Displacement (tons): 521 light, 835 max.
Dimensions (feet): 143.0' oa, 134.5' wl x 33.8' e x 13.2' max.
Machinery: 1 screw, G.M. diesel-electric
FY 1941. During 1940 the British suffered increasingly high losses to submarine attack of both merchant ships, some with valuable cargoes, and their crews. To counter the personnel losses they instituted late in 1940 a system of convoy rescue ships, sending with each convoy one or two converted merchant vessels that were too small to carry significant cargoes but that were capable of rescuing crews from torpedoed merchantmen. They also began to requisition and build sea-going rescue tugs, whose function was to tow into port merchantmen damaged but not sunk by submarine attacks. The shipbuilding facilities in the UK were insufficient, however, to build large numbers of these tugs -- the main class of rescue tugs built in 1940-43, the 700-ton, 156-foot ASSURANCE class, totaled only 21 vessels. The British turned to the United States for help and on 21 Jun 41 submitted Lend Lease Requisition UK-2705 for 14 "ocean-going rescue vessels" (designated BAT 1-14 by the U.S.) Later came Requisition BAD-1001-9 for nine more tugs (this time designated ATR 41-49 by the U.S.) followed by Requisition BAD-1750 for six "143-foot ocean-going salvage tugs" (ATR 91-96). Of these 29 tugs the British ultimately received 23, including all but one of the BAT's, although the shortfall was partially filled by providing four wooden "ocean-going tugs" (ATR 17-20) under Requisition BAD 1400/9. These tugs were commissioned vessels of the Royal Navy and were specially designated HMRT (His Majesty's Rescue Tug). BAT-2 was allocated to the U.S. Navy and was redesignated ATR-90 (q.v.).
The Bureau of Ships contracted with the General Motors Corporation to build the 14 BAT's. G.M. provided the diesel engines for the tugs and subcontracted out the construction of the hulls. The British may have provided specifications or even plans for the ships, but the final design bears a stronger resemblance to a recent product of one of the American shipyards involved, TUSCARORA (AT-77), than to the nearest British equivalent, the ASSURANCE class.
BAT |
Name |
Notes |
1 |
BAT-1 (HMRT ORIANA) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as His Majesty's Rescue Tug (HMRT) ORIANA. Returned to U.S. custody 13 Apr 46. Sold by FLC 13 Feb 48 to BOSEY (Board of Supply, Executive Yuan, China), resold by BOSEY to T. Y. Fong and departed Subic Bay 13 Mar 48. Merc. OCEAN PRIDE 1946 (?), PAN AMERICA 1947 (?), ZEELAND 1956 (purchased by NV Bureau Wijsmuller in Subic Bay from a Chinese owner), RAS ADAR (Tunisian) 1964, deleted ca. 1992. |
3 |
BAT-3 (HMRT FAVOURITE) |
Named USS CADDO 9 Mar 42 and designated AT-128 on unknown date, reverted to BAT-3 15 Apr 42. Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as FAVOURITE. Returned to U.S. custody 27 Mar 46. Sold (delivered) by MC to Moran Towing Co., New York. Merc. SUSAN A. MORAN 1946, EUGENE F. MORAN 1946, MONSANTO (Portuguese) 1947, MONTE BRANCO 1975, deleted 1993 and scrapped at Setubal. |
4 |
BAT-4 (HMRT INTEGRITY) |
Named USS CAYUGA 9 Mar 42 and designated AT-129 on unknown date, reverted to BAT-4 15 Apr 42. Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as INTEGRITY. Returned to U.S. custody 19 Feb 46. Sold by FLC 13 Feb 48 to BOSEY, resold by BOSEY to T. Y. Fong and departed Subic Bay 2 Oct 48. |
