USS ''Resourceful'' (AFDM-5), (former ''YFD-21)'', was a ''AFDM-3''-class floating dry dock built in 1943 and operated by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Construction and career

''YFD-21'' was built at the Everett Pacific Shipbuilding Shipyard, in Everett,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

in 1943. She was commissioned in February 1943. Assigned to the Pacific Fleet,

USS Chickasaw (AT-83) USS ''Chickasaw'' (AT-83/ATF-83) was a constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean in World War II and the Korean War, and was awarded six battle stars for World War II and two battle stars during ...

departed

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, on 11 March 1943 for

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...

, towing the floating dry dock ''YFD-21,'' and arrived on 30 March 1943.

Draco Draco is the Latin word for serpent or dragon. Draco or Drako may also refer to: People * Draco (lawgiver) (from Greek: Δράκων; 7th century BC), the first lawgiver of ancient Athens, Greece, from whom the term ''draconian'' is derived * D ...

towed ''YFD-21'' from Seattle by way of Pearl Harbor to

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...

, arriving 5 May 1943. On 4 July 1945, USS Wildcat (AW-2) shifted to ''YFD-21'' for the remainder of her repairs. In 1945, the unnamed dry dock was re-designated AFDM-5. The USS Safeguard (ARS-50) added section G of ''AFDM-5'' to her tow and continued on to Pearl Harbor on 29 July 1946, in company with three YTBs. 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 ...

, ''AFDM-5'' was recommissioned and in 1962, was given the motto "Alta Et Sica", which translates to "High and Dry". She was based in Subic Bay for the rest of her career. After a short period drydocked in ''AFDM-5'' at Subic Bay, the

USS Benner (DD-807) USS ''Benner'' (DD/DDR-807) was a of the United States Navy, named for Marine Second Lieutenant Stanley G. Benner (1916–1942), who was killed during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Namesake Stanley Graves Benner was born on 5 July 1916 in Arlingt ...

sailed to

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

for rest and recreation on the 31 January 1967. The

USS Albatross (MSC-289) USS Albatross (MSC-289) was the lead ship of the acquired by the U.S. Navy for clearing coastal minefields. The sixth ship to be named ''Albatross'' by the navy, ''MSC-289'' was laid down on 26 February 1959 by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company, ...

entered the floating dry dock on the 15th and, by 25 October 1967, was underway for

Sasebo is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

USNS Corpus Christi Bay (T-ARVH-1) USS ''Albemarle'' (AV-5) was one of only two ''Curtiss''-class seaplane tenders built for the United States Navy just prior to the United States' entry into World War II. Named for Albemarle Sound on the North Carolina coast, she was the thi ...

was in the floating drydock in 1968.

USS Grasp (ARS-24) USS ''Grasp'' (ARS-24) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship, ''Diver''-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels. Construction and commissioning ''Gr ...

made another dry dock period but this time inside the ''AFDM-5'', in late September 1968. On 26 April 1969, the USS Abnaki (ATF-96) got underway bound for

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

with ''AFDM-5'' in tow.

USS Sanctuary (AH-17) USS ''Sanctuary'' (AH-17) was a that served in the United States Navy, U.S. Navy in World War II and the Vietnam War. ''Sanctuary'' was Keel laying, laid down as SS ''Marine Owl'' by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania. ...

was dry docked inside ''AFDM-5'' in 1970. In 1979, she was finally named ''Resourceful''. On 1 January 1987, USNS Spica (T-AFS-9) and USS Catawba (T-ATF-168) were dry docked inside ''Resourceful''. Later in the same year,

USNS Silas Bent (T-AGS-26) USNS ''Silas Bent'' (T-AGS-26) was a ''Silas Bent'' class survey ship acquired by the United States Navy in 1964 and delivered to the Military Sealift Command in 1965. ''Silas Bent'' spent her career in the Pacific Ocean performing oceanographi ...

was also dry docked. In early 1990s, USS Kinkaid (DD-965) was being repaired on board the dry dock. On 19 April 1992, ''Resourceful'' was towed to Yokosuka after the closure of the

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the Spanish Navy and subsequently the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. The base was 262 square miles, about the size of Singapore. Th ...

. On 22 August 1997, ''Resource'' was decommissioned for the last time and stricken on the same day. She would then be transferred to the Local Redevelopment Agency (LRA), in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

on 6 April 1999. The dry dock has kept the name AFDM-5 and provided repair services around the

Subic Bay Freeport Zone The Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, often shorterned as Subic Bay or Subic, is a special economic zone and freeport area covering portions of the city of Olongapo and the town of Subic in Zambales, and the towns of Morong and Herm ...

. In 2012,

MV Logos Hope MV ''Logos Hope'' is a ship operated as a part of a faith based organisations by Gute Bücher für Alle. She was built in 1973 as the ferry MV ''Gustav Vasa'' for service between Malmö (Sweden) and Travemünde (Germany) and later operated as t ...

was dry docked inside ''AFDM-5''. From 30 October 2017 to 15 February 2018, BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) was dry docked inside of her. From 26 March to 26 April 2018, she repaired the MV Lorcon Bacolod. In late 2018, the dry dock was seen sunk in port until it was removed in late 2021.Google Earth Pro

Awards

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal * World War II Victory Medal * National Defense Service Medal *

Philippines Liberation Medal The Philippine Liberation Medal is a military award of the Republic of the Philippines which was created by an order of Commonwealth Army of the Philippines Headquarters on 20 December 1944, and was issued as the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. The d ...

References

Floating drydock back at Subic FreeportU.S. Navy tows its last drydock from Philippines

External links

Hull Number: AFDM-5 DEPLOYMENTSTogetherWeServed: Resourceful (AFDM-5) Crew Members
{{DEFAULTSORT:Resourceful (AFDM-5) World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Vietnam War auxiliary ships of the United States Floating drydocks of the United States Navy 1943 ships Ships built in Everett, Washington