The USS Geronimo (ATA-207) was an auxiliary ocean tug built by the Gulfport Boiler and Welding Works in Port Arthur, Texas. Originally designated ATR-134, she was launched on January 4, 1945, and commissioned on March 1, 1945. As an ATA-207 class tug, she was constructed to support naval operations through towing and rescue functions. On July 16, 1948, she was officially named Geronimo, in honor of the Apache chief. Following her commissioning, ATA-207 completed shakedown training off Galveston, Texas, before reporting to Tampa, Florida, to pick up a barracks ship for towing to the Pacific Theater. She transited the Panama Canal with her tow on April 15, 1945, and arrived at Leyte in the Philippines on June 25, 1945, via Pearl Harbor. Her early service included serving as a harbor and rescue tug at Lunga Point Naval Base on Guadalcanal, starting July 2, 1945. She participated in towing cargo lighters to Leyte just after Japan's surrender and continued operations across the Pacific islands, performing towing and rescue duties. In October 1945, she transported sections of a dock to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, and later served as a general harbor and towing tug at Nouméa, New Caledonia. She also carried RAAF equipment to Brisbane, arriving April 29, 1946. During her service at Pearl Harbor, she assisted the USS John Miller from a reef and rescued the USAT Peter M. Anderson, bringing her safely to San Pedro. After returning to the U.S., Geronimo was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, then moved to New Orleans in September 1946. She spent nearly a year conducting towing voyages in the Gulf region before decommissioning on September 19, 1947, at Orange, Texas. While in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, she was named Geronimo. In 1962, she was transferred to Chelsea, Massachusetts, to be outfitted as an oceanographic and marine biological research vessel for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Later, she was transferred to the Republic of China Navy in 1968, serving as ROCS Chiu Lien (AGS-563) for oceanographic research until her retirement in 1984. Her ultimate fate remains unknown.

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