![USN Tug Red Cloud YTB-268](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/USN_Tug_Red_Cloud_YTB-268.jpg)
The Type V ship is a
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
(MARCOM) designation for
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
s. Type V was used in World War II,
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Type V ships were used to move
ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
s and
barge
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
s. Type V tugboats were made of either
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
or
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
hulls. There were four types of tugboats ordered for World War II. The largest type V design was the
sea worthy
Seakeeping ability or seaworthiness is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea stat ...
long steel hull, V4-M-A1. The V4-M-A1 design was used by a number of manufacturers; a total of 49 were built. A smaller steel hull tugboat was the V2-ME-A1; 26 were built. The largest wooden hull was the V3-S-AH2, of which 14 were built. The smaller wooden hull was the V2-M-AL1, which 35 were built. Most V2-M-AL1 tugboats were sent to the United Kingdom for the war efforts under the
lend-lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
act. The Type V tugs served across the globe during World War II including:
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
,
European theatre
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...
, and in the United States. SS ''Farallon'', and other Type V tugs, were used to help built
Normandy ports, including
Mulberry harbour, on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and made nine round trips to Normandy to deliver
Phoenix breakwaters
The Phoenix breakwaters were a set of reinforced concrete caissons built as part of the artificial Mulberry harbours that were assembled as part of the preparations for the Normandy landings during World War II. They were constructed by civil eng ...
.
Tugboats are used to maneuver vessels and
barges
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by Pusher (boat) ...
by pushing or towing them. Tugs are needed to move vessels that either should not move by themselves, such as large ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal, or those that can not move by themselves, like as
barge
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
s, disabled ships, or
log rafts. Tugboats are powerful for their small size and are strongly built. Early tugboats used
steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
s, but most have
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s now. Many tugboats have firefighting
water cannons
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining. ...
, allowing them to assist in firefighting, especially in harbors. Some
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
s like , and were converted to ocean tugs for the war.
Ships in class
V2-ME-A1
Named for small US ports. They had steel hulls, with a displacement of , long, with a beam of , and a draft of . They would have either engines. They were used in Army Transport Service or as US Navy tugs, with designations of YT, YTB, or YTM (Yard Tug Medium). The V2-ME-A1's were built by
Birchfield Shipbuilding & Boiler Co., Inc.,
Tacoma, Washington, 6 tugs;
Canulette Shipbuilding,
Slidell, Louisiana, 4 tugs;
Calumet Shipyard & Drydock
Calumet may refer to:
Places United States
*Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana
**Calumet River
**Calumet Trail, Indiana
** Calumet (East Chicago)
* Calumet, Colorado
*Calumet, Iowa
* Calumet, Michigan
*Calumet, Minnesota
* Calumet ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois, 5 tugs;
Ira. S. Bushey & Sons,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, 5 tugs;
General Ship & Engine Works,
East Boston
East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and do ...
, Massachusetts, 2 tugs; and
Brunswick Marine Construction Corporation,
Brunswick, Georgia, 4 tugs.
*''Port Angeles'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , scrapped
*''Port Blakely'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed sold private 1972, scrapped
*''Port Discovery'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold private 1970, scrapped
*''Port Ludlow'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold private 1972, scrapped
*''Port Madison'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , to MARAD 1974, now at
Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum
*''Port Orchard'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold private 1972, now ''Maris Pearl''
*''Port Allen'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed ''YTB 723'', to MARCOM 1945, sold 1975, scrapped
*''Port Barre'' sold private 1946, renamed ''Standard No 2'', scrapped
*''Port Hudson'' acquired by US Navy 1945, , then Crescent Towing
*''Port Vincent'' sold private 1946, ''Standard No 3'', scrapped
*''Port Byron'' acquired by US Army 1942, renamed ''LT 113'', sold 1946, renamed ''Dalzellaird'', scrapped
*''Port Allegheny'' acquired by US Army 1942, renamed ''LT 114'', sold 1946, renamed ''Dyer'', later ''Porpoise'', ''Sachem'', now ''Porpoise''
*''Port Elizabeth'' acquired by US Navy 1943, renamed , sold private 1950, scrapped
*''Port Conway'' acquired by US Navy 1943, renamed , sold private 1950, scrapped
*''Port Fulton'' acquired by US Army 1943, renamed ''LT 238'', sold private 1946, scrapped
*''Port Chester'' acquired by US Army 1943, renamed ''LT 233'', sold 1946, scrapped
*''Port Crane'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold 1964, scrapped
*''Port Henry'' sold private 1945, renamed ''Captain Rodger'', wrecked 1947
*''Port Jervis'' sold private, renamed ''Newport'', ''Felicia'', ''Terror'', ''R. H. Tripp'' sank 2005 hurricane
*''Port Kent'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold 1969, scrapped
*''Port Clyde'' acquired by US Army 1942, renamed ''LTC William R. Kendricks'', sold renamed, ''Resolute'', scrapped
*''Port Huron'' acquired by US Army 1942, renamed ''LTC Herbert L. Kidwell'', sold renamed, ''Port Huron'', ''Dalzelloch'', ''Dalzellido'', and ''Joan McAllister'' scrapped.
