U. S. Navy Auxiliary Vessel Ship Types, 1922-1945

Amphibious Assault Ships (Auxiliary Types)

Tenders and Repair Ships

Cargo Ships

Transports

Tankers

Tugs and Salvage Ships

Special Function Auxiliaries

Minelayers

Notes for this web site

Appendix 1: Shipyards that built U. S. Navy auxiliary vessels

Appendix 2: The Auxiliary Vessels Board

Appendix 3: U.S. Navy World War I Era Auxiliary Vessels, 1917-1919

Amphibious Assault Ships (Auxiliary Types)

Links to Data Pages
AGC: Amphibious Force Flagships
AKA: Attack Cargo Ships
APA: Attack Transports
LSV: Vehicle Landing Ships (LSV 1-6)

Links to Photos
AGC Photos
AKA Photos
APA Photos
LSV 1-6 Photos

#s Assigned
1942-1966
1943-1966
1943-1959
1944

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Tenders and Repair Ships

Links to Data Pages
AD: Destroyer Tenders
AGP: Motor Torpedo Boat Tenders
AR: Repair Ships
ARb: Base Repair Ship (ARb-1, see AD-13)
ARB: Battle Damage Repair Ships
ARG: Internal Combustion Engine Repair Ships
ARH: Heavy-Hull Repair Ship (see AR-8)
ARL: Landing Craft Repair Ships
ARST: Salvage Craft Tenders
ARV: Aircraft Repair Ships
ARVA: Aircraft Repair Ships (Aircraft)
ARVE: Aircraft Repair Ships (Engine)
AS: Submarine Tenders
AV: Seaplane Tenders
AVP: Small Seaplane Tenders
AZ: Airship Tender (Lighter than Air)

Links to Photos
AD Photos
AGP Photos
AR Photos

ARB Photos
ARG Photos

ARL Photos
ARST Photos
ARV Photos
ARVA Photos
ARVE Photos
AS Photos
AV Photos
AVP Photos
AZ Photos

#s Assigned
1920-1979
1943-1972
1920-1971
1941
1943-1952
1943
1941
1943-1945
1944
1944
1944
1944
1920-1977
1923-1959
1936-1942
1920

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Cargo Ships

Links to Data Pages
AC: Colliers
AE: Ammunition Ships
AF: Provision Storeships (later Store Ships)
AK: Cargo Ships (see also BAK)
AKN: Net Cargo Ships
AKS: General Stores Issue Ships
AKV: Cargo Ship and Aircraft Ferry
APM: Mechanized-Artillery Transport
APV: Transport and Aircraft Ferry
AVS: Aviation Supply Ships
BAK: British Cargo Ships

Links to Photos
AC Photos
AE Photos
AF Photos
AK Photos
AKN Photos
AKS Photos
AKV Photos
APM Photos
APV Photos
AVS Photos
BAK Photos

#s Assigned
1920
1920-1968
1920-1961
1920-1982
1943-1944
1940-1959
1943-1950
1941-1942
1941-1943
1945
1942

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Transports

Links to Data Pages
AH: Hospital Ships
AP: Transports
APB: Self-Propelled Barracks Ships
APC: Small Coastal Transports
APH: Transports Fitted for Evacuation of Wounded
APL: Barracks Ships (Non-Self Propelled)
APR: Rescue Transports

Links to Photos
AH Photos
AP Photos
APB Photos
APC Photos
APH Photos
APL Photos
APR Photos

#s Assigned
1920-1983
1920-1952
1944-1951
1942-1950
1942
1941-1998
1942

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Tankers

Links to Data Pages
AO: Oilers
AOG: Gasoline Tankers
AW: Distilling Ships
IX: Station Tankers (Unclassified Misc.)

