Net laying ship

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USS Ash (YN-2/AN-7), a net laying ship that worked at Pearl Harbor in the 1940s USS ASH AN-7.jpg
USS Ash (YN-2/AN-7), a net laying ship that worked at Pearl Harbor in the 1940s

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.

Contents

A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-submarine nets or anti torpedo nets. Nets could be laid around an individual ship at anchor, or harbor entrances or dry docks, or other anchorages. Net laying was potentially dangerous work, and net laying seamen were experts at dealing with blocks, tackles, knots and splicing. As World War II progressed, net layers were pressed into a variety of additional roles including salvage, troop and cargo transport, buoy maintenance, and service as tugboats. [1]

US Navy

1930s

War Plan Orange, the pre-WW2 US plan for war with Japan, anticipated that Pearl Harbor would be too small for the US Navy fleet that would be amassed in Hawaii. Orange anticipated the construction of a large anchorage in Lahaina Roads between the islands of Maui, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi. Construction would consist of massive nets and minefields to protect the anchored ships. [2]

Changing requirements

Ultimately four large netlayers would be laid down just before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor: USS Monitor (AN-1), USS Montauk (AN-2), USS Osage (AN-3), and USS Saugus (AN-4). [A 1] It turned out that these ships were not needed. First, dredging significantly enlarged the anchorages in Pearl Harbor. Second, the mobility of aircraft carrier warfare made the large Lahaina Roads anchorage concept obsolete, though smaller nets would still be needed for the entrance channels at advanced bases such as the Naval Base Majuro and Naval Base Ulithi. Third, new technology resulted in lightweight nets that could be handled by smaller vessels. The four large netlayers would be converted to carry and launch amphibious vehicles under the hull classification landing ship, vehicle (LSV). [3]

1940s

General characteristics of US Navy Aloe-class net laying ship
Displacement:560 tons, 700 tons laden
Length:151 ft. 8 in.
Beam:30 ft. 6 in.
Draft:10 ft. 6 in.
Speed:14 knots
Propulsion: Diesel, single screw
Complement:40
Armament:1 × 3"/50-caliber dual-purpose gun, 3 × 20 mm mounts

Small net layers initially received the hull classification symbol yard net tenders (YN) but 77 were later reclassified as auxiliary net layer ships (AN). These vessels had two prominent steel "horns" on the bow, used in laying nets. Another 24 vessels which held the (YN) symbol were impressed tugs rather than specially built craft, and so these were redesignated as net tender tugs (YNT).

The 77 small auxiliary net layers were built in three classes. The first 32, the Aloe-class, were all launched in 1940 (before the attack on Pearl Harbor) and were built of steel. Due to the chronic shortage of steel during the war, the next 40, the Ailanthus-class, were built of wood. The last 15, the Cohoes-class, laid down in 1944 and 1945, were again constructed of steel. [4]

These vessels served in all theatres of war but particularly in the Pacific. Many of the ships were decommissioned after the war, but some continued in service for several more decades. Net layers were eventually made redundant by advances in underwater detection technology. [5]

There were also at least 43 craft that were classed as net gate craft (YNG); many were simply powered barges. [2]

To transport nets and to otherwise support the net layers, by 1943 specially built cargo ships, designated net cargo ships (AKN), were built. The first of this class was the USS Indus (AKN-1). The Indus worked in Naval Base Philippines. [6] [7] Finally in 1946, the USS Montauk would be converted back from an LSV to net cargo duties as the USS Galilea (AKN-6).

British and Commonwealth

The United Kingdom and British Commonwealth referred to net laying ship as “boom defence vessel". [8] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

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.

USS <i>Indus</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Indus (AKN-1) was the lead ship of the Indus-class of converted Liberty ship net cargo ships in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Named after the constellation Indus, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

USS Sagittarius (AKN-2) was an S-class Indus net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Named after the constellation Sagittarius, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

USS Tuscana (AKN-3) was an Indus-class net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Probably named after a variant spelling of the constellation Tucana, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

USS <i>Zebra</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Zebra (AKN-5) was an Indus-class net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. The ship was originally the Matthew Lyon, an EC2-S-C1 Liberty ship, operated for the War Shipping Administration (WSA) as a cargo vessel by an agent until severely damaged by torpedo in August 1943. While at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides awaiting likely scrapping the Navy acquired the vessel under bareboat charter to be used as a net cargo ship transporting reclaimed anti-submarine netting.

