USS Bitterbush

Last updated

History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Bitterbush
NamesakeA small tropical American tree with red berries
Builder Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Everett, Washington
Laid down30 November 1942 as Almond (YN-58)
Launched30 June 1943
Sponsored byMiss Veberly Jean Miller
Commissioned15 January 1944 as USS Bitterbush (YN-58)
Decommissioned4 January 1946, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California
RenamedBitterbush (YN-58), 3 April 1943
ReclassifiedAN-39, 20 January 1944
Stricken21 January 1946
Honors and
awards		one battle star (Iwo Jima) for World War II service
FateTransferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission, 6 May 1947; destroyed by fire off Puerto Rico, 27 May 1954
General characteristics
Class and type Ailanthus-class net laying ship
Displacement1,100 long tons (1,100 t)
Length194 ft 7 in (59.3 m)
Beam34 ft 7 in (10.5 m)
Draft13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)
Installed power2,500  hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion diesel electric
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement56 officers and enlisted
Armamentone single 3 in (76 mm) dual purpose gun mount; two single 20 mm AA gun mounts

USS Bitterbush (AN-39/YN-58) 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. She served the U.S. Pacific Fleet with her protective anti-submarine nets, and returned home safely after the war with one battle star to her credit.

Contents

Built in Washington

The net tender Almond (YN-58) was laid down on 30 November 1942 at Everett, Washington, by the Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company; renamed Bitterbush on 3 April 1943; launched on 30 June 1943; sponsored by Miss Veberly Jean Miller; and commissioned on 15 January 1944.

World War II service

Redesignated a net laying ship, AN-39, on 20 January 1944, Bitterbush completed outfitting on 26 February 1944, reported for duty to the Commander, Operational Training Command, Pacific, and departed Seattle, Washington, for San Diego, California, that same day. Following shakedown training, Bitterbush reported for duty to the Commandant, 12th Naval District, arriving at San Francisco, California, on 20 March. The ship worked the submarine nets at Tiburon, California, and San Francisco over the next eight months, before departing San Francisco Bay on 29 November 1944.

Bitterbush made stops at Port Hueneme, Terminal Island, and San Pedro, California, before setting out across the Pacific Ocean on 5 December 1944. Proceeding to Pearl Harbor, the ship reported on 5 January 1945 to the Commander, 5th Amphibious Force, for duty. Underway from Oahu on 24 January 1945, the ship sailed via Eniwetok and Guam to Iwo Jima. After voyage repairs, Bitterbush worked on the submarine net line at the recently conquered island through the end of hostilities with Japan.

End-of-war decommissioning

On 17 September 1945, she sailed for the United States. Proceeding via Saipan, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor, the ship reached San Francisco by 20 October 1945. Entering drydock soon after her arrival, the net layer—although at one time considered for use removing anti-submarine nets in the 12th Naval District—remained drydocked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard until decommissioned on 4 January 1946. Deemed surplus to Navy needs, Bitterbush was struck from the Navy List on 21 January 1946.

Transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission for disposal on 6 May 1947, she was sold and converted for merchant service, in which capacity she operated from 1948 until destroyed by fire off Puerto Rico on 27 May 1954.

Honors and awards

Bitterbush was awarded one battle star for her World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Zebra</i> (AKN-5) 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>Butternut</i>

USS Butternut (AN-9/YN-4/ANL-9/YAG-60) was laid down as a yard net tender on 11 March 1941 at Houghton, Washington, by the Lake Washington Shipyard; launched on 10 May 1941; and placed in service at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 3 September 1941.

USS <i>LeHardy</i>

USS LeHardy (DE-20) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. At the end of the war, she had to honor of proceeding to Wake Island, as the Japanese commander surrendered, and raising a flagpole to fly the American flag once again.

USS <i>Snowbell</i> (AN-52)

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 Manchineel (AN-54/YN-73) was an Ailanthus-class net-laying ship which served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific Ocean during World War II. It managed to survive the war without incident, and returned to the United States post-war for decommissioning.

USS <i>Lancewood</i> (AN-48)

USS Lancewood (AN-48/YN-67) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. In service in the Pacific during the war, she earned one battle star. After her February 1946 decommissioning, she was sold to France as Commandant Charcot. Her fate is not reported in secondary sources.

USS Canotia (AN-47/YN-66) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific Ocean theatre of operations during World War II. Her career was without major incident, and she returned home after the war bearing one battle star to her credit.

USS Corkwood (AN-44/YN-63) 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 Satinleaf (AN-43/YN-62) 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 two battle stars to her credit.

USS <i>Baretta</i>

USS Baretta (AN-41/YN-60) 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. After surviving war action and Pacific Ocean typhoons, 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> (AN-35)

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 Mango (AN-24/YN-19) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U.S. Navy during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.

USS <i>Elder</i> (AN-20)

USS Elder (AN-20/YN-15) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U.S. Navy during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.

USS Holly (AN-19/YN-14) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U.S. Navy during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.

USS Catalpa (AN-10/YN-5) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.

USS <i>Pinon</i> (AN-66)

USS Pinon (AN-66/YN-87) was a Ailanthus-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her anti-submarine nets.

USS Shellbark (AN-67/YN-91) was a Ailanthus-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her anti-submarine nets.

USS Silverleaf (AN-68/YN-92) was a Ailanthus-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her anti-submarine nets.

USS Cohoes (YN-97/AN-78/ANL-78) was a Cohoes-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect United States Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her anti-submarine nets. Her World War II career was short lived; however, she was recommissioned during the Vietnam War where she earned nine campaign stars.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.