decommissioned | 29 June 1946 |
| Honors and awards | one battle star for World War II service |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Navajo-class fleet tug, later became Cherokee-class fleet tug |
| Displacement | 1,240 tons |
| Length | 205 ft (62 m) |
| Beam | 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) |
| Draft | 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m) |
| Speed | 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement | 85 |
| Armament | 1 x 3-inch (76 mm) gun |
USS Cherokee (AT-66) was a US Navy fleet tug of the Navajo class, later renamed the Cherokee class. She was launched on 10 November 1939 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Staten Island, New York and sponsored by Miss E. Mark; and commissioned 26 April 1940. Cherokee served during World War II in the North African campaign. She was redesignated ATF-66 on 15 May 1944.
Following the loss during World War II of the first two ships of the class, the Navajo and the Seminole, the class was renamed from its original pre-war name of Navajo-class to Cherokee-class, after this third ship built in 1939.[1]
- ^ Polmar, Norman. (2005) The Naval Institute Guide To The Ships And Aircraft Of The U.S. Fleet, 18th edition. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 978-1591146858. p.282.