USS ''AFDM-3'', (former ''YFD-6''), was the lead ship of the ''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-6'' was built at the Chicago Bridge and Iron Shipyard, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

in January 1943. She was commissioned on 9 December 1943. From 24 to 26 June 1944, USS Larch (YN-16) was dry-docked inside ''YFD-6''. In late December 1944, USS Arikara (AT-98) voyaged to

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

where she took ''YFD-6'' in tow before continuing on to the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

. On 26 June 1945, ''YFD-6'' was prepared transiting the

, circa 1945. ''YFD-6'''s center section fully turned 90 degrees, floating on its side with the support of a thousand Navy pontoons installed atop the wing wall. This work, done by Navy SeaBees, was necessary to allow the drydock section to fit through the canal's locks. USS YT-355, USS Alarka (YTB-229) and

USS Umpqua (ATA-209) USS ''Umpqua'' (ATA-209), originally designated ATR-136, was laid down as ''ATA-209'' on 15 December 1944 at Port Arthur, Texas, by Gulfport Boiler & Welding Works; launched on 2 February 1945; and commissioned on 2 April 1945. ...

guided and towed the dry dock through the canal. In AUgust 1946, the dry dock was re-designated as ''AFDM-3''. USS Gauger (YO-55) towed ''AFDM-3'' and steaming in company with

USS Bluebird (ASR-19) The second USS ''Bluebird'' (ASR-19) was a ''Penguin''-class submarine rescue ship in the United States Navy. ''Bluebird'' was laid down on 23 June 1945 at Charleston, South Carolina, by the Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. as the fleet ...

USS Cahuilla (ATF-152) USS ''Cahuilla'' (ATF-152) was an Abnaki class fleet tug in the service of the United States Navy during World War II. In 1961 she was sold to the Argentine Navy as ARA ''Irigoyen'' (A-1) where she served until 2009 when she became a Museum shi ...

and USS Tawakoni (ATF-114), she reached

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 ...

on 12 October 1946. In latter 1948, ''AFDM-3'' and USS AFDM-7 arrived at the Balboa yard to be prepared to transit the Panama Canal similarly to the USS AFDM-1. Throughout 1950, The US Navy done heavy workload on ''AFDM-3'', USS AFDM-7 and USS AFDM-9. In 1986, ''AFDM-3'',

USS ARD-10 USS ''ARD-10'' was an auxiliary repair dock in the service of the United States Navy in World War II as an auxiliary floating drydock, built by Pacific Bridge Company. As was common with other auxiliary repair docks, the ship was only known by her ...

and USS ARD-16 were all laid up in Mobile,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. In 1999, the dry dock was leased to the Bender Shipbuilding and Repair Company. The ''AFDM-6'' was struck from the

Naval Register A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

on 15 November 2000. On 1 April 2002, it was sold to the company in Mobile. In 2010, the Bender Shipbuilding Company was declared bankrupt thus all systems were acquired by the

Signal International Signal International, LLC is a Mobile, Alabama based marine construction firm specializing in the construction of large ocean going structures such as offshore drilling rigs, production platforms and barges. The company also has operations in Pasc ...

. After 2018, the shipyard was sold to World Marine of Alabama.

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

References

External links

NavSource: AFDM-3

Naval Vessel Register: No Name (AFDM-3)
{{DEFAULTSORT:AFDM-3 World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Floating drydocks of the United States Navy 1943 ships Ships built in Chicago