Naval History and Heritage Command
Catawba III (T-ATF-168)
1981–
Formerly a leading tribe of the Carolinas and the most important of the eastern Siouian tribes; the Catawba aided the colonists in the Tuscarora War of 1711-1715, in the French and Indian War, and in the defense of South Carolina against the British during the Revolutionary War.
IV
(T-ATF-168; displacement 1,387 (light) 2,000 (full); length 226'; beam 42'; draft 15'; speed 15 knots; complement 21; class Powhatan)
The third Catawba (T-ATF-168) was laid down on 14 December 1977 at Marinette, Wis., by the Marinette Marine Corporation; launched on 22 September 1979; sponsored by Mrs. James R. Derusha; and delivered to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) on 28 May 1980.
On 12 October 2000 Cole (DDG-67) was attacked by al-Qaeda operatives in a maritime suicide bombing in the harbor at Aden, Yemen. The attack killed 17 sailors and left a 40-foot hole in the ship’s hull. Catawba towed Cole out of Aden harbor so that the vessel could be returned to the United States for the requisite repairs to return her to service.
From 12-14 May 2008 Catawba participated in Exercise Goalkeeper III in the Persian Gulf. The three-day exercise focused on maritime security operations and provided coalition forces an opportunity to work together and exercise their ability to locate and track various contacts, conduct visit, board, search and seizure operations as well as command and control functions. The exercise included partners from Bahrain, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and other regional countries.
Detailed history pending.
Christopher B. Havern Sr.
24 November 2015
