USS Aloe (AN-6) Class

Quick Links Menu.

USS Boxwood (YN-3) on 25 July 1941
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        ALOE (AN-6)
Design:        Navy YN-1/AN-6
Displacement (tons):        560 light, 805 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        163.2' oa, 146.0' wl x 30.5' e x 11.7' lim.
Original Armament:        1-3"/23
Later armaments:        1-3"/50 (from Apr. 1942); 1-3"/50 2<3-20mm (from Jan. 1943), 1-3"/50 4-20mm (from Dec. 1943); 1-3"/50 1-40mmS, 4-20mm (1944: AN-17); 1-3"/50 6-20mm (Nov. 1944: AN-10); 1-3"/50 (1961: AN 8, 16, 20, 22, 35);
4>3-20mm or none (1958-63: AN 9, 20, 27, 29, 34)
Complement:        46 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        12.5
Propulsion (HP):        800
Machinery:        Diesel electric, 1 screw

Construction:

AN	Name	Ord.	Builder	Keel	Launch	In Serv.
6	ALOE	27 Jul 40	Lake Washington, Houghton	11 Oct 40	11 Jan 41	11 Jun 41
7	ASH	27 Jul 40	Lake Washington, Houghton	31 Oct 40	15 Feb 41	1 Jul 41
8	BOXWOOD	27 Jul 40	Lake Washington, Houghton	19 Nov 40	8 Mar 41	25 Jul 41
9	BUTTERNUT	27 Jul 40	Lake Washington, Houghton	11 Mar 41	10 May 41	3 Sep 41
10	CATALPA	27 Jul 40	Commercial IW	24 Oct 40	22 Feb 41	20 Jun 41
11	CHESTNUT	27 Jul 40	Commercial IW	5 Nov 40	15 Mar 41	25 Jul 41
12	CINCHONA	27 Jul 40	Commercial IW	24 Feb 41	2 Jul 41	15 Aug 41
13	BUCKEYE	27 Jul 40	Commercial IW	17 Mar 41	26 Jul 41	5 Sep 41
14	BUCKTHORN	27 Jul 40	General Engineering & DD	5 Dec 40	27 Mar 41	21 Aug 41
15	EBONY	27 Jul 40	General Engineering & DD	12 Dec 40	3 Jun 41	16 Sep 41
16	EUCALYPTUS	27 Jul 40	General Engineering & DD	31 Dec 40	3 Jul 41	9 Oct 41
17	CHINQUAPIN	27 Jul 40	General Engineering & DD	29 Mar 41	15 Jul 41	29 Oct 41
18	GUM TREE	27 Jul 40	Marietta Mfg	19 Sep 40	20 Mar 41	16 Sep 41
19	HOLLY	27 Jul 40	Marietta Mfg	1 Oct 40	17 Apr 41	11 Oct 41
20	ELDER	27 Jul 40	Marietta Mfg	2 Oct 40	19 Jun 41	12 Nov 41
21	LARCH	27 Jul 40	Marietta Mfg	18 Oct 40	2 Jul 41	13 Dec 41
22	LOCUST	1 Aug 40	American SB, Cleveland	18 Oct 40	1 Feb 41	13 Jul 41
23	MAHOGANY	1 Aug 40	American SB, Cleveland	18 Oct 40	13 Feb 41	4 Sep 41
24	MANGO	1 Aug 40	American SB, Cleveland	18 Oct 40	22 Feb 41	18 Sep 41
25	HACKBERRY	1 Aug 40	American SB, Cleveland	18 Oct 40	6 Mar 41	28 Oct 41
26	MIMOSA	1 Aug 40	American SB, Cleveland	18 Oct 40	15 Mar 41	28 Oct 41
27	MULBERRY	1 Aug 40	American SB, Cleveland	18 Oct 40	26 Mar 41	1 Nov 41
28	PALM	1 Aug 40	American SB, Lorain	18 Oct 40	8 Feb 41	21 Aug 41
29	HAZEL	1 Aug 40	American SB, Lorain	18 Oct 40	15 Feb 41	27 Aug 41
30	REDWOOD	1 Aug 40	American SB, Lorain	18 Oct 40	22 Feb 41	Oct 41
31	ROSEWOOD	1 Aug 40	American SB, Lorain	18 Oct 40	1 Mar 41	13 Sep 41
32	SANDALWOOD	1 Aug 40	American SB, Lorain	18 Oct 40	6 Mar 41	25 Oct 41
33	NUTMEG	1 Aug 40	American SB, Lorain	18 Oct 40	13 Mar 41	30 Oct 41
34	TEABERRY	31 Jul 40	John H. Mathis	25 Oct 40	24 May 41	16 Mar 42
35	TEAK	31 Jul 40	John H. Mathis	25 Oct 40	7 Jul 41	7 May 42
36	PEPPERWOOD	31 Jul 40	John H. Mathis	25 Oct 40	25 Aug 41	8 Jun 42
37	YEW	31 Jul 40	John H. Mathis	22 May 41	4 Oct 41	1 Jul 42

