USS Dreadnaught ( YT - 34 ) USS " Dreadnaught " ( ID - 1951 ) , later YT - 534 and YNG - 21 , was a United States Navy tug that was in service from 1918 to 1944 . Construction , acquisition and commissioning . " Dreadnaught " was built as a commercial tug of the same name by Union Iron Works at San Francisco , California , in 1917 for the Rolph Navigation and Coal Company of San Francisco . On 17 May 1917 , the U . S . Navy purchased her for use during World War I and assigned her the naval registry identification number 1951 . After fitting out at Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo , California , she was commissioned as USS " Dreadnaught " ( ID - 1951 ) on 31 January 1918 with Lieutenant J . J . Carey , USNRF , in command . World War I service . Departing San Francisco on 27 February 1918 towing coal barges , " Dreadnaught " delivered the barges at Norfolk , Virginia , on 18 April 1918 . She then proceeded to New London , Connecticut , where she arrived on 22 April 1918 . " Dreadnaught " was assigned to Patrol Force , United States Atlantic Fleet , and departed New London on 25 April 1918 to escort a convoy of submarine chaser s to the Azores . On her return passage she aided in towing SS " Luckenbach " from the Azores to Bermuda and then towed the tug from Bermuda to New York City , arriving there on 1 July 1918 . Between 6 September 1918 and 18 October 1918 , " Dreadnaught " again escorted a group of submarine chasers from New London to the Azores and returned to New London . On 24 October 1918 , she departed New London with a third convoy to the Azores , then proceeded to Brest , France , as escort for the United States Army tug " Cuba " . During the voyage , World War I ended , on 11 November 1918 . The two tugs arrived at Brest on 29 November 1918 . " Dreadnaught " should not be confused with the patrol vessel , which also was in commission during World War I . Postwar European and Atlantic service . " Dreadnaught " operated on harbor duty at Brest and towed barges and ships between Brest , Lorient , and Bordeaux , France , until 20 March 1919 , when she got underway to escort a convoy of submarine chasers to Lisbon , Portugal , and then on to Bermuda . She returned to Ponta Delgada in the Azores on 11 April 1919 for towing duty in the Azores until 29 July 1919 . Towing submarine chasers , she returned to New York City on 19 August 1919 . On 30 August 1919 , she departed New York City for Norfolk , Virginia , with barges in tow , arriving at Norfolk on 1 September 1919 . She then underwent an overhaul at Norfolk . Service at San Francisco . " Dreadnaught " left Norfolk on 23 January 1920 bound for the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo , California , where she arrived on 15 March 1920 and began another overhaul . When the U . S . Navy adopted its modern hull number system on 17 July 1920 , " Dreadnaught " was classified as a " harbor tug " and redesignated YT - 34 . She was assigned to the 12th Naval District for duty in the San Francisco area . On 14 March 1922 , " Dreadnaught " was decommissioned , but she continued her 12th Naval District duties in the San Francisco area for many years after that in a non - commissioned " in - service " status . " Dreadnaught " was reclassified as a " gate tender ( non - self propelled ) " - an anti - submarine barrier gate craft - and redesignated YNG - 21 on 7 October 1940 . Disposal . In September 1944 , " Dreadnaught " was stricken from the Navy List . She reportedly was destroyed sometime thereafter .