USS ''Nutmeg'' (AN-33/YN-33) 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 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 Cleveland, Ohio

''Nutmeg'' (YN–28), formerly ''Sycamore'', was laid down 18 October 1940 by

American Shipbuilding Company The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the World War II, Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio in 1898. It changed ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

; launched 13 March 1941; placed in service 30 October. Allocated to the

1st 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 ...

for net tending duty in the Boston Harbor area she was reclassified ''AN–33'' on 20 June 1944.

World War II service

Through the spring of 1945 ''Nutmeg'' was engaged in maintaining and repairing net defenses in Boston Harbor. In May she was attached to Commander Task Force 24 for the purpose of maintaining the anti-torpedo net in Placentia Harbor,

Argentia, Newfoundland Argentia ( ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which re ...

. She departed Argentia 19 June with Gate Craft (Non-self propelled) ''YNG–27'' in tow, arriving 23 June at South Boston Navy Yard for overhaul and repairs. ''Nutmeg'' had been scheduled for duty at Pearl Harbor when she departed Boston, Massachusetts, 21 July for transit to the U.S. West Coast via

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

, the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

, and San Pedro, California. Voyage repairs and a main engine casualty necessitated a change in schedule, and when World War II ended, ''Nutmeg'' was placed on the inactive list and shifted to the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

Reserve Basin.

Post-war decommissioning

Placed out of commission, in reserve in January 1947, she was transferred to the National Defense Reserve Fleet in 1959 and was struck from the Navy List 1 September 1962. She remained in reserve until she was sold 8 July 1971.

References

*
NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Nutmeg (AN-33) – ex-USS Nutmeg (YN-33) - Nutmeg (YN-33) - Sycamore (YN-28)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nutmeg (AN-33) Aloe-class net laying ships Ships built in Lorain, Ohio 1941 ships World War II net laying ships of the United States