# Aloe-class net laying ship

The Aloe-class net laying ships were a class of thirty-two steel-hulled net laying ships built prior to the US entry into World War II. The lead ship, USS Aloe, was laid down in October 1940 and launched the following January; the final member, USS Yew, was launched in October 1941. They were assigned tree and plant names in alphabetical order, but eight ships (in order Cottonwood, Dogwood, Fir, Juniper, Maple, Poplar, Sycamore, and Walnut) were renamed prior to launching, producing discontinuities in the name order. These ships were originally classed as YN and numbered 1-32, but were reclassified and renumbered in 1944 as AN-6 through AN-37.
These ships had a unique appearance with a pair of "horns" jutting out from either side of the bow, each functioning as a fixed crane with a capacity of 22 short tons (20 t). They were powered by a pair of diesel engines which provided electricity for both propulsion and lifting machinery; there were also two auxiliary diesels and an evaporator for fresh water. Between the "horns" was an opening through which nets could be hauled, bridged by a catwalk.
* two 700hp Enterprise diesels, Westinghouse reduction gears driving 2 WH generators, one WH motor
** AN-6 ... AN-17
* General Motors 6-278, Farrel-Birmingham gears
** AN-22 ... AN-33
* uncertain
** AN-34 ... AN-37
All members of this class survived the war though USS Mahogany was caught in a typhoon in September 1945 and decommissioned the following year. Three ships were transferred to the French Navy in 1944 and another three were so transferred in the 1960s; two others went to the Turkish and Ecuadorian navies respectively. Three others were retained for various purposes, while the remainder were put into the reserve fleet shortly after the war.

## Class members

| Name | Hull | Orig | Builder | Launched | Decomm. | Fate |
| Aloe | AN-6 | YN-1 | Lake Washington Shipyards, WA | 11 Jan 1941 | 3 Aug 1946 | sold for scrap |
| Ash | AN-7 | YN-2 | Lake Washington Shipyards, WA | 15 Feb 1941 | 13 Dec 1946 | sold for scrap |
| Boxwood | AN-8 | YN-3 | Lake Washington Shipyards, WA | 8 Mar 1941 | 13 Nov 1946 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Butternut | AN-9 | YN-4 | Lake Washington Shipyards, WA | 10 May 1941 | 18 Jul 1969 | used for test range support 1957–69; reclassed YAG-60 1969; sunk as target |
| Catalpa | AN-10 | YN-5 | Commercial Iron Works, OR | 22 Feb 1941 | 21 Oct 1946/ 7 Oct 1955 | unknown |
| Chestnut | AN-11 | YN-6 | Commercial Iron Works, OR | 16 Mar 1941 | 7 Sep 1946 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Cinchona | AN-12 | YN-7 | Commercial Iron Works, OR | 2 Jul 1941 | 6 Nov 1946 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Buckeye | AN-13 | YN-8 | Commercial Iron Works, OR | 26 Jul 1941 | Mar 1947 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Buckthorn | AN-14 | YN-9 | General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, CA | 27 Mar 1941 | 20 Aug 1947 | reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 |
| Ebony | AN-15 | YN-10 | General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, CA | 3 Jun 1941 | 23 Mar 1946 | reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 |
| Eucalyptus | AN-16 | YN-11 | General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, CA | 3 Jul 1941 | 6 Mar 1946 | reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 |
| Chinquapin | AN-17 | YN-12 | General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, CA | 15 Jul 1941 | 6 Mar 1946 | reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 |
| Gum Tree | AN-18 | YN-13 | Marietta Manufacturing Co., WV | 20 Mar 1941 | 20 Jun 1946 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Holly | AN-19 | YN-14 | Marietta Manufacturing Co., WV | 17 Apr 1941 | 7 Jun 1946 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Elder | AN-20 | YN-15 | Marietta Manufacturing Co., WV | 19 Jun 1941 | 18 Dec 1959 | unknown |
| Larch | AN-21 | YN-16 | Marietta Manufacturing Co., WV | 2 Jul 1941 | 28 Jun 1946 | transferred to Turkish Navy 1948 |
| Locust | AN-22 | YN-17 | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH | 1 Feb 1941 | 8 Jul 1946 | transferred to French Navy; sank July 1978 |
| Mahogany | AN-23 | YN-18 | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH | 18 Feb 1941 | Sep 1945 | damaged in Typhoon Ida; scrapped |
| Mango | AN-24 | YN-19 | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH | 22 Feb 1941 | 4 Apr 1947 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Hackberry | AN-25 | YN-20 | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH | 28 Oct 1941 | 12 Nov 1944 | transferred to French Navy as Araignée (A727) ; scrapped 1985 |
| Mimosa | AN-26 | YN-21 | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH | 15 Mar 1941 | 27 Dec 1946 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Mulberry | AN-27 | YN-22 | American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH | 26 Mar 1941 | 11 Apr 1960 | transferred to Ecuadorian Navy 1965; scrapped 1980 |
| Palm | AN-28 | YN-23 | American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH | 1 Feb 1941 | 1 Jan 1947 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Hazel | AN-29 | YN-24 | American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH | 15 Feb 1941 | 11 Feb 1958 | reserve fleet; struck 1962 |
| Redwood | AN-30 | YN-25 | American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH | 22 Feb 1941 | 6 Jun 1947 | reserve fleet; fate uncertain |
| Rosewood | AN-31 | YN-26 | American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH | 1 Mar 1941 | 10 Jun 1946 | reserve fleet; transferred to French Navy 1969; sunk as target 1983 |
| Sandalwood | AN-32 | YN-27 | American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH | 6 Mar 1941 | 13 Aug 1946 | reserve fleet; transferred to French Navy 1967; sold, fate unknown |
| Nutmeg | AN-33 | YN-28 | American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH | 13 Mar 1941 | Jan 1947 | reserve fleet; sold 1971; fate unknown |
| Teaberry | AN-34 | YN-29 | John H. Mathis & Company, NJ | 24 May 1941 | 14 Dec 1946/ 7 July 1961 | recommissioned 19 April 1953 for auxiliary service; sold 1962 for scrapping |
| Teak | AN-35 | YN-30 | John H. Mathis & Company, NJ | 7 Jul 1941 | 30 Aug 1946 | reserve fleet; sold for scrap 1976 |
| Pepperwood | AN-36 | YN-31 | John H. Mathis & Company, NJ | 25 Aug 1941 | 15 Dec 1944 | transferred to French Navy; struck 1972 |
| Yew | AN-37 | YN-32 | John H. Mathis & Company, NJ | 4 Oct 1941 | 1 Jan 1944 | transferred to French Navy; sank 1978 |