The Ailanthus class were a group of 35 wooden-hulled net laying ships of the United States Navy built during World War II as part of the huge building programs of late 1941 and early 1942 for small patrol and mine warfare vessels. Five of the class were transferred to the British Royal Navy under Lend-Lease, and another five were converted while at their shipyards into Auxiliary Fleet Tugs, the ATA-214-class.[1]
 USS Cliffrose (AN-42), circa 1945.
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders |
|
| Operators |
|
| Preceded by | Aloe class |
| Succeeded by | Cohoes class |
| Built | 1942–1943 |
| In commission | 1943–1947 |
| Completed | 35 |
| Lost | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Net tender |
| Tonnage | 1,100 long tons (1,118 t) GRT |
| Length | 194–198 ft (59–60 m) |
| Beam | 34.5–37 ft (10.5–11.3 m) |
| Draft | 11.75–13 ft (3.58–3.96 m) |
| Propulsion | Busch-Sulzer 539 diesel-electric, no reduction gears, 1 shaft, 1,200 hp (895 kW) |
| Speed | 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h) |
| Complement | 56 men |
| Armament |
|
Armament
editIn the original design, in addition to the 3-inch gun mounted forward of the bridge, there were two single 20 mm guns mounted on top of the bridge. In September 1944, as a trial, a third 20 mm gun was installed on a small elevated platform mounted on a pedestal between the bridge and the smokestack on Terebinth (AN-59), but it was found that the arc of fire was restricted, that the platform was too hot to permit the storage of ready ammunition, and that the gun crew became ill from engine fumes. Instead, two additional single 20 mm guns were installed at the after end of the deckhouse on AN 39-63 and 66-69. In April 1945 the four single mounts were ordered to be replaced with four twin mounts, but this change does not seem to have been made.[1]
Losses
editTwo ships of the class were lost during the war;
- USS Ailanthus (AN-38), was wrecked barely a month after commissioning, running aground in the Aleutians on 26 February 1944, and was declared a total loss on 14 March 1944.[2]
- USS Snowbell (AN-52), was driven hard aground when Typhoon Louise hit Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 9 October 1945 and was declared beyond repair. The wreck was blown up in January 1946.[3]
Disposal
editIn early 1946 six of the ships, Cliffrose (AN-42), Cinnamon (AN-50), Silverbell (AN-51), Torchwood (AN-55), Catclaw (AN-60), and Shellbark (AN-67), were transferred to the Republic of China's Maritime Customs Service at Shanghai, while the remainder were disposed of in 1947 in a Maritime Commission sales program for small vessels.[1]
Ships
edit| Ship name | Hull | Builder | Comm. | Decomm. | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ailanthus | YN-57 AN-38 |
Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company | 2 Dec 1943 | n/a | Ran aground in Alaskan waters, 26 Feb 1944; declared total loss |
| Bitterbush | YN-58 AN-39 |
15 Jan 1944 | 4 Jan 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 1948; destroyed by fire off Puerto Rico, 27 May 1954 | |
| Anaqua | YN-59 AN-40 |
21 Feb 1944 | 7 Feb 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 6 Mar 1946; fate unknown | |
| Baretta | YN-60 AN-41 |
18 Mar 1944 | 4 Apr 1946 | Fate unknown | |
| Cliffrose | YN-61 AN-42 |
30 Apr 1944 | 7 Jan 1947 | Transferred to Taiwan, 7 Jan 1947; fate unknown | |
| Satinleaf | YN-62 AN-43 |
8 Apr 1944 | 4 Apr 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 29 Apr 1947; fate unknown | |
| Corkwood | YN-63 AN-44 |
16 May 1944 | 7 Mar 1946 | Fate unknown | |
| Cornel | YN-64 AN-45 |
6 Jun 1944 | 15 Feb 1946 | Fate unknown | |
| Mastic | YN-65 AN-46 |
4 Jul 1944 | 1 Mar 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 6 Jun 1947; fate unknown | |
| Canotia | YN-66 AN-47 |
31 Jul 1944 | 18 Feb 1946 | Fate unknown | |
| Lancewood | YN-67 AN-48 |
Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company | 18 Oct 1943 | 11 Feb 1946 | Transferred to France, 3 May 1947; fate unknown |
| Papaya | YN-68 AN-49 |
1 Dec 1943 | 31 Jan 1946 | Fate unknown | |
| Cinnamon | YN-69 AN-50 |
10 Jan 1944 | 25 Mar 1947 | Transferred to Taiwan; fate unknown | |
| Silverbell | YN-70 AN-51 |
16 Feb 1944 | 10 Jan 1947 | Transferred to Taiwan; fate unknown | |
| Snowbell | YN-71 AN-52 |
16 Mar 1944 | 5 Dec 1945 | Damaged beyond economical repair by Typhoon Louise, 9 Oct 1945; hulk blown up, 14 Jan 1946 | |
| Spicewood | YN-72 AN-53 |
7 Apr 1944 | 20 Feb 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest; fate unknown | |
| Manchineel | YN-73 AN-54 |
26 Apr 1944 | 11 Mar 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 20 Jun 1947; fate unknown | |
| Torchwood | YN-74 AN-55 |
12 May 1944 | 26 Oct 1946 | Transferred to China; fate unknown | |
| Winterberry | YN-75 AN-56 |
30 May 1944 | 15 Feb 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 31 Mar 1947; fate unknown | |
| Viburnum | YN-76 AN-57 |
2 Jun 1944 | 3 Jan 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest; fate unknown | |
| Abele | YN-77 AN-58 |
Barbour Boat Works, New Bern, NC | 2 Jun 1944 | 1 Mar 1946 | Fate unknown |
| Balm | YN-78 AN-59 |
5 Aug 1944 | 31 Jan 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 23 Apr 1946; fate unknown | |
| Precept; served as HMS Precept (Z266) | YN-79 AN-73 |
14 Oct 1944 | 4 Jan 1945 | Fate unknown | |
| Boxelder; served as HMS Precise (Z285) | YN-80 AN-74 |
21 Dec 1944 | 14 Dec 1945 | Fate unknown | |
| Catclaw | YN-81 AN-60 |
Snow Shipyards, Rockland, ME | 14 Jan 1944 | 19 Apr 1946 | Transferred to China; fate unknown |
| Chinaberry | YN-82 AN-61 |
12 Mar 1944 | 26 Mar 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 27 Feb 1950; fate unknown | |
| Hoptree | YN-83 AN-62 |
18 May 1944 | 1 Mar 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, 23 Apr 1947; sold for scrap, 1954 | |
| Whitewood | YN-84 AN-63 AG-129 |
17 Jul 1944 | 1 Apr 1949 | Sold for scrap, 8 Mar 1950 | |
| n/a | YN-85 AN-64 |
Canulette Shipbuilding Company, Slidell, LA | reordered as ATA-214 class tugboat | ||
| n/a | YN-86 AN-65 |
Snow Shipyards, Rockland, ME | reordered as ATA-214 class tugboat | ||
| Pinon | YN-87 AN-66 |
American Car and Foundry Company, Wilmington, DE | 31 Mar 1944 | 5 Mar 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest; destroyed by fire, 28 Aug 1961 |
| Prefect; served as HMS Prefect (Z263) | YN-88 AN-75 |
3 Jun 1944 | 28 Dec 1945 | Fate unknown | |
| Satinwood; served as HMS Pretext (Z284) | YN-89 AN-76 |
5 Aug 1944 | 22 Nov 1945 | Sold to a commercial interest; foundered off Newfoundland, 11 Nov 1982 | |
| Seagrape; served as HMS Preventer (Z265) | YN-90 AN-77 |
5 Aug 1944 | 22 Nov 1945 | Transferred to New Zealand, 15 Aug 1956; sold to a commercial interest, Jun 1962; sunk, 11 Nov 1982 | |
| Shellbark | YN-91 AN-67 |
Canulette Shipbuilding Company, Slidell, LA | 12 Apr 1944 | 19 Apr 1946 | Transferred to China, 20 Apr 1946; fate unknown |
| Silverleaf | YN-92 AN-68 |
26 May 1944 | 18 Apr 1946 | Sold for scrap, 31 Mar 1947 | |
| Stagbush | YN-93 AN-69 |
30 Aug 1944 | 26 Mar 1946 | Sold to a commercial interest, Apr 1947; burned, 16 Oct 1954 | |
| n/a | YN-94 AN-70 |
reordered as ATA-214 class tugboat | |||
| n/a | YN-95 AN-71 |
reordered as ATA-214 class tugboat | |||
| n/a | YN-96 AN-72 |
reordered as ATA-214 class tugboat | |||
References
edit- ^ a b c Stephen S. Roberts (2009). "US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Ailanthus Class". shipscribe.com. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ "Ailanthus (YN-57/AN-38)". navsource.org. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ "Snowbell (YN-71/AN-52)". navsource.org. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
External links
edit
- Net Laying Ship Index at NavSource Naval History