*''Port Wentworth'' acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold private 1947. ''Limon'', ''Frank W. Barnes'', ''Sandra'', ''Sandra St. Philip'', ''Tanda 12'', ''Tug McGraw'', scrapped
*''Port Clinton'' sold private 1945, ''Captain'', ''Fred B. Dalzel'', ''New Castle'', ''Eliot Winslow'', scrapped
*''Port Deposi''t acquired by US Navy 1942, renamed , sold private 1963, scrapped
*''Port Edwards'' sold private 1945, ''Hercules'', ''Bear'', scrapped
V4-M-A1
![USN Trinidad Head (tugboat), 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/USN_Trinidad_Head_%28tugboat%29%2C_1943.jpg)
Named after
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
s, the V4-M-A1's were the largest and most powerful tugs in the world when they were built in 1943. They had steel hulls, with a displacement of , long, with a beam of , and a draft of . The V4-M-A1 had a maximum speed of . There were two engine manufacturers:
National Supply Company, with 8–cylinder sets of , and the
Enterprise Engine & Trading Company, with 6–cylinders and power. The V4-M-A1's were operated by
Moran Towing & Transportation, in New York, on behalf of the
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime Co ...
.
Built by:
Avondale Marine, in
Westego, Louisiana, General Ships & Engine, in East Boston,
Pennsylvania Shipyards
Bethlehem Beaumont Shipyard was a shipyard in Beaumont, Texas that opened in 1948. The yard is located on an island in the Neches River and upstream of the Sabine Pass that grants access to the Gulf of Mexico. The deep-water port shipyard was fo ...
, in
Beaumont
Beaumont may refer to:
Places Canada
* Beaumont, Alberta
* Beaumont, Quebec
England
* Beaumont, Cumbria
* Beaumont, Essex
** Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s
* Beaumont Street, Oxford
France (communes)
* Beaumont, Ardèche
* ...
, Texas,
Globe Shipbuilding, in
Superior, Wisconsin,
Froemming Brothers, in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, Wisconsin, and
Pendleton Shipbuilding, in
, Louisiana.
*''Seguin'', scrapped 1976
*''Sand Key'', scrapped 1977
*''Sanibel Island'', scrapped 1972
*''Sabine Pass'', helped with Normandy landings, Scrapped 1978
*''Point Loma'', scrapped 1972
*''Anacapa'', scrapped 1973
*''Point Vicente'', sold to Mexico, 1969, renamed ''Huitilopochtli'' (A 51)
*''Point Arguello'', scrapped 1973
*''Matagorda'', sank 1946
*''Aransas Pass'', scrapped 1973
*''Sombrero Key'', sold to Argentina, 1965, renamed ''Thompson'', scrapped
*''Dry Tortugas'', sold to Argentina, 1965, renamed ''Goyena'', scrapped
*''Southwest Pass'', scrapped 1973
*''Montauk Point'', sold to Mexico, 1969, renamed ''Quetzalcoatl'' (A 12)
*''Moose Peak'', helped with Normandy landings, sold to Mexico, 1969, sank 1974
*''Boon Island'', sank 1976
*''Gay Head'', helped with Normandy landings, scrapped 1977
*''Bodie Island'', helped with Normandy landings, scrapped 1973
*''Great Isaac'', helped with Normandy landings, sank 1947, collision with Norwegian freighter ''Bandeirante''
*''Tybee'', scrapped 1978
*''Point Sur'', scrapped 1974
*''Farallon'', used to build
Normandy port on D-Day, 6 June 1944, made 9 round trips to Normandy, sold to Mexico, 1969, scrapped 1978
*''Point Cabrillo'', scrapped 1974
*''Trinidad Head'', helped with Normandy landings, Scrapped 1969
*''Scotch Cap'', scrapped
*''Watch Hill'', scrapped 1973
*''Wood Island'', scrapped 1973
*''Sands Point'', scrapped 1982
*''Point Judith'', scrapped 1978
*''Black Rock'', helped with Normandy landings, Scrapped 1969
*''Sankaty Head'', helped with Normandy landings, Scrapped 1978
*''Yaqina Head'', sold private 1971, scrapped
*''Bald Island'', scrapped 1973
*''Fire Island'', scrapped 1972
*''Libby Island'', sold private 1971, scrapped
*''St. Simon'', scrapped 1977
*''Petit Manan'', scrapped 1976
