US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Wythe (APB-41) Class

USS Presque Isle (APB-44) circa 1945-1946
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        WYTHE (APB-41)
Design:        Navy LST
Displacement (tons):        2,189 light, 4,080 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        328.0' oa, 316.0' pp x 50.0' e x 11.2' lim.
Original Armament:        7-40mmS 12-20mm (1945: APB 41-44)
Later armaments:        2-40mmT 4-40mmS 8-20mm (1945: APB 49-50);
7-40mmS 7-20mmT (1946-47: APB-42);
4-40mmS 8-20mmT (1946-47: APB-50)
Complement:        --
Speed (kts.):        10
Propulsion (HP):        1,800
Machinery:        G.M. diesels 2 screws

Construction:

APB	Name	Reclas.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
41	WYTHE	7 Mar 45	Mo. Valley B/I, Evansville	3 May 44	9 Jun 44	--
42	YAVAPAI	7 Mar 45	American Bridge, Ambridge	22 Apr 44	6 Jun 44	--
43	YOLO	7 Mar 45	American Bridge, Ambridge	25 Apr 44	16 Jun 44	--
44	PRESQUE ISLE	7 Mar 45	American Bridge, Ambridge	29 Apr 44	16 Jun 44	--
49	ACCOMAC	1 Aug 45	Jeffersonville Boat & Mach	13 May 44	28 Jun 44	--
50	CAMERON	1 Aug 45	Bethlehem-Hingham SYs	1 Jun 44	5 Jul 44	--

Disposition:

APB	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
41	WYTHE	29 May 47	1 May 59	10 Sep 59	Sold	--
42	YAVAPAI	3 Dec 46	1 May 59	11 Sep 59	Sold	--
43	YOLO	9 Aug 46	1 May 59	8 Jan 60	Sold	--
44	PRESQUE ISLE	18 Apr 47	1 May 59	11 Sep 59	Sold	--
49	ACCOMAC	9 Aug 46	1 May 59	7 Dec 59	Sold	--
50	CAMERON	13 Dec 46	1 May 59	23 Jul 59	Sold	--

Class Notes:
Four LST's then serving in the Pacific were "temporarily" converted at the Waipio Amphibious Operating Base, Pearl Harbor in October 1944-January 1945 to serve as "mother ships" for amphibious force small craft and boats until four new construction ships of this type became available (see the APB-45 class). This conversion was approved by CNO on 18 Sep 44. The four "temporary" conversions received two Quonset huts on the main deck (one for transient officers' quarters, the other for a galley and bakery), 4 large evaporators on the main deck forward for fresh water, 16 walk-in refrigerator units on the tank deck forward for provisions, 2 diesel generators on the tank deck forward, and 250 extra bunks on the tank deck aft and in the crew's quarters. Large heads and showers were also installed on the main deck outboard of the Quonset huts for the use of transient personnel. The converted vessels had accommodations for around 340 men in addition to ship's company. Initially they remained LST's, being informally called LST(M) for mother ship. In January 1945 CinCPac recommended that, if CNO intended that these conversions become permanent, the Navy should reclassify them as Stores Issue Ships (AKS) because of their similarity to the AKS-16 (later APB-45) class, but no action was taken until they were reclassified APB in March. On 14 Mar 45 APB-44 received the name originally given to APB-48.

APB 49-50 were converted at San Diego and Long Beach, Cal., between June and September 1945. They appear to have been converted along the same lines as APB 41-44: they each received the same two Quonset huts on the weather deck along with 4 evaporators, 24 refrigerator units, 2 electric generators, and 250 additional bunks on the tank deck. A deficiency in all of these improvised conversions was the lack of a crane for handling stores; the six ships also lacked a large hatch through which pallets of stores could be passed from the weather deck to the tank deck.

Ship Notes:

APB	Name	Notes
41	WYTHE	Ex LST-575 31 Mar 45. Ferry commission as LST 24 Jun 44, full commission 30 Jun 44. Converted at Pearl Harbor from late October 1944 to mid-January 1945. In USN reserve 1946-59.
42	YAVAPAI	Ex LST-676 31 Mar 45. Ferry commission as LST 20 Jun 44, full commission 30 Jun 44. Converted at Pearl Harbor from 2 Oct 44 to early January 1945. In USN reserve 1946-59.
43	YOLO	Ex LST-677 31 Mar 45. Ferry commission as LST 25 Jun 44, full commission 3 Jul 44. Converted at Pearl Harbor from 21 Oct 44 to 14 Jan 45. In USN reserve 1946-59.
44	PRESQUE ISLE	Ex LST-678 31 Mar 45. Ferry commission as LST 30 Jun 44, full commission 10 Jul 44. Converted at Pearl Harbor ca. Sep-Dec 44. In USN reserve 1946-59.
49	ACCOMAC	Ex LST-710 1 Aug 45. Commissioned as LST 24 Jul 44. Converted at San Diego Jun-Aug 45, no service. In USN reserve 1946-59.
50	CAMERON	Ex LST-928 1 Aug 45. Commissioned as LST 30 Jul 44. Converted by Consolidated Steel (Craig Yard), Long Beach, Cal., 25 Jul 45-22Sep 45, no service. In USN reserve 1946-59.