USS Trefoil (IX-149), the lead ship of her class of concrete-hulled cargo barge, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be given that name. Her keel was laid down in 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Barrett, Hilp & Belair Shipyard in San Francisco, California. She was acquired by the Navy on 5 March 1944 as Midnight, designated unclassified miscellaneous vessel IX-149, and placed in service on 9 March 1944 with Lieutenant Neal King, USNR, in charge.
USS Silica (IX-151), a Trefoil-class concrete barge designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for silica. Her keel was laid down as SS Bauxite on 5 December 1943 by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyard, San Francisco, California. She was launched on 31 December 1943 sponsored by Mrs. William O'Neill, and acquired by the Navy and commissioned on 8 June 1944 with Lieutenant Ormond A. Seavey, USNR, in command.
USS Asphalt (IX-153), a Trefoil-class concrete barge designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for asphalt. Her keel was laid down in 1944 at San Francisco, California, by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyards. She was acquired by the Navy on 30 June 1944 through the Maritime Commission and was placed in service that same day.
USS Marl (IX-160), a Trefoil-class concrete barge designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for marl. Her keel was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyard, South San Francisco, California, on 16 November 1943. She was launched on 2 February 1944 sponsored by Mrs. J. M. Ryan, converted for Navy use as a cargo barge, acquired by the Navy under loan charter from the Maritime Commission on 29 August 1944; and placed in service at San Francisco the same day.
USS Lignite (IX-162), a Trefoil-class concrete barge designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for lignite. Her keel was laid down on 8 December 1943 by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyard, San Francisco, California, under a Maritime Commission contract. She was launched on 26 February 1944 sponsored by Miss Catherine Barrett, converted for use as a United States Army and United States Marine Corps stores barge by Barrett & Hilp, acquired by the Navy on 26 September 1944, and placed in service at San Francisco the same day.
USS Samaritan (AH-10) was a hospital ship that served with the US Navy in World War II. Prior to that, she served as a US Navy transport ship under the name USS Chaumont (AP-5).
USS Pasig (AO-89) was a fleet replenishment oiler in the service of the United States Navy. The lone ship in her class, she was the first of only two U.S. Naval vessels to be named for the Pasig River which flows through Manila on the Philippine Island of Luzon.
USS Sarpedon (ARB-7) was laid down as a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship but was converted as one of twelve Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ships built for the Navy during World War II. Named for Sarpedon, and also she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Coronis (ARL-10) was one of 39 Achelous-class repair ship landing craft built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Coronis, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
The first USS Pigeon (AM-47/ASR-6) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. She was later converted to a submarine rescue ship. She was named for the avian ambassador, the pigeon.
A Service Squadron (ServRon) was a U.S. Navy squadron that supported fleet combat units. Service Squadrons were used by the United States Navy from their inception in 1943 to as late as the early 1980s. At the time of their inception during the Second World War they allowed the US Navy to operate across the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean for extended periods of time. Service Squadrons created temporary forward bases to allow the naval squadrons to spend less time in transit and more time in the area of combat. Ulithi, a small volcanic atoll in the central Pacific, is an example of a site converted for use as a forward base of supply. Service Squadrons essentially created a major naval base near the area of operation. With the naval base at Ulithi to refit, repair and resupply, many ships were able to deploy and operate in the western Pacific for a year or more without returning to a major port facility. Among the vessels operating in service squadrons were tankers, oilers, refrigerator ships, ammunition ships, supply ships, floating docks and repair ships. They provided diesel, ordnance, aviation fuel, food stuffs and all other supplies. Equally important at places like Ulithi were the portable piers and floating dry docks which allowed many ships damaged by enemy action or Pacific storms to undergo repair without having to travel the thousands of miles back to a major US naval base. Ulithi was as far forward from the US naval base at San Francisco as the San Francisco base was from London, England. To have a fully functional major port in the middle of the Pacific was a significant aid to U.S. Navy operations.
USS Vega (AK-17), was a Sirius-class cargo ship of the United States Navy, originally the Lebanon — a single-screw, steel-hulled Type 1022 freighter, built under a United States Shipping Board contract at Hog Island, Pennsylvania, by the American International Shipbuilding Co. Laid down on 8 July 1918, the ship was launched on 18 July 1919. Acquired by the Navy on 2 December 1921, she was renamed Vega and given the classification of AK-17. She fitted out for Navy service, and was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 21 December 1921, Lt. William H. Newman, USNRF, in command.
USS Boreas (AF-8) was an Arctic-class stores ship acquired by the United States Navy after World War I. She served with distinction during World War II, supplying food and other supplies to ships and installations in the combat zones of the Pacific Theater.
USS ATA-176 was an ATR-1-class rescue tug built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was laid down on 30 January 1944 and launched on 1 March as USS ATR-103, but was re-designated ATA-176 on 15 May. She was commissioned as USS ATA-176 on 19 August. She served in the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the war and was decommissioned on 30 June 1947. She was then manned with a civilian crew and placed in service, being renamed USNS Tonkawa (T-ATA-176) on 16 July 1948. Tonkawa, the first U.S. Navy vessel named for the Tonkawa, was taken out of service in 1956 and placed in reserve.
USS Ascella (AK-137) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. Ascella was named after Ascella, a star in the constellation Sagittarius. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater.
USS Hyades (AF-28) was the lead ship of her class of stores ships acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet and to remote stations and staging areas.
USS Adria (AF-30) was an Adria-class stores ship acquired by the United States Navy for service in World War II. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.
USS Merapi (AF-38) was an Adria stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after Mount Merapi, the mountain in Java, Indonesia. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.
USS Antares (AG-10/AKS-3) was an Antares-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy after World War I for use in transporting cargo, named after Antares, the brightest star in constellation Scorpius. She earned two battle stars in service during World War II.
The Type B ship is a United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) designation for World War II barges. Barges are very low cost to build, operate and move. Barges were needed to move large bulky cargo. A tug boat, some classed as Type V ships, could move a barge, then depart and move on to the next task. That meant the barge did not have to be rushed to be unloaded or loaded. Toward the end of World War 2, some ships that had not been completed in time for the war were converted to barges. US Navy barges are given the prefix: YWN or YW. Due to shortage of steel during World War II, concrete ship constructors were given contracts to build concrete barges with the prefix YO, YOG, YOGN. Built in 1944 and 1945, some were named after elements.
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