*''Burnt Island'', sold too Mexico 1969, scrapped 1979
*''Stratford Point'', scrapped 1978
*''Two Harbors'', scrapped 1972
*''White Shoal'', sold private 1975, scrapped
*''Cubits Gap'', scrapped 1976
*''Hillsboro Inlet'', helped with Normandy landings, Scrapped 1977
*''Jupiter Inlet'', sold private 1971, scrapped
*''Pigeon Point'', sold too Mexico, 1969, scrapped 1970
*''Point Arena'', scrapped 1976
*''Bayou St. John'', scrapped 1977
*''Mobile Point'', sank 1944
*''Race Point'', scrapped 1972
V3-S-AH2
![Compeller-Tugboat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Compeller-Tugboat.jpg)
Some were classed as YTB-"District Harbor Tug Large". A
Douglas fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...
wood hull ship with a displacement of , long, with a beam of , and a draft of . They had
triple-expansion reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...
s producing . They were capable of without a tow and about with a tow. They had a range of . The V3-S-AH2's were manned by a crew of 27. They were built by
Corpus Christi Shipyard,
Corpus Christi, Texas,
Puget Sound SB Company,
Olympia
The name Olympia may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games
* ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...
, Washington,
Standard Shipbuilding Company,
San Pedro, California, and
Astoria Shipbuilding,
Astoria, Oregon.
*''Sustainer'', intended for the United Kingdom, as ''Atworth'' but sold to USSR
*''Compeller'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atherida'', sold private 1948, scrapped
*''Dexterous'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Athelney'', sold to Trinidad, 1945, to Caymans, 1948, scrapped 1951
*''Mighty'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atil'', sold private 1948, scrapped
*''Secure'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Attigny'', sold private 1948, scrapped 1955
*''Forthright'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Attock'', to USN renamed YTB 610, to USSR 1944 renamed Forthright
*''Power'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atengo'', sold to Italy, 1947 renamed ''Titano'', scrapped 1974
*''Steadfast'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atako'', wrecked and lost, 1944
*''Durable'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Ataran'', to Italy, 1947, renamed ''Ciclope'', scrapped
*''Spirited'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atolia'', to Trinidad, 1948, to Caymans 1951, scrapped
*''Helper'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atoyac'', to Italy, 1949, renamed ''Nereo''
*''Resister'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atiamuri'', sold to Italy, 1947, sold to Israel, 1954
*''Superb'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atwood'', sold to Trinidad, 1948, sold to Caymans, 1951, scrapped
*''Robust'', sold to the United Kingdom, renamed ''Atmore'', sold private, 1948, scrapped
V2-M-AL1
![USN YTL-718 tugboat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/USN_YTL-718_tugboat.jpg)
Port Sewall class tug. Named for American ports. All but one tug went for
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
use, some serviced in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
in WW2. V2-M-AL1 were: Wood hull, 90 tons, beam 19 foot, diesel engine with 240 horsepower, fuel Oil: 1920 gallons. Built by Puget Sound SB, Standard SB, Steinbach IW,
Eureka Shipbuilding, Arlington SB, Texas SB, Siletz BW, Blair Company,
Marinette Marine
Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) is an American shipbuilding firm in Marinette, Wisconsin. Marinette Marine was a subsidiary of Manitowoc Marine Group of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2009, when it was sold to Fincantieri Marine Group.
