USS YO-144 on 12 March 1943
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        CONCRETE BARGES (YO-144, YOG-40)
Design        MC B7-A2
Displacement (tons):        6866 light, 12,910 full load
Dimensions (feet):        375.0' oa, 360.0' wl x 56' x 30' max
Original Armament:        4-20mm
Later armaments:        --
Complement        13 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        --
Propulsion (HP):        --
Machinery:        Non-self propelled

Construction:
MC Name Acq. Builder Keel Launch Commiss.
634 YOG-85 22 Jul 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 1 May 42 13 Oct 42 27 Aug 43
635 YO-144 18 Feb 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 21 May 42 11 Nov 42 18 Feb 43
636 YOG-40 13 Apr 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 19 Oct 42 25 Dec 42 13 Apr 43
637 YOG-41 29 Apr 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 21 Nov 42 22 Feb 43 29 Apr 43
638 YOG-42 22 May 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 6 Dec 42 23 Mar 43 22 May 43
1220 YO-145 3 Jul 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 29 Dec 42 25 Apr 43 3 Jul 43
1221 YO-146 12 Aug 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 23 Feb 43 16 May 43 12 Aug 43
1222 YOG-53 26 Jul 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 28 Feb 43 29 May 43 26 Jul 43
1223 YO-159 27 Aug 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 2 Apr 43 20 Jun 43 27 Aug 43
1224 YO-160 31 Aug 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 30 Apr 43 6 Jul 43 31 Aug 43
1225 YO-161 16 Sep 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 18 May 43 31 Jul 43 16 Sep 43
1226 YO-162 28 Sep 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 31 May 43 9 Aug 43 28 Sep 43
1227 YO-163 20 Oct 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 21 Jun 43 18 Aug 43 20 Oct 43
1228 YO-182 16 Nov 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 8 Jul 43 6 Sep 43 16 Nov 43
1229 YO-183 27 Nov 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 2 Aug 43 23 Sep 43 27 Nov 43
1230 YOG-82 7 Dec 43 Concrete Ship Constructors 11 Aug 43 9 Oct 43 7 Dec 43
1231 YO-184 6 Jan 44 Concrete Ship Constructors 19 Aug 43 24 Oct 43 6 Jan 44
1232 YO-185 18 Jan 44 Concrete Ship Constructors 7 Sep 43 6 Nov 43 18 Jan 44
1233 YOG-83 25 Jan 44 Concrete Ship Constructors 24 Sep 43 27 Nov 43 25 Jan 44
1234 YO-186 16 Mar 44 Concrete Ship Constructors 11 Oct 43 12 Dec 43 16 Mar 44
1235 YO-187 18 May 44 Concrete Ship Constructors 24 Oct 43 25 Dec 43 18 May 44
1236 YOG-84 18 Apr 44 Concrete Ship Constructors 6 Nov 43 27 Jan 44 18 Apr 44

Disposition:
MC Name Decomm. Strike Disposal Fate MA Sale
634 YOG-85 -- 20 Dec 50 9 Aug 51 Sold --
635 YO-144 -- 1 Jul 67 Jul 67 Trf. --
636 YOG-40 -- 27 Feb 51 18 Apr 51 Sold --
637 YOG-41 -- 1 Nov 59 -- Sold --
638 YOG-42 -- 15 Aug 49 -- Unk. --
1220 YO-145 -- 1 Feb 60 -- Sold --
1221 YO-146 -- 21 Nov 57 Jul 57 Lost --
1222 YOG-53 -- 1 Nov 59 -- Sold --
1223 YO-159 -- 22 Jan 44 16 Jan 44 Lost --
1224 YO-160 -- 15 Aug 46 25 Jul 46 Test --
1225 YO-161 -- 13 Dec 46 29 Nov 46 Dest. --
1226 YO-162 -- 1 Apr 67 Jul 67 Trf. --
1227 YO-163 -- 5 Mar 47 Feb 47 Lost --
1228 YO-182 -- 27 Oct 59 Oct 59 Dest. --
1229 YO-183 -- 1 Feb 60 Jun 60 Sold --
1230 YOG-82 -- 1 Nov 59 -- Sold --
1231 YO-184 -- 8 Oct 46 18 Sep 46 Lost --
1232 YO-185 -- 28 Mar 46 16 Mar 46 Dest. --
1233 YOG-83 -- 21 Oct 48 16 Sep 48 Dest. --
1234 YO-186 -- 10 Jun 47 5 Apr 48 Dest. --
1235 YO-187 -- 10 Jan 57 1957 Lost --
1236 YOG-84 -- 22 Dec 48 14 Nov 48 Lost --

