USS Sonoma ( AT - 12 ) USS Sonoma ( AT - 12 ) was a " Sonoma " - class fleet tug which had the distinction of serving her country during World War I and World War II . For her work as a tugboat in some very dangerous battle areas , she earned five battle stars during World War II . She ended her battle career gallantly , sunk by a crashed Japanese bomber . The second U . S . Navy warship to be named " Sonoma " , the tug was laid down on 7 November 1911 , at Camden , New Jersey , by the New York Shipbuilding Co . ; launched on 11 May 1912 ; and commissioned on 6 September 1912 , Chief Boatswain William Darrington in command . World War I operations . Upon commissioning , " Sonoma " was assigned to the U . S . Atlantic Fleet as a tender , and she served in that capacity through World War I . In 1919 , the tug was transferred to the U . S . Pacific Fleet and , on 17 July 1920 , was designated AT - 12 . " Sonoma " was assigned to Train Squadron 2 of the newly organized Base Force during the winter of 1923 and 1924 and remained with the Base Force through the early years of World War II . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . At the outbreak of war between the United States and Japan , " Sonoma " was in transit from Wake Island to Pearl Harbor : and , after a voyage to Canton Island and back in February and March 1942 , she remained at Pearl Harbor until October , serving as a channel guard vessel . At that time , she departed Pearl Harbor in company with " Ellet " ( DD - 398 ) and " Turkey " ( AM - 13 ) to tow " ARD - 2 " and " YO - 24 " to New Caledonia . The group arrived at Noumea on 3 November and , after two weeks of repairs and upkeep , Sonoma sailed for Sydney , Australia , with " Alhena " ( AK - 26 ) in tow . She returned to Nouméa on 6 December and stayed there until 2 January 1943 . On that date , she put to sea to aid damaged Army workboat " P - 111 " to limp into port . She and her charge made Nouméa on the 5th . Dangerous operations in the South Pacific . For the next eight months , " Sonoma " towed ships between the ports of the South Pacific Ocean . Based at Noumea , New Caledonia , she visited the Fiji Islands , the New Hebrides Islands , Australia , and New Guinea , both at Milne Bay and Buna . On 3 September 1943 , she arrived off Lae , New Guinea , to participate in her first combat operation and , in the afternoon , was straddled by four bombs - near misses - and sprayed by shrapnel during a raid by seven Japanese twin - engine bombers . Later on , she cleared the area for Morobe Bay , Papua New Guinea . " Sonoma ' s " scrapes with Japanese air power continued through the month of September as she operated in the vicinity of Lae . She came under attack on the 12th , the 21st , and the 22d , and assisted in splashing one enemy on the 12th . For the remainder of 1943 , she operated in and around Buna Harbor at Papua , New Guinea . Struck by “ friendly fire ” . On the second day 1944 , she got underway for Saidor , New Guinea . Her formation came under automatic weapons fire on the following day and Sonoma was hit by several . 50 caliber machine gun bullets . The fire had come from friendly shore batteries which mistook the ships for enemy barges known to be operating in the vicinity . The echelon made Dreger Harbor on 15 January ; then headed on to Milne Bay . From there , Sonoma towed " APC - 4 " to Brisbane , Australia , arriving on 1 February . Following overhaul and repairs , she got underway on 15 February to return to Milne Bay . After spending most of March 1944 around Milne Bay , she headed for Manus in the Admiralty Islands on 31 March . New Guinea area operations . For the next three months , " Sonoma " supported General Douglas MacArthur ' s “ leapfrog ” operation up the back of the New Guinea bird . On 15 May 1944 , " Sonoma " was redesignated ATO - 12 and , later that month , she moved to the Hollandia area in the vicinity of Biak Island , where she did salvage , fire fighting , and towing duty for the landing craft which had been bombed and strafed by the enemy . She spent the month of June in $ 3 , New Guinea , then lent her support to the Noemfoor attack during the first week in July . By the 15th , she was back at Milne Bay for repair and upkeep . Dutch East Indies operations . On 11 September , she got underway for the assault area off Morotai Island in the Netherlands East Indies . She remained there for 10 days - again providing salvage , fire fighting , and towing services . During that period , she suffered a broken crankshaft and had to put in at Gila Bay for repairs . On the 21st , she sailed back to Humboldt Bay where she went into availability for a week ; then resumed salvage duty around Jautefa Bay . Supporting the Philippine Islands invasion . On 14 October , she sailed in company with echelon LI , as Task Unit 78 . 2 . 9 , bound ultimately for the Leyte invasion . Sonoma entered San Pedro Bay , Leyte Gulf , on the 20th . On the morning of the 24th , she opened fire on several enemy planes with her starboard guns . Crashed into by a Japanese bomber . As she cast off from merchant freighter SS Augustus Thomas , next to whom she had been moored , a flaming enemy bomber crashed " Sonoma " on the starboard side amidships . Two explosions followed immediately , and she began taking water at an alarming rate . LCI - 72 and " Chickasaw " ( ATF - 83 ) came alongside the stricken tug , extinguished the fires on her starboard side , and removed casualties . Sunk after attempt to save her . " Chickasaw " then made an unsuccessful attempt to beach her on Dio Island . That afternoon , " Sonoma " sank in 18 feet of water off Dio Island . Her name was struck from the Navy list on 27 November 1944 . Military awards and honors . " Sonoma " ( ATO - 12 ) earned five battle stars during World War II .