[2] They represented a radical departure from previous ocean-going tug designs, and were far more capable of extended open ocean travel than their predecessors.

They were also the first large surface vessels in the United States Navy to be equipped with Diesel-electric drive.

Navajo was en route to San Diego from Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and immediately reversed course to Pearl Harbor once news broke of the Japanese attack.

She became a critical element of salvage operations there, as did her sister ship Seminole, in the days following the attack.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.