Disposition:

AN	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
6	ALOE	3 Aug 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	14 May 71
7	ASH	13 Dec 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	14 May 71
8	BOXWOOD	13 Nov 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	22 Jan 76
9	BUTTERNUT	18 Jul 69	1 Jul 71	7 Jun 77	Tgt.	--
10	CATALPA	7 Oct 55	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	21 Nov 74
11	CHESTNUT	7 Sep 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	3 Feb 76
12	CINCHONA	6 Nov 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	22 Jan 76
13	BUCKEYE	4 Mar 47	1 Jul 63	1 Jul 63	MA/R	--
14	BUCKTHORN	20 Aug 47	1 Jul 63	1 Jul 63	MA/R	22 Jan 76
15	EBONY	23 Mar 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	22 Jan 76
16	EUCALYPTUS	6 Mar 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	3 Feb 76
17	CHINQUAPIN	6 Mar 46	20 Mar 46	18 Nov 46	MC/D	18 Nov 46
18	GUM TREE	20 Jun 46	7 Feb 47	27 Feb 48	MC/D	26 Feb 48
19	HOLLY	7 Jun 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	10 Aug 71
20	ELDER	18 Dec 59	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	7 Sep 71
21	LARCH	28 Jun 46	5 Mar 47	10 May 48	Trf.	--
22	LOCUST	8 Jul 46	20 Jan 66	14 Feb 66	Trf.	--
23	MAHOGANY	19 Apr 46	1 May 46	19 Apr 46	Dest.	--
24	MANGO	4 Apr 47	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	22 Jan 76
25	HACKBERRY	13 Nov 44	28 Apr 49	13 Nov 44	Trf.	--
26	MIMOSA	27 Sep 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	10 Aug 71
27	MULBERRY	11 Apr 60	31 Mar 78	30 Nov 65	Trf.	--
28	PALM	1 Jan 47	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	22 Jun 71
29	HAZEL	11 Feb 58	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	23 Jan 74
30	REDWOOD	6 Jun 47	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	21 Nov 74
31	ROSEWOOD	10 Jun 46	1 Sep 62	15 Jan 69	Trf.	--
32	SANDALWOOD	22 Jan 47	1 Sep 62	6 Sep 67	Trf.	--
33	NUTMEG	7 Aug 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	7 Sep 71
34	TEABERRY	7Jul 61	1 Aug 61	12 Jan 62	Sold	--
35	TEAK	30 Aug 46	1 Sep 62	1 Sep 62	MA/R	16 Mar 76
36	PEPPERWOOD	15 Dec 44	28 Apr 49	15 Dec 44	Trf.	--
37	YEW	30 Nov 44	28 Apr 49	30 Nov 44	Trf.	--

Class Notes:
FY 1941. Steel hulls. In late 1939 the Navy, prompted by information from abroad, developed a program covering net defenses and calling for the procurement of net laying, and net tending vessels. On 28 Nov 39 the Bureau of Construction and Repair forwarded to the General Board characteristics and descriptions of two types of vessels used by the British for net laying (HMS PROTECTOR) and handling boom defenses (HMS BARRIER), and on 12 Dec 39 CNO recommended that to expedite the program the British designs should be adhered to as closely as possible. The net laying vessels became the MONITOR class (AN 1-4, later LSV 3-6, q.v.). On 9 Jan 40 the General Board promulgated tentative characteristics for the net tenders, whose primary mission was laying out and servicing anti-submarine, anti-torpedo, and anti-motor boat defenses for harbors and anchorages. The Board's ship, which had a full load displacement of 850 tons and a waterline length of 160 feet, was only slightly larger than HMS BARRIER, which had a standard displacement of 730 tons and a waterline length of 151.5 feet. The final characteristics, in which the full load displacement was reduced to 700 tons and the waterline length to 146 feet, were approved by the Secretary of the Navy on 9 Mar 40. On 3 Jul 40 CNO directed construction of 32 net tenders (YN 1-32) and acquisition (later construction) of 20 coastal minesweepers (AMc 36-55) under a program for 159 district craft that Congress had approved on 26 Jun 40.