History
M ...
and Texas SB.
*''Port Sewall'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" Tug, USA. (YN 1563)
*''Port Kennedy'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 1564
*''Port Reading'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 1565
*''Port Costa'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 1
*''Port San Luis'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 2
*''Port Chicago'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 3
*''Port Gamble'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 4
*''Port Tobacco'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA" YN 5
*''Port Haywood'' To US Navy renamed YTL 718, sold private 1947 renamed ''Limpiar''. (YTL= District Harbor Tug Small)
*''Port Inglis'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Mayaca'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Orange'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Richey'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port St. Joe'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Tampa City'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Arthur'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Bolivar'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Lavaca'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Neches'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port O'Connor'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Sullivan'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Stanley'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Townsend'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Ewen'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Gibson'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Jefferson'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Leyden'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Austin'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Homer'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Hope'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Sanilac'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port William'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Wing'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Sulphur'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
*''Port Treverton'' To the United Kingdom as a "TUSA"
ATR-1 class rescue tug
![Former USS ATR-31 in Peruvian Service, Feb 1954](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Former_USS_ATR-31_in_Peruvian_Service%2C_Feb_1954.jpg)
ATR-1-class - Auxiliary Tug Rescue was a wooden hulled
rescue tug that was built by Wheeler SB, Northwest Shipbuilding, Frank L. Sample,
Jakobson Shipyard
The Jakobson Shipyard, Inc. was a shipyard involved in manufacture of tugs, ferries, submarines, minesweepers, yachts, fireboats and other craft, based in Brooklyn, New York from 1926–1938, and Oyster Bay, New York from 1938-1984.
History
''N ...
, Camden SB,
Lynch SB, and
Fulton Shipyard
Fulton Shipyard was a shipbuilding company in Antioch, California. The shipyard was founded in 1924 by Frank Fulton and Angeline Fulton Fredericks. To support the World War II demand for ships, Fulton Shipyard built minesweepers, tugboats, a ...
in 1944 and 1945. The 89 ATR-1 tugs serviced WW2 in both
Asiatic-Pacific Theater
The Asiatic-Pacific Theater was the theater of operations of U.S. forces during World War II in the Pacific War during 1941–1945. From mid-1942 until the end of the war in 1945, two U.S. operational commands were in the Pacific. The Pacific O ...
and the
European theatre of World War II
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main Theater (warfare), theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Nazi Germany, Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 Sept ...
. The 40 ATR-1 Class had a displacement of 852 ton lite and 1,315 ton fully loaded. They had a length of 165' 6", a beam of 33' 4" and draft of 15' 6". Top speed of 12.2 knots. The largest boom had a capacity of 4 tons. They were armed with one
3-inch/50-caliber gun and two single
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models emplo ...
. The crew complement was five Officers and 47 Enlisted men. They had a fuel capacity of 1,620 Bbls. The propulsion was one Fulton Iron Works vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine with two Babcock and Wilcox "D"-type boilers with a single propeller of 1,600shp. They had two turbo drive Ships Service Generators, rated at 60 kW 120 V D.C. Example is
USS ATR-31
Cherokee-class tugboat
![Navajo (AT-64)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Navajo_%28AT-64%29.jpg)
The
''Cherokee'' class of fleet tugboats, originally known as the ''Navajo'' class, were built for the US Navy for World War II with a displacement of 1,235 long tons (1,255 t). Had a length of 205 ft (62 m), a beam of 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m), a draft of 18 ft (5.5 m). Has propulsion of a diesel-electric engine with 1 shaft at 3,600 hp (2,685 kW) and a top speed of 16.5 knots. Class ''AT'' for ''Auxiliary Tug''. Built by Bethlehem Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, and
United Engineering Co. Example:
USS Navajo (AT-64).
Abnaki-class tugboat
''
Abnaki-class tugboat'' were Ocean fleet tugboats that were built for the US Navy for World War II with a displacement of 1,589 tons, a length of 205 ft 0 in (62.48 m), a beam of 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m), and a draft of 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m). They had a propulsion of: 4 × General Motors 12-278A diesel main engines, 4 × General Electric generators, 3 × General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines, with a single screw of 3,600 shp (2,700 kW) and a top speed: 16.5 knots. Class ''ATF'' for ''Auxiliary Tug Fleet''. Built by Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock. Example:
USS Abnaki
USS ''Abnaki'' (ATF-96) was the lead ship of the of fleet ocean tugs in the service of the United States Navy, named after the Abenaki tribe of Native Americans. She was laid down on 28 November 1942 at Charleston, South Carolina by Charlesto ...