Class Notes:
FY 1942 (YO 144-146, 159-163), 1943 (YOG 40-42, 53), 1944 (YO 182-187, YOG 82-85). In November 1941 the Maritime Commission let contracts to firms in Savannah, Ga., Houston, Tex., and National City (near San Diego), Calif. for 15 concrete barges (five each) to carry oil from Texas to northern East Coast ports. These firms received further contracts in May, June, and September 1942 for a total of 43 of the 366-foot B7-A1 type and 22 of the 375-foot B7-A2 type. In June 1942 builders in San Francisco were also awarded contracts for 26 366-foot B7-D1 barges for the carriage of bauxite. Of these 91 concrete barges, the contracts for 32 of the B7-A1 type and 6 of the B7-D1 type were cancelled Thirteen of the B7-D1 barges became the TREFOIL (IX-149) class, q.v., while five more B7-D1's and all eleven B7-A1's were acquired by the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks as construction equipment. (Fifteen of these sixteen barges were expended between August 1944 and June 1945 as breakwaters in the Western Pacific.) The Navy ultimately acquired all 22 of the B7-A2 barges for use at advance bases as dirty (YO) and clean (YOG) storage and refueling craft for fuel oil and light (distilled) oils respectively.

On 28 Sep 42 Commander Service Force, Pacific Fleet requested that concrete fuel carrying barges be acquired without delay to meet the serious fuel storage problem of the naval forces in the South Pacific and noted that suitable barges were then being built at National City, Calif., for the MC. The construction of these barges was such that they could be towed to the required locations and used for fuel storage, thus providing the needed fuel storage and expediting the turnaround of tankers serving those areas. In his letter of 26 Oct 42 to the MC requesting the barges SecNav explained that the lack of suitable shore storage facilities for liquid fuel at South Pacific bases had necessitated the employment of mobile tankers for this purpose and that the use of large capacity floating barges provided the only immediate method to expedite the turnaround of the insufficient number of tankers supplying this area. On 24 Oct 42 the Auxiliary Vessels Board estimated that a minimum of six barges was needed and recommended that the Navy acquire the first six to be completed. It recommended that provision be made for the storage of aviation gasoline in one of them. Ultimately they were split evenly between bunker fuel (YO 144-146) and gasoline and diesel oil (YOG 40-42) carriers. On 10 Feb 43 the Navy's Industrial Manager at San Diego reported that the morale of the employees at the Concrete Ship Constructors yard at National City had noticeably improved since the Navy took over the first six vessels because of the desire of all personnel to complete vessels destined for use in war theaters and that YO-144 was then expected to be delivered to the Navy a full month ahead of the date the MC would have received it.

On 11 Nov 42 ComServPac asked for six more of these barges to meet the expanding fuel storage requirements in the South Pacific, and on 20 Nov 42 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that the next six units building at National City be acquired. They were initially also to be split evenly between dirty and clean types but were later reallocated and became YO 159-63 and YOG-53. On 7 Jun 43 SecNav asked the MC for nine more of the National City barges, citing a recommendation from the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, and the impending need for additional floating fuel storage at advance bases. On 11 Jun 43 the Auxiliary Vessels board endorsed the acquisition of these units, which became YO 182-187 and YOG 82-84. In early July 1943 the MC advised the Navy that the first of the National City B7-A2 barges, MC hull 634, which the MC had retained for observation and tests of this new type, was lying idle at San Pedro, Calif., and was available to the Navy for purchase. On 7 Jul 43, two days before SecNav formally asked the MC for the vessel, VCNO instructed BuShips to take it over for conversion to YOG-85, noting that it had never been used to transport fuel and directing that three of its six tanks be loaded with aviation gasoline and the other six with potable water. The Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended the acquisition of this vessel on 16 Jul 43.

In some official Navy sources YO-188 is listed as a member of the YO-144 class. However the contemporary Navy data cards for YO-188 indicate that it was a 120 x 30-foot steel barge acquired by the Bureau of Yards and Docks from the Army Corps of Engineers at New Orleans in 1942 and converted to an oil barge. Later transferred by BuDocks to the 10th Naval District, this barge was placed in service on 30 Jun 43 in Puerto Rico and received its hull number on 17 Jul 43.