5 |
BAT-5 (HMRT LARIAT) |
Named USS MISSISAUGA 9 Mar 42 and designated AT-130 on unknown date, reverted to BAT-5 15 Apr 42. Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as LARIAT. Returned to U.S. custody 19 Feb 46. Sold by FLC 17 Sep 46 to BOSEY and departed Subic Bay the same day. Merc. MING 108, then MING 308, 1946. |
6 |
BAT-6 (HMRT MASTERFUL) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as MASTERFUL. Returned to U.S. custody 11 Mar 46 at Norfolk. Sold (delivered) by MC to Moran Towing Corp., New York, 10 or 21 Nov 47. Merc. EUGENIA M. MORAN 1948, COMANCHE 1960, sunk in Vietnam 16 Apr 73. |
7 |
BAT-7 (HMRT AIMWELL) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as AIMWELL. Returned to U.S. custody 30 Mar 46. Sold by FLC 6 Jan 48 to Moller Ltd. and departed Subic Bay 14 Mar 48. Merc. PATRICIA MOLLER 1948, GOLDEN CAPE (Moller subsidiary) 1952, HAWKEYE (Philippines) 1971. Mined and sunk in the Mekong River 3 Feb 75. |
8 |
BAT-8 (HMRT BOLD) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as BOLD. Returned to U.S. custody 1 or 5 Jun 46. Sold by FLC 13 Feb 48 to BOSEY, resold by BOSEY to T. Y. Fong and departed Subic Bay 2 Oct 48. |
9 |
BAT-9 (HMRT DESTINY) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as DESTINY. Returned to U.S. custody 13 Apr 46. Sold by FLC 6 Jan 48 to Moller Ltd. and departed Subic Bay 14 Mar 48. Merc. FROSTY MOLLER 1948, CHRISTINE MOLLER 1950, OCEANUS (Dutch) 1951, GELE ZEE 1953, ATLAS (Greece) 1964, and ATLAS II (Panama) 1976. Probably no longer active. |
10 |
BAT-10 (HMRT EMINENT) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as EMINENT. Returned to U.S. custody 13 Apr 46. Sold by FLC 24 Sep 46 to BOSEY at Subic Bay. Merc. MING 105, then MING 305, 1946, deleted 1992. |
11 |
BAT-11 (HMRT RESERVE) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as RESERVE. To Commonwealth (Australian) Salvage Board 10 Dec 42, to Australian Navy 27 Aug 43. Returned by U.K. to U.S. custody 2 Sep 45 and simultaneously Lend-Leased to Australia. Returned to U.S. custody 2 Aug 48 and sold by FLC 5 Aug 48 to Australia. Paid off by RAN 19 Oct 53, sold 21 Sep 61. Merc. PACIFIC RESERVE 1962, POLARIS 1970, deleted 1990. |
12 |
BAT-12 (HMRT SPRIGHTLY) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as SPRIGHTLY. To Austrialian Navy from Commonwealth Salvage Board 23 Feb 44. Returned by U.K. to U.S. custody 2 Sep 45 and simultaneously Lend-Leased to Australia. Returned to U.S. custody 2 Aug 48 and sold by FLC 5 Aug 48 to Australia. Paid off by RAN 23 Feb 46, recomm. 23 Nov 53, paid off 31 Mar 58, leased commercial 1961-3, sold by RAN 29 Aug 69. Oceanographic research ship SPRIGHTLY 1973, scrapped 1992. |
13 |
BAT-13 (HMRT TANCRED) |
Trf. to UK under Lend Lease as TANCRED. Operated throughout (1943-47?) by Commonwealth Salvage Board. Returned by U.K. to U.S. custody 2 Sep 45 and simultaneously Lend-Leased to Australia. Returned to U.S. custody 2 Aug 48 and sold by FLC 5 Aug 48 to Australia. Later merc. TANCRED, scrapped 1998. |
14 |
BAT-14 (HMRT WEAZEL) |
Completed 9 Apr 43, delivered the next day and trf. to UK under Lend Lease as WEAZEL. Returned to U.S. custody 11 Mar 46. Sold by FLC 17 Sep 46 to BOSEY. Merc. MING 106, then MING 306, 1946, deleted 1953 (lost 1949?). |
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2002-2011