(ATF-96).
Sotoyomo-class tugboat
Sotoyomo-class tugboat were tugboats that were built for the US Navy for World War II with a displacement of 534 long tons (543 t) light, 835 long tons (848 t) full, a length of 143 ft (44 m), a beam of 33 ft (10 m) and a draft of 13 ft (4.0 m). They had a propulsion of diesel-electric engine with a single screw and a top speed of 13 knots. Harbor tugs (YT) were named after American Indian tribes: Example tug is the
USS Ontario (AT-13)
Cahto-class district harbor tug
![USS Achigan (YTB-218)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/USS_Achigan_%28YTB-218%29.jpg)
Cahto-class district harbor tug was a harbour tug of the US Navy with a displacement of 410 long tons (417 t), a length of 110 ft 0 in (33.53 m), a beam of 27 ft 0 in (8.23 m) and a draft of 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m). They had a propulsion of diesel-electric engine with a single screw and a top speed of 12 knots. A crew of 12. Sample tug:
USS Cahto (YTB-215). Built by
Kneass Boat Works
Kneass Boat Works was a shipbuilding company in San Francisco, California. To support the World War 2 demand for ships, Kneass Boat Works built: US Navy Sub chasers, US Army barges and tugboats. Kneass Boat Works was started by California nati ...
,
Anderson & Cristofani,
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted u ...
,
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
,
Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp.,
Defoe Shipbuilding Company
The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, United States. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is ...
,
Gulfport Shipbuilding Corporation, Gibbs Gas Engine, Bushey & Sons Shipyard, W. A. Robinson,
Greenport Basin,
Mathis, Elizabeth City,
Stone Boat Yard
W. F. Stone & Son or Stone Boat Yard was a small wooden shipbuilding company in Alameda, California. To support the World War 2 demand for ships W. F. Stone & Son built tugboats, sub chasers and minesweepers. For World War 1 the shipyard, t ...
,
Martinac, Ira Bushey, Luders Marine, Westergard,
Everett-Pacific,
United States Coast Guard Yard
The United States Coast Guard Yard or just Coast Guard Yard is a United States Coast Guard operated shipyard located on Curtis Bay in northern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, just south of the Baltimore city limits. It is the largest industrial fac ...
,
Commercial Iron Works
Commercial Iron Works was a manufacturing firm in Portland, Oregon, United States. Established in 1916, the company is best remembered today for its contribution to America's Emergency Shipbuilding Program during World War II.
The company was fo ...
and
Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro.
Hisada class harbor tug
Hisada class harbor tug is a subclass of Cahto-class district harbor tug. Hisada class harbor had the same design as the 260-ton Cahto-class district harbor tug.
Harbor tugs (YT) were named after American Indian tribes. Example tugs:
USS Nabigwon (YTB-521) and
USS Wabanquot (YTB-525)
USS ''Wabanquot'' (YTB-525), later YTM-525, was a tug that served in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1976.
''Wabanquot'' was a ''Hisada''-class tug laid down in May 1945 at Jacksonville, Florida, by the Gibbs Gas Engine Company. She was la ...
.
Woban Class District Harbor Tug
Woban Class District Harbor Tug is a subclass of Cahto-class district harbor tug. Hisada class harbor had the same design as the 260-ton Cahto-class district harbor tug.
Harbor tugs (YT) were named after American Indian tribes. Built by
Pacific Coast Engineering
The Pacific Coast Engineering Company or PACECO is an American industrial fabricator and mechanical engineering company, and was previously a shipbuilding company in Oakland, California and then Alameda, California. To support the World War II ...
,
Puget Sound Navy Yard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted u ...
, and
Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation
Consolidated Yachts is a former shipbuilder and () present-day marine service company located on City Island in The Bronx, New York City.
History
The company was founded as the Gas Engine and Power Company & Charles L. Seabury Company in 1896 ...
. Example tugs:
Hoga (YT-146) and
USS Nokomis (YT-142).
