USS ''Catalpa'' (AN-10/YN-5) was an
''Aloe''-class net laying ship
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.
A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid ...
which was assigned to serve the
U.S. Navy ships and harbors during
World War II with her protective anti-
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
nets.
Built in Portland, Oregon
The second ship to be so named by the Navy, ''Catalpa'' (YN-5) was launched 22 February 1941 by
Commercial Iron Works,
Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Mrs. E. B. Colton; and on 20 June 1941 placed in service for duty in the
12th Naval District
The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...
. She was commissioned 22 May 1942 at
Alameda, California.
World War service
After loading equipment at the Net Depot at
Tiburon, California, ''Catalpa'' sailed 24 May 1942 for the
Fiji Islands
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, arriving 14 June. At
Nandi
Nandi may refer to:
People
* Nandy (surname), Indian surname
* Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe
* Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi
* Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...
,
Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
, and during October and November 1942 at
Funafuti in the
Ellice Islands, ''Catalpa'' laid and cared for harbor entrance nets, protecting important South
Pacific Ocean bases. Early in 1944, she sailed to
Dunedin, New Zealand, for overhaul, during which on 20 January she was redesignated ''AN-10''.
''Catalpa'' arrived at
Cape Torokina,
Bougainville, 20 February 1944 to carry out varied duties in the
Solomon Islands through the spring and summer. In addition to tending nets, she laid mooring buoys, offered towing and salvage services, and provided divers for the services essential to the maintenance of fleet anchorages.
Early in September, she joined forces at
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
staging for the invasion of the
Palau Islands, a vital preparation for the return to the
Philippines. With the assault forces, she arrived off
Peleliu on 15 September, and after standing by as the first troops smashed ashore, sailed on to mine-infested
to begin the work of preparing what would become a major fleet anchorage. Net and salvage operations in the Palaus were ''Catalpa's'' contribution to the continuing operations there and in the Philippines until 28 February 1945 when she got underway for
Ulithi and
Eniwetok.
Post-war inactivation
She operated in the
Marshall Islands until 30 June when she cleared for duty in the
Eleventh Naval District
The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...
from
San Pedro, California. On 23 July 1946 she sailed for
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...
, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 21 October 1946.
Korean War era service
With the buildup of the fleet brought into effect upon the outbreak of hostilities in
Korea, ''Catalpa'' was re-commissioned 7 August 1950 and reported to the net depot in
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.
San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...
for training and local duty.
On 1 February 1952, she sailed from
San Diego, California, for the
Far East, and through 1954 installed and tended nets in
Tokyo Bay, except for a period in the fall of 1953 when she carried out similar duties at
Guam.
Final decommissioning
On 23 January 1955 she cleared for
New London, Connecticut, where she arrived 4 May. She was placed out of commission in reserve there 7 October 1955.
Honors and awards
''Catalpa'' received two
battle stars for World War II service.
References
*
NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - YN-5 / AN-10 Catalpa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catalpa (AN-10)
Aloe-class net laying ships
Ships built in Portland, Oregon
1941 ships
World War II net laying ships of the United States
Korean War auxiliary ships of the United States