Ship Notes:
MC Name MC Notes
634 YOG-85 634 Ex merc. CONCRETE NO. 1 (completed 13 Apr 43). To YOGN-85 ca. May 1946. Sold at Kwajalein to Dulien Steel Products, Inc., Los Angeles, and delivered 9 Aug 51.
635 YO-144 635 Ex merc. CONCRETE NO. 2. To YON-144 ca. May 1946. Active in service in a Pacific Area advance base (probably Subic Bay) from March 1950. In reserve in service Oct. 1958. Transferred to the Philippines 1967.
636 YOG-40 636 Ex merc. CONCRETE NO. 3. To YOGN-40 ca. May 1946. Found unfit 13 Feb 50, sold at Guam to Luzon Stevedoring Co., Guam.
637 YOG-41 637 Ex merc. CONCRETE NO. 4. To YOGN-41 ca. May 1946. Active in service in the 14th Naval District (Hawaii) from July 1950. Out of service in reserve June 1957. Reclassified YOS-30 (Oil Storage Barge) in Dec. 1957. To disposal list Oct. 1959, to Navy sale list Nov. 1959. Sale details unknown.
638 YOG-42 638 Ex merc. CONCRETE NO. 5. To YOGN-42 ca. May 1946. To disposal list May 1946. ComServPac reported no information available on vessel 5 May 49, stk. 15 Aug 49.
1220 YO-145 1220 To YON-145 ca. May 1946. Out of service in reserve in the 5th Naval District from May 1947. To disposal list Dec. 1959 and to Navy sale list Feb. 1960. Sale details unknown.
1221 YO-146 1221 To YON-146 ca. May 1946. Active in service in a Pacific Area advance base (probably Subic Bay) from June 1951. To disposal list at Subic Bay 24 Apr 57. Lost by accident July 1957.
1222 YOG-53 1222 To YOGN-53 ca. May 1946. Active in service in the 14th Naval District (Hawaii) from May 1946 but later listed as out of service in reserve as of this date. Reclassified YOS-31 (Oil Storage Barge) in Dec. 1957. To disposal list Oct. 1959, to Navy sale list Nov. 1959. Sale details unknown.
1223 YO-159 1223 Attacked by Japanese submarine RO-42 off New Hebrides 14 Jan 44, caught fire and presumed to have sunk night of 15-16 Jan.
1224 YO-160 1224 To YON-160 ca. May 1946. Sunk by the second (BAKER) atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll on 25 Jul 46.
1225 YO-161 1225 To YON-161 ca. May 1946. Out of service 9 Sep 46. Hulk destroyed at Eniwetok 29 Nov 46.
1226 YO-162 1226 To YON-162 ca. May 1946. Active in service in a Pacific Area advance base (probably Subic Bay) from May 1946. In reserve in service Oct. 1958. To Navy sale list 31 Mar 67, removed from sale list 22 May 67, transferred to Philippines ca. July 1967 with YON-144
1227 YO-163 1227 To YON-163 ca. May 1946. Sank while being towed from Eniwetok to Kwajalein by HIDASTA (ATF-102), reported 26 Feb 47.
1228 YO-182 1228 To YON-182 ca. May 1946. In reserve in service in the 14th Naval District (Hawaii) from May 1949. Reclassified YOS-32 (Oil Storage Barge) in Dec. 1957 while in this status. Disposed of by abandoning, scuttling, or sinking Oct. 1959.
1229 YO-183 1229 To YON-183 ca. May 1946. Placed out of service in reserve in the 14th Naval District (Hawaii) in May 1947. Towed to the 6th Naval District (Charleston, S.C.) between 1 Oct 48 and 1 Jan 49, then out of service in reserve there. In service 1 Jan 52, out of service in reserve 15 Dec 54. To disposal list Dec. 1959, to Navy sale list Feb. 1960.
1230 YOG-82 1230 To YOGN-82 ca. May 1946. Active in service in the 14th Naval District (Hawaii) from Feb. 1953. Arrived at Midway 2 Jul 54. Out of service in reserve Mar. 1959. To disposal list Oct. 1959, to Navy sale list Nov. 1959. Sale details unknown. Later became part of a breakwater at Powell River, B.C., (100 miles north of Vancouver) with ex-QUARTZ (IX-150), still there 2003.
1231 YO-184 1231 To YON-184 ca. May 1946. Sank at Eniwetok during typhoon Sep. 1946
1232 YO-185 1232 Reported inoperable and in danger of sinking at Saipan 23 Oct 45. Sank in deep water there 16 Mar 46.
1233 YOG-83 1233 To YOGN-83 ca. May 1946. In Atomic Bomb tests at Bikini 2 Jun 46. Beached at Kwajalein 23 Sep 46. Sunk in deep water off Kwajalein 16 Sep 48.
1234 YO-186 1234 To YON-186 ca. May 1946. Reported to have no sale value 9 Dec 46. Residual hulk destroyed by sinking at sea off Guam 5 Apr 48.
1235 YO-187 1235 To YON-187 ca. May 1946. Active in service in the 14th Naval District from July 1946. To YWN-148 16 Oct 50. Lost by grounding off Midway Island 1957.
1236 YOG-84 1236 To YOGN-84 ca. May 1946. Lost during typhoon at sea off Saipan 14 Nov 48.

Page Notes:
YO/YOG        1943
Compiled:        14 Sep 2010
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2002-2010