US Army
![MotorTowingLaunch_USArmy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/MotorTowingLaunch_USArmy.jpg)
For World War 2 the US Army had tugboats built to move cargo barges in harbors. The Army often called the tug a Sea Mule, used to move
US Army barges.
* Small wood US Army MTL Harbor Tugboats, 14 model 324-A with a length of 47 feet, a beam of 12 feet. MTL is for Motor Towing Launch. The Army had built 1,251 marine tractors (MT) and marine tow launches (MTL) by 41 boatbuilders. MT tugs were either 26 feet or 36 feet (Design 329) in length and the MTL were 46 feet.
* US Army TP Harbor Tug with displacement 185 tons gross, a length of 96 feet, a beam 25 feet, a draft of 11 feet, Power one Fairbanks–Morse six cylinder diesel engine to a single propeller with 450 shp. The TP is for "Tug/Passenger". The US Army had 43 of this 96-foot tugs built for World War 2,
Ackerman Boat Company
Ackerman Boat Company was a wooden shipbuilding company in Newport Beach, California. Ackerman Boat Company built small barges in Newport Harbor working with Star D Iron Works, in Santa Ana. To support the World War 2 demand for ships Ackerman ...
` built 15 of them.
* US Army had built 170 of the 65-foot, diesel-powered, passenger / cargo boats. These could also be used as harbor tugs. These were known as tug-transports, or T-boats.
Bagaduce-class tugboat WW1
Bagaduce-class tugboat were World War 1 tug boats used in World War 1 and World War 2. Durning World War 1 these were called YMT-Yard Motor Tug. Engineered with a displacement of 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) (normal) and a length of 156 ft 8 in (47.75 m), a beam of 30 ft (9.1 m) and a draft of 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m), with a top speed of 12.4 knots. USS Example
USS ''Sagamore'' (AT-20).
[USS Bagaduce (AT-21) at the Navy History and Heritage Command]
Arapaho-class fleet tug WW1
Arapaho-class fleet tug were World War 1 tug boats used in World War 1 and World War 2.
Engineered with a displacement of 575 tons and a length of 122 ft 6 in (37.34 m), a beam of 24 ft (7.3 m) and a draft of 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m), with a top speed of 11 knots.
Ships in class:
*AT-14 ''Arapaho'' later renamed: ''YT-121'' in 1936 then sold in 1937, renamed ''Evridiki'' in 1960, sold and renamed ''Faneromini'' in 1968. Scrapped in 1986.
*''
USS Mohave (AT-15)'' Wrecked in 1928.
*AT-16 ''Tillamook'' later renamed ''YT-122'' in 1936, renamed ''YTM-122'' in 1944. Scrapped in 1947
Canada Tugs
Modified Ocean Warrior-class Tugs built by Kingston Ship Builder in Kingston ON. GT of 233 tons, 105 feet long, Beam of 26.2' and Draft of 12.5' with 1000HP, max of 14 knots, Steel hull, built between 1945 and 1946.
*Rockglen
*Rockforest
*Rockpigeon
*Rockdoe
*Rockswift
*Rockelm
*Rockswift
*Rockwing
*Rockcliffe
*Rockmount
*Rockport
*Rockland
*Rockhill
*Rockwood
*Rockruby
*Rockhawk
*Rockthrush
*Rockcrystal
Notable incidents
*
''Sonoma'' tug sank off Dio Island in action at
San Pedro Bay,
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...
, Philippines when an enemy bomber crashed into her on 24 October 1944.
*
USS Partridge (AM-16) a Minesweeper, converted to a tug, Ocean Tug AT-138, sank after a torpedo from a German
E-Boat
E-boat was the Western Allies' designation for the fast attack craft (German: ''Schnellboot'', or ''S-Boot'', meaning "fast boat") of the Kriegsmarine during World War II; ''E-boat'' could refer to a patrol craft from an armed motorboat to a lar ...
hit on 11 June 1944. She sank on way to France at , about north of
Vierville-sur-Mer
Vierville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Vierville on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. ...
.
*''Matagorda'' a V4-M-A1 tug, sank in 1946.
*''Boon Island'' a V4-M-A1 tug, sank in 1976.
*''Moose Peak'' a V4-M-A1 tug, sank in 1974. She was a Merchant Marine Ship at Normandy.