Links to Photos
AO Photos
AOG Photos
AW Photos
IX Photos

#s Assigned
1920-1988
1941-1955
1944
1944-1945

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Links to Data Pages
ARSD: Salvage Lifting Vessels
ASR: Submarine Rescue Vessels
AT: Ocean-Going Tugs (see also BAT)
ATA: Auxiliary Ocean Tugs
ATF: Fleet Ocean Tugs
ATO: Old Ocean Tugs (see AT)
ATR: Rescue Ocean Tugs
BARS: British Salvage Vessels
BAT: British Ocean-Going Tugs

Links to Photos
ARSD Photos
ASR Photos
AT Photos
ATA Photos
ATF Photos

ATR Photos
BARS Photos
BAT Photos

#s Assigned
1945
1936-1967
1920-1944
1944-1958
1944-1978
1944-1945
1942-1943
1941-1942
1941-1942

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Special Function Auxiliaries

Links to Data Pages
YDG/ADG: Degaussing Vessels/Ships
AG: Miscellaneous Auxiliaries
AG/AGB: Ice Breakers
AGS: Surveying Ships
AN: Net Laying Ships
AVC: Catapult Lighter
IX: Unclassified Misc. except Station Tankers (above)
YAG: Miscellaneous Auxiliary Service Craft

Links to Photos
YDG/ADG Photos
AG Photos
AG/AGB Photos
AGS Photos
AN Photos
AVC Photos
IX Photos
YAG Photos

#s Assigned
1942/1957
1920-1989
1944/1952
1942-1998
1940-1959
1941
1941-2003
1941-1982

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Minelayers

Links to Data Pages
ACM: Auxiliary Mine Layers
CM: Mine Layers
CMC: Mine Layers, Coastal

Links to Photos
ACM Photos
CM Photos
CMC Photos

#s Assigned
1944-1951
1920-1942
1940-1941

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Post-1945 Hull Types Applied to Pre-1945 Auxiliaries

Nomenclature
AGF: Miscellaneous Command Ships (see AVP-55)
AGM: Missile Range Instrumentation Ships (see AK-212, 220; APA-139, 145, 205)
AGOR: Oceanographic Research Ships (see ARS-20, 27; AVP-51)
AGSC: Coastal Surveying Ships (see AGS 6-14)
ANL: Net Laying Ships (see AN)
AOR: Replenishment Oilers (see AO-109)
AOT: Transport Oilers (see AO)
ARC: Cable Repairing Ships (see AKA-47, 49)
ARVH: Aircraft Repair Ship (Helicopter) (see AV-5)
AVM: Guided Missile Ship (see AV-11)
LCC: Amphibious Command Ships (see AGC)
LKA: Amphibious Cargo Ships (see AKA)
LPA: Amphibious Transports (see APA)
MM: Minelayer, Fleet (to MMF, see CM-5)
MMF: Minelayer, Fleet (ex MM, see CM-5)

#s Assigned
1965-1980
1960-2000
1958-1994
1946-1959
1969
1950-1972
1978
1950-1979
1951
1965
1968
1968
1968
1955
1955

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Notes for this web site

This list does not include auxiliary types that consisted entirely of conversions from major combatants or of experimental combatants. These types include AB, ACV, APD/LPD, AVD, AVG, BACV, and BAVG. For these see the Major Combatants Register. It also does not include types for which no hull numbers were assigned. It does include minelayers, which were sometimes classified as combatants but which otherwise resembled auxiliary types. It also includes LSV 1-6 because of their derivation from the large AN and CM designs. Finally, it also includes conversions from minor combatants (most patrol, mine, and landing craft) to all auxiliary types except IX since no volume of the Register exists for minor combatants (a few are covered in the Major Combatants volume). APY and ATL were preliminary designations for LSTs and APM 1-8 were preliminary designations for LSD 1-8; these are not covered here.

In armament data, the "less-than" character (<) is used to indicate that the number of small guns of the type specified (almost always 20mm) varied within the range shown during a period in which the larger armament shown remained constant. For example, the entry 4-5"/38 4<9-20mm indicates that the number of 20mm guns varied between 4 and 9 during a period when the larger armament remained steady at 4-5" guns. The < character may thus be considered roughly equivalent to the word "to." During World War II, the variation usually consisted of a steady increase. After the war some variations were increases, many were decreases, and some were more complex, consisting of both increases and decreases. A steady decrease is indicated by the "greater-than" character (>). All guns are in single mountings unless marked "T" (twin) or "Q" (quadruple), although a "S" (single) is sometimes optionally added for clarity. The only exception is the very rare (in auxiliary vessels) 5"/38 twin mount, one of which would be indicated as follows: 2-5"/38 (1x2). The dates shown for the armaments are those between which the armaments were installed and their small guns modified, not the entire periods during which they were carried.