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This is a List of World War II vessel types of the United States using during World War II. This list includes submarines, battleships, minelayers, oilers, barges, pontoon rafts and other types of water craft, boats and ships. As of 2014 [update] this list is not complete.
Under the Army organization of 1940, the Army Quartermaster was charged with the responsibility of providing the Army with all water transport services except those specifically authorized; for the Corps of Engineers in river and harbor work, for the Coast Artillery Corps in mine planting, and for the Signal Corps in cable laying (the Army had no communication ships at this time). In March 1942, most of the transportation functions of the Army Quartermaster were consolidated into the Transportation Division of the newly created Services of Supply and later that same year, on July 31, the Transportation Corps was established. [1] [2]
The Army Mine Planter Service was responsible for the minefields of the Coast Artillery Corps' coast defenses. The largest vessels of the service were the U.S. Army Mine Planter (USAMP), which was equipped to install mines and associated control cables. Smaller vessels known as "junior mine planters" or "pup planters", were occasionally employed as mine planters, but they mostly served as freight and passenger boats for river and harbor duty with the Harbor Boat Service. [3] In addition to the mine planters, there were distribution box boats, used for servicing the mine-cable distribution boxes and rugged utility boats called motor mine yawls. [4]
L | Distribution Box Boat |
---|---|
M | Motor Mine Yawl |
MP | Mine Planter |
JMP | Junior Mine Planter |
One example is:
BSP | Barge, self-propelled |
---|
One example is:
Army communications ships in the South West Pacific theater of World War II provided radio relay services and acted as command posts for forward elements ashore. [6]
CS | Communications ship |
---|---|
CSM | Maintenance ship, a CS ship additionally equipped to perform radio repair |
CSN | News ship, was used by civilian journalist |
CSQ | Quarters ship, a floating dormitory |
PCER | Patrol Craft, Escort, Rescue |
Surviving examples include:
Operated in the Southwest Pacific Area. [10]
As there was a need for a fleet of shallow-draft vessels that could navigate among coral reefs, use primitive landing places far up the coast of New Guinea, and land along the outlying islands. An "S" fleet under Army control was created using local Australian vessels crewed largely by civilian Australians and New Zealanders. It was a miscellaneous collection of luggers, rusty trawlers, old schooners, launches, ketches, yawls, and yachts. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
The Army Transport Service (ATS), originating with the Quartermaster Corps in 1898 and continuing into Transportation Corps as a division, operated the Army's large ships, most of which were transports, but ATS also manned the Army's large cable ships.
Troop ships included the following. [19] [20] [21]
Surviving examples include:
FM 55-130 Small Boats and Harbor Craft [24]
The Harbor Craft Company is organized for the purpose of ferrying to shore cargo from freighters and transports arriving in theaters of operation. The vessels may either be riding offshore at anchor in the open sea or more likely, anchored in a harbor. Cargo from the ships is loaded by Transportation Corps port company personnel onto barges. Then tugs, tow boats, or marine tractors propel the barges to the shore for unloading. Any cargo too heavy for the vessel's gear to lift is handled by a 60-ton floating crane.
Coastwise and inter-island cargo ships, sometimes known as coastal freighters.
The small boat company provided regular coastal and island service to bases in the Aleutian and Pacific Islands to supply food and equipment transported by small coastal and inter-island vessels and water craft that were under 200 feet or under 1,000 gross tons of the following vessel types. [25] [26] [27] [28]
T | tender lighter towing vessel transport boat | Vessel 65' Wood |
---|---|---|
TP | tug, passenger | Utility Vessel 96' Wood (Design 333) - Harbor Tug |
trawler tow boat purse seiner sailing schooner | Freight & Passenger Vessel (Small) - under 100' (plus private vessels refitted for wartime service) | |
F | Cargo Vessel 99' Steel | |
FT | Vessel 115' Wood | |
FP | Freight & Passenger Vessel (Large) - over 100' (plus private vessels refitted for wartime service) | |
FS | small, 99' and under | Freight and Supply Vessel (F, FT & FP were reclassified FS early in World War II) |
medium, 100' to 139' | ||
large, 140' and over |
FS-80 to FS-90 were merchant vessels refitted for wartime operation [29]
Built during World War II:
QS | Quick Supply Boat: Design 235-C (Boat, Supply, High Speed, Gasoline, Wood, 104'), see P type |
---|---|
ST | Small Tug, under 100' |
LT | Large Tug, over 100' |
Surviving examples include:
Late in 1943 all rescue-boat activities were reassigned to the Army Air Forces.