*''Great Isaac'' a V4-M-A1 tug, sank in 1947.
*MV 'Mobile Point' a V4-M-A1 tug sank on 23 December 1944 after collided with the SS Beaton Park, a British cargo ship off the coast of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, near the
Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
*''YTL-566'' sank on the way to
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in the vicinity of
Côn Sơn Island
Côn Sơn ( ), also known as Côn Lôn is the largest island of the Côn Đảo archipelago, off the coast of southern Vietnam.Kelley, p 116
Other names
Its French variant Grande-Condore was well-known during the times of French Indochina. Mar ...
, during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
*''YTL-199'' sank in 1946.
*''Triton (YT-10)'' fleet tug, sank with all the crew on 30 December 1962 in storm off
Huntington, Long Island, New York.
*''USS Pokagon (YT-274)'' sank near Green Cove Springs, Fla. after she capsized on 27 September 1947.
*''USS Shahaka (YTB-368)'' sank after colliding with USS ''ABSD-2'', a
floating drydock
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
, midway between the California coast and the Hawaiian Islands at 27° 21'N 136° 29'W in June 1944.
*
USS Secota (YTM-415), Sank in collision with submarine,
USS Georgia (SSGN-729)
USS ''Georgia'' (SSBN-729/SSGN-729), an , is the second vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia.
Construction and commissioning
The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Bo ...
on 22 March 1986 near
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
.
*''YT-198'' sank after hitting a mine off the
Anzio beachhead
The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...
on 18 February 1944.
*
USS Iona (YTB-220) sank after a fire in June 1963.
*ATA-214 ''Palo Blanco'' renamed ''Radnik'' sank in storm off Syria in 1953.
*ATR-64 renamed ''La Lumiere'' sank at mooring in 2008 in Britannia Beach BC.
*AT-171 sank after a collision off the Azores in 1944.Wrecked off Okinawa 9 Oct. 1945
*
USS ''Mohave'' (AT-15) ran aground and was wrecked on 13 February 1928 in
Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay is a bay on the Gulf of Maine that forms part of the central coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Description
The bay extends from Cape Ann on the north to Plymouth Harbor on the south, a distance of about . Its ...
.
*
USS Arapaho (ATF-68) as ARA Comandante General Zapiola in the Argentine Navy ran aground on a reef off Antarctica and sank on 10 January 1976.
*
ATF-117 USS ''Wateree'' was wrecked and sank off Okinawa on 9 Oct. 1945.
*
''USS Grebe'' was wrecked and sank off Fiji on 9 October 1945 with a loss of eight of crew.
*AT-200 Sold and renamed ''Leucolon'' (PP 61) was wrecked and sank in 1965.
*ATR-15 was wrecked and sank off Normandy on 19 June 1944.
*
AT-31 USS ''Koka'' was wrecked and sank in 1938 off San Clemente Island.
*AT-166 Chetco sold and renamed ''Neptune'' sank after collision in 1948
*AT-191 sunk by
typhoon Louise at Okinawa on 9 Oct. 1945.
*AT-210 ''USS Catawba'' renamed ARA Comodoro Somellera (A10)sank in 1998.
navsource Catawba
/ref>
See also
* Type B ship
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, co ...
* Sotoyomo-class fleet tug
* Pusher tug
* Victory ships
The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slight ...
* Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
* Type C1 ship
Type C1 was a designation for small cargo ships built for the United States Maritime Commission before and during World War II. Total production was 493 ships built from 1940 to 1945. The first C1 types were the smallest of the three original M ...
* Type C2 ship
Type C2 ships were designed by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) in 1937–38. They were all-purpose cargo ships with five holds, and U.S. shipyards built 328 of them from 1939 to 1945. Compared to ships built before 1939, the C2s we ...
* Type C3 ship
Type C3-class ships were the third type of cargo ship designed by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) in the late 1930s. As it had done with the Type C1 ships and Type C2 ships, MARCOM circulated preliminary plans for comment. The desi ...
* United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...
* List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy
This is a list of auxiliaries of the United States Navy. It covers the various types of ships that support the frontline combat vessels of the United States Navy.
Ship status is indicated as either currently active (including ready reserve), ...
*Wooden boats of World War 2
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, ...
References
tugboatinformation.com
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Ship types
World War II merchant ships of the United States
Auxiliary tugboat classes