The USS Bagaduce (AT-21/ATO-21) was the lead vessel of the Bagaduce class of fleet tugs built for the United States Navy. Laid down on July 16, 1918, by the Ferguson Steel and Iron Company in Buffalo, New York, she was launched on April 5, 1919, and commissioned at Buffalo on September 18, 1919. Originally designated as Tug No. 21, she was briefly named Ammonoosuc in February 1919 before being renamed Bagaduce on February 24, 1919. The ship was constructed as part of the World War I shipbuilding program, designed to serve as a minesweeper and conduct heavy-duty towing at navy yard facilities. Constructed of steel, the Bagaduce was intended for fleet support, and her initial operations were based out of the New York Navy Yard, where she provided towing and pilot services along the New England coast. After the adoption of the hull classification system in 1920, she was designated AT-21. The vessel's early service was interrupted by the 1922 Washington Naval Conference fleet reductions, leading to her decommissioning in May 1922. However, she was recommissioned in June 1924 and resumed operations in the 3rd Naval District. Throughout her service, Bagaduce participated in notable salvage operations, such as assisting in the raising of the submarine S-51 after it was rammed and sunk off Rhode Island in 1925. She also played a role in disaster response, supporting relief efforts after the 1926 Miami hurricane and the 1927 Mississippi River flood, delivering provisions and aiding in harbor clearance. She served extensively in the Canal Zone at Coco Solo from 1927 to 1929, supporting ships and submarines transiting the Panama Canal. Decommissioned in April 1932, she was later recommissioned in June 1938 and assigned to the Pacific Fleet, operating out of San Diego and later San Francisco during World War II. Redesignated ATO-21 in 1944, she continued towing duties through the end of the war. The vessel was decommissioned at Mare Island in June 1946, struck from the Naval Vessel Register in July 1946, and transferred for disposal in January 1947. The USS Bagaduce's service exemplified the essential support role of fleet tugs in U.S. naval operations across both wartime and peacetime periods.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.