USS <i>Osage</i> (LSV-3)

USS Osage (AN-3/AP-108/LSV-3/MCS-3) was the lead ship of her class of vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after USS Osage, an "old monitor of the navy".

USS <i>Saugus</i> (LSV-4)

USS Saugus (AN-4/AP-109/LSV-4/MCS-4) was an Osage-class vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after USS Saugus (1863), which was in turn named for Saugus, Massachusetts, she was the second of three U.S. Naval vessels to bear the name.

USS <i>Monitor</i> (LSV-5) 1943 Osage-class vehicle landing ship

USS Monitor (LSV-5/AN-1/AP-160/MCS-5) was an Osage-class vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after the original USS Monitor, and was the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS <i>Montauk</i> (LSV-6)

USS Montauk (LSV-6/AN-2/AP-161/AKN-6) was an Osage-class vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after USS Montauk (1862) and was the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS <i>Keokuk</i> (CMc-6)

USS Keokuk (AN-5/CM-8/CMc-6/AKN-4) was a mine and net laying ship of the United States Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Snowbell</i>

USS Snowbell (YN-71/AN-52) was a Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served the U.S. Navy during World War II. She operated in the Pacific Ocean until she was destroyed by Typhoon Louise off Okinawa, 9 October 1945.

USS <i>Stagbush</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Stagbush (AN-69/YN-93) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served with the U.S. Navy in the western Pacific Ocean theatre of operations during World War II. Her career was without major incident, and she returned home safely after the war with one battle star to her credit.

USS Anaqua (AN-40/YN-59) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served with the United States Navy in the Western Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. She served the U.S. Pacific Fleet with her protective anti-submarine nets, and returned home safely after the war.

USS <i>Teak</i>

USS Teak (AN-35/YN-30) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations during World War II. She was assigned to serve the U.S. Pacific Fleet with her protective anti-submarine nets and earned two battle stars and other commendations for her bravery.

USS <i>Aloe</i>

USS Aloe (AN-6/YN-1) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.

Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company was established in 1942 to build ships needed for World War II. As part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program the US Navy provided some of the capital to start Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding at Stockton, California. The shipyard was located at San Joaquin River and Stockton Channel, near Louis Park. After the war the shipyard closed down in February 1946.

Nagara Maru was a Japanese cargo ship that was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and converted into an auxiliary netlayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Base Kossol Roads</span> Former major US Navy Base

Naval Base Kossol Roads also called Naval Base Kossol Passage was major United States Navy base at Kossol Roads in northern Palau in the western Caroline Islands in the western Pacific Ocean during World War II. Kossol Roads lagoon is surrounded by fringing coral reef. The base was built to support the island hopping Pacific war efforts of the allied nations fighting the Empire of Japan. In terms of the number of ships at one base, Naval Base Kossol Roads was one of the largest Naval Base in the world in 1944 and 1945. Naval Base Kossol Roads was unique, as it was the only large US Naval base to have no shore facilities. Kossol Roads was part of US Naval Base Carolines.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Friedman, Norman (2002). U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN   1-55750-250-1.
  2. 1 2 Miller, Edward S. (1991). War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897–1945. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-59114-500-7.
  3. ↑ Friedman, 2002, pp 178-179
  4. ↑ Jurens, W. (2016). "Life in the Slow Lane: Some Thoughts on Minelayer and Netlayer Evolution". Warship International. LIII (1): 59–68. ISSN   0043-0374.
  5. ↑ World War II Net Tenders, Navsource Online.
  6. ↑ USS Indus (AKN-1) US Navy
  7. ↑ USS Indus (AKN-1), Net Tender Story navsource.org
  8. ↑ Richard Pelvin with Robert Darby. "Australian War Memorial : Know your warships!, Page 67" (PDF). www.awm.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  9. ↑ Boom defence vessel uboat.net

Footnotes

  1. ↑ These ships were of a common design with three fleet minelayers: USS Terror (CM-5), USS Catskill (CM-6), and USS Ozark (CM-7) which are listed here
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