Unit Designation Chronology
Rescue boats included the following. [48] [49]
SG | Swamp Glider |
---|---|
P | Rescue Boat, various sizes (42', 63', 85', 104'). Also referred too as a Crash Boat or Crash Rescue Boat. Design 235 (Boat, Rescue, Gasoline, Wood, 104'), see QS type |
Reorganized 6 June 1942 as Construction Division - Engineering and Operations branches. [50]
towboat | a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger vessels |
---|---|
dredge | a vessel equipped for digging out the bed of a water way |
snagboat | a vessel equipped for removing obstructions in a water way |
Surviving examples include:
The 1943 Engineer Field Manual described a table of organization and equipment for specialized types of engineering units. [51] These included: [52]
The engineer Engineer Port Repair ship is equipped with repair facilities that include a heavy crane and a machine shop and maintains channels and ship berths by removing sunken ships and other obstructions. It also maintains channel markings and other aids for pilots. It does needed work on docks and wharves in conjunction with engineer port construction and repair groups.
The primary mission of the engineer port construction and repair group is to make ready for use the facilities of ports of debarkation in a theater of operations. and to perform work involved in improvement or expansion of such ports, exclusive of harbors. Its work is performed in conjunction with engineer port repair ship operations offshore.
The construction platoon consists of a divers' section under the supervision of an officer, as master diver. Enlisted personnel consists of marine divers and divers' attendants. This section does underwater work incident to construction of quay walls, wharves, piers, etc. [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58]
Militarized Dredge | 3-inch gun turrets (fore and aft), 20-millimeter gun turrets (midship) |
---|---|
Port Repair Ship | workshops, cranes, machine shops, U.S Army divers' complement [59] |
Surviving examples include:
The Engineer Amphibian Brigade, redesignated in 1943 as Engineer Special Brigade provided personnel and equipment for transporting combat troops from a friendly near shore to a hostile far shore when the distance is not over 100 miles. The brigade resupplies these troops during the early stages of establishing a beachhead. The brigade can transport one division when reinforced by naval LCT boats.
LCM | Landing Craft Mechanized |
---|---|
P | Command Boat (Crash boat 63') |
Reconnaissance Boat | small two-man inflatable rubber boat |
---|---|
M-2 Assault Boat | 10 man plywood boat that could also be used for infantry support rafts or used in the assembly of an expedient assault boat bridge |
Storm Boat | 8 man (6+2 crew) hi speed powerboat with a 55 HP Outboard Motor, designed to beach at speed, thus allowing the soldiers on board to "Storm the Shore" |
DUKW | A six-wheel-drive amphibious truck |
Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) | amphibious vehicle |
Treadway Bridge | steel treadway laid on pneumatic floats |
Ponton bridge | heavy ponton (25 ton) and light ponton (10 ton) |
ponton-raft |
A Treadway bridge company is attached to an armored division in river-crossing operations to provide a bridge for heavy vehicles. [60] Equipment included a steel-treadway bridge M1, providing a floating bridge about 1,080 feet long, or a steel-treadway bridge M2, providing a floating bridge about 864 feet long.
The company is attached to a division in river-crossing operations to provide bridges and rafts. Equipment included two units of M3 pneumatic bridge equipage or two units of M1938 10-ton ponton bridge equipment.
Their stream-crossing equipment included:
The Heavy ponton battalion was attached to a corps in river-crossing operations to provide bridges and rafts capable of supporting heavier loads. Bridges and rafts are constructed of four units of 25-ton heavy ponton equipment, M1940.
Vessels operated by the Maritime Commission included Liberty and Victory Ships.