Early records for the YN-1 class specify a design length of 151.7', which may have been the overall length on the main deck excluding the bow horns. The propulsion plant specified by the General Board in March 1940 differed totally from the steam reciprocating engine in the comparable British ship. The Board called for a 1,000 SHP diesel-electric installation in which two electric units served a single propeller. Either of the main propulsion units was to be available for furnishing power to large deck winches when the vessel was working on nets and moorings or acting as a gate vessel. This plan seems to have been followed except that the plant as fitted was rated at only 800 SHP.

The ships of this class were originally designed for use in naval districts and was classified YN (Net Tenders). All 32 vessels were initially placed in service on the dates in the table. Later the YN's were increasingly assigned to the fleet for distant service. Most were placed in full commission between May and December 1942, as shown in the ship notes, and all were reclassified AN (Net-Laying Ships) on 1 Jan 44 effective 20 Jan 44. The nomenclature for the AN classification, Net-Laying Ships, was also thought to be more explanatory of the duties they were performing in early 1944.

In early 1944 the Bureau of Ships learned that a single 40mm gun had been installed on an interim basis in CHINQUAPIN (AN-17). On 14 Mar 44 it wrote to the ship and to Commander Service Force Pacific stating that these ships were subject to large angles of heel while working with nets and topside weights had to be minimized. It directed that the gun be removed at the first opportunity. Ordnance records, however, indicate that she still had this gun in addition to the regular armament for her class when she was decommissioned in 1946.

Ship Notes:

AN	Name	Notes
6	ALOE	Ex YN-1 20 Jan 44. Comm. 30 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 11 May 61. To buyer 10 Jun 71.
7	ASH	Ex YN-2 20 Jan 44. Comm. 20 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 17 May 61. To buyer 10 Jun 71.
8	BOXWOOD	Ex YN-3 20 Jan 44. Ex BIRCH 16 Oct 40. Comm. 2 Jan 43. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 26 May 61. To buyer 24 Feb 76.
9	BUTTERNUT	Ex YN-4 20 Jan 44. Comm. 13 May 42. Supported the POLARIS missile program 1957-64 and tested the Mk-46 torpedo 1964-69. To ANL-9 1 Jan 69. Decomm. and stk. 18 Jul 69. Reinstated 28 Oct 69 as YAG-60 for service on the Pacific Missile Range. Salvage training hulk 1972-77, then expended as target.
10	CATALPA	Ex YN-5 20 Jan 44. Comm. 22 May 42. In USN reserve 1946-50 and 1955-61. To NDRF 21 Nov 61, sale of 13 Jun 74 rescinded 9 Jul 74, to buyer 14 Jan 75.,
11	CHESTNUT	Ex YN-6 20 Jan 44. Comm. 25 May 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 8 Jun 61. To buyer 27 Feb 76.
12	CINCHONA	Ex YN-7 20 Jan 44. Comm. 20 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 14 Jun 61. To buyer 17 Feb 76.
13	BUCKEYE	Ex YN-8 20 Jan 44. Ex COTTONWOOD 16 Oct 40. Comm. 26 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1947-62. To NDRF 29 Aug 62. From MA to Navy for salvage training 5 May 76.
14	BUCKTHORN	Ex YN-9 20 Jan 44. Ex DOGWOOD 16 Oct 40. Comm. 16 Sep 41. In USN reserve 1947-62. To NDRF 29 Aug 62. To buyer 4 Mar 76.
15	EBONY	Ex YN-10 20 Jan 44. Comm. 22 May 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 29 Jun 61. To buyer 17 Feb 76.
16	EUCALYPTUS	Ex YN-11 20 Jan 44. Comm. 9 May 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 15 Jun 61. To buyer 27 Feb 76.
17	CHINQUAPIN	Ex YN-12 20 Jan 44. Ex FIR 16 Oct 40. Comm. 6 Jan 43. Sold (delivered) by MC to N. W. Merch. Serv., Seattle, Washington.
18	GUM TREE	Ex YN-13 20 Jan 44. Comm. 19 Dec 42. Received her 3"/50 gun early, on 14 Nov 41. Sold (delivered) by MC to D. O. Wade, Houston, Texas. Merc. FALCON, ZAPARITA 1948.
19	HOLLY	Ex YN-14 20 Jan 44. Comm. 15 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 28 Jun 61. To buyer 26 Aug 71.
20	ELDER	Ex YN-15 20 Jan 44. Ex JUNIPER 16 Oct 40. Comm. 15 Dec 42. Abandoned at sea Mar 50 after engine room fire and explosion; drifting vessel found 600 miles east of Eniwetok; repaired at Pearl Harbor. To NDRF 10 Oct 60. To buyer 21 Oct 71.
21	LARCH	Ex YN-16 20 Jan 44. Comm. 12 Dec 42. To Turkey 1948 as AG-4. Scrapped 1997.
22	LOCUST	Ex YN-17 20 Jan 44. Comm. Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 29 Jun 61. Stk. and to MA 1 Sep 62, from MA and reinstated 20 Jan 66, trf. to France as LOCUSTE. Deleted 1974.
23	MAHOGANY	Ex YN-18 20 Jan 44. Comm. 22 Dec 42. Hulk scuttled at Guam after grounding 14 Sep 45 in typhoon at Buckner Bay, Okinawa.
24	MANGO	Ex YN-19 20 Jan 44. Comm. 15 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 17 May 61.
25	HACKBERRY	Ex YN-20 20 Jan 44. Ex MAPLE 16 Oct 40. Comm. 21 Dec 42. Transferred to France under Lend Lease 1944 as ARAIGNEE. Returned 21 Mar 49 and sold to France same date by the Foreign Liquidation Commission (FLC). Deleted 1977.
26	MIMOSA	Ex YN-21 20 Jan 44. Comm. 10 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 13 Jul 61. To buyer 26 Aug 71.
27	MULBERRY	Ex YN-22 20 Jan 44. Comm. 19 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1960-62. To NDRF 19 Dec 62. Stk. and to MA 1 Jul 63, from MA and reinstated 16 Aug 65, loaned to Ecuador 1965 as ORION. Sold to Ecuador 30 Aug 78. Deleted 1981.
28	PALM	Ex YN-23 20 Jan 44. Comm. date not found. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 28 Jun 61. To buyer 19 Jul 71.
29	HAZEL	Ex YN-24 20 Jan 44. Ex POPLAR 16 Oct 40. Comm. 17 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1957-61. To NDRF 7 Apr 61. To buyer 14 Feb 74.
30	REDWOOD	Ex YN-25 20 Jan 44. Completed and probably put in service 29 Oct 41. Comm. 12 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 5 Jun 61. Sale of 13 Jun 74 rescinded. To buyer 8 Jan 75.
31	ROSEWOOD	Ex YN-26 20 Jan 44. Comm. date not found. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 24 May 61. Stk. and to MA 1 Sep 62, from MA 28 Oct 68, to France 1969 as LIBELLULE. Deleted 1978.
32	SANDALWOOD	Ex YN-27 20 Jan 44. Comm. date not found. In USN reserve 1946-61. Stk. and to MA 1 Sep 62, from MA 9 May 67, to France 1967 as LUCIOLE. Deleted 1980.
33	NUTMEG	Ex YN-28 20 Jan 44. Ex SYCAMORE 16 Oct 40. Comm. date not found. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 13 Jul 61. To buyer 21 Oct 71.
34	TEABERRY	Ex YN-29 20 Jan 44. Comm. date not found. In USN reserve 1946-51. Merc. PACIFIC SALVOR 1963.
35	TEAK	Ex YN-30 20 Jan 44. Comm. 10 Dec 42. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 20 Jul 61. To buyer 12 Apr 76.
36	PEPPERWOOD	Ex YN-31 20 Jan 44. Ex WALNUT 16 Oct 40. Comm 15 Dec 42. Transferred to France under Lend Lease 1944 as TARENTULE. Returned 21 Mar 49 and sold to France same date by the Foreign Liquidation Commission (FLC). Deleted 1972.
37	YEW	Ex YN-32 20 Jan 44. Comm. 30 Sep 42. Transferred to France under Lend Lease 1944 as SCORPION. Returned 21 Mar 49 and sold to France same date by the Foreign Liquidation Commission (FLC). Deleted 1974.