Surviving examples include:
Surviving examples include:
WWII British terminology | |
Amphibious Force Flagship | |
Attack Transport | |
Amphibious warfare vessels include all ships with organic capability for amphibious warfare and which have characteristics enabling long duration operations on the high seas. There are two classifications of craft: amphibious warfare ships which are built to cross oceans, and landing craft, which are designed to take troops from ship to shore in an invasion. Some vessels called "landing ships" did not have the capability to off-load troops and supplies onto beaches; they were just transports or command-and-control vessels. [61] [62] [63] [64]
Aircraft Carriers
Battleships
Cruisers
Destroyers
Submarines
Minesweepers
Patrol Craft
Submarine Chasers
Motor Torpedo Boats
Auxiliaries
Hospital Ships
Cargo Ships
Net-Laying Ships AN Oilers & Tankers
Transports
Repair Ships
Submarine Tenders & Rescue Vessels
Tugboats
Seaplane Tenders & Aviation Supply Ships
Distilling Ships
Unclassified Vessels
Yard and District Craft Coast Guard Cutters
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use.
A naval ship is a military ship used by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are damage resilient and armed with weapon systems, though armament on troop transports is light or non-existent.
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are typically faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically carries only weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew. Warships usually belong to a navy, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations.
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat or ship used to service or support other boats or ships. This is generally done by transporting people or supplies to and from shore or another ship.
Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Production of landing craft peaked during World War II, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States.
A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers.
His Majesty's Naval Service is the United Kingdom's naval warfare and maritime service. It consists of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and Naval Careers Service. The Naval Service as a whole falls under the command of the Navy Board, which is headed by the First Sea Lord. This position is currently held by Admiral Sir Ben Key. The Defence Council delegates administration of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence.
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense.
USS Zeus (ARB-4) was planned as a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship, but was redesignated as one of twelve Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Zeus, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of naval auxiliary ship.
USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) was an Ashland-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Belle Grove Plantation, the birthplace of President James Madison (1751–1836) in Port Conway, Virginia.
An amphibious warfare ship is an amphibious vehicle warship employed to land and support ground forces, such as marines, on enemy territory during an amphibious assault.
United States Army Reserve Center, Rio Vista is a former United States Army Reserve center located in Rio Vista, Solano County, California. It was established in 1911 as the U.S. Engineers Storehouse, Rio Vista. It went through ten different names in its 81-year history, finally becoming the United States Army Reserve Center, Rio Vista California. It was closed in 1992 as a result of a BRAC recommendation.
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 ferrocement and given the prefix YO, YOG, YOGN. Built in 1944 and 1945, some were named after elements.
Naval Support Activity Danang or NSA Danang was a United States Navy logistics support organization located in Danang, South Vietnam active from October 1965 to April 1972.
California during World War II was a major contributor to the World War II effort. California's long Pacific Ocean coastline provided the support needed for the Pacific War. California also supported the war in Europe. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, most of California's manufacturing was shifted to the war effort. California became a major ship builder and aircraft manufacturer. Existing military installations were enlarged and many new ones were built. California trained many of the troops before their oversea deployment. Over 800,000 Californians served in the United States Armed Forces. California agriculture, ranches and farms were used to feed the troops around the world. California's long coastline also put the state in fear, as an attack on California seemed likely. California was used for the temporary and permanent internment camps for Japanese Americans. The population grew significantly, largely due to servicemen who were stationed at the new military bases/training facilities and the mass influx of workers from around the U.S. in the growing defense industries. With all the new economy activity, California was lifted out of the Great Depression. Over 500,000 people moved to California from other states to work in the growing economy. California expanded its oil and mineral production to keep up with the war demand.
Splinter fleet or Splinter navy was a nickname given to the United States wooden boats used in World War II. The boats served in many different roles during the war. These boats were built in small boatyards on the West coast and East coast, Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. They could be built quickly, in just 60 to 120 days. Most of the boats were built by boatyards that already had the tools and knowledge from building yachts, sailboats and motor boats. Many were built by craftsmen in family-owned small businesses. Under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program and War Shipping Administration contracts went out to over fifty boatyards across the country. The boats were built for the US Navy, the United States Army Air Forces, United States Coast Guard, and US Army. Some of the wooden boats went to Allied nations on the Lend-Lease program.
Naval Base Eniwetok was a major United States Navy base located at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, during World War II. The base was built to support the island-hopping strategy used by allied nations fighting the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War. During 1944-5 Eniwetok was one of the busiest naval bases in the world with over 488 ships.
This article incorporates text from one or more United States military publications now in the public domain .