Net laying ship
A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of naval auxiliary ship.
A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel
1930s
Changing requirements
Ultimately four large netlayers would be laid down just before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor:
1940s
General characteristics of US Navy Aloe-class net laying ship | |
Displacement: | 560 tons, 700 tons laden |
Length: | 151 ft. 8 in. |
Beam: | 30 ft. 6 in. |
Draft: | 10 ft. 6 in. |
Speed: | 14 knots |
Propulsion: | Diesel, single screw |
Complement: | 40 |
Armament: | 1 x 20mm mounts
|
Small net layers initially received the
The 77 small Auxiliary Net Layers were built in three classes. The first 32, the Aloe-class, were all launched in 1940 (before the attack on Pearl Harbor) and were built of steel. Due to the chronic shortage of steel during the war, the next 40, the Ailanthus-class, were built of wood. The last 15, the Cohoes-class, laid down in 1944 and 1945, were again constructed of steel.[4]
These vessels served in all theatres of war but particularly in the Pacific. Many of the ships were decommissioned after the war, but some continued in service for several more decades. Net layers were eventually made redundant by advances in underwater detection technology.[5]
There were also at least 43 craft that were classed as Net Gate Craft (YNG); many were simply powered barges.[2]
To transport nets and to otherwise support the net layers, by 1943 specially built cargo ships, designated
Finally in 1946, the USS Montauk would be converted back from an LSV to net cargo duties as the USS Galilea (AKN-6).British and Commonwealth
The
- Bar-class boom defence vessel built in the 1940s.
- Net-class boom defence vessel built in the 1930s.
Gallery
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The boom defence net at Scapa Flow being towed into position by two Royal Navy boom defence vessels in 1943.
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At Scapa Flow, a Royal Navy net laying vessel prepares to lay an anti-submarine net, which is 900 feet (275 metres) long, weighs over 40 Imperial tons (41 tonnes) and could be laid in 4 minutes.
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HMS Rogate, a Royal Navy "gate vessel" designed to open and close the boom and nets at Portsmouth Harbour during World War II.
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Battle class trawler used by the Royal Canadian Navyas a gate vessel. She was sunk in a collision with a battleship in May 1940.
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The US Navy wooden Net Tender,USS Terebinth (AN-59)in wartime camouflage.
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Bar class boom defence vessel of the Royal Australian Navyin 1947.
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USS Montauk after completion of her LSV conversion (mostly internal).
See also
- List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy § Net cargo ships (AKN)
- List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy § Net laying ships (AN)
- List of yard and district craft of the United States Navy § Yard Net Tenders (YN)
- List of yard and district craft of the United States Navy § Net Gate Craft (YNG)
- List of yard and district craft of the United States Navy § Net Tender Tugs (YNT)
- US Naval Advance Bases
- Wooden boats of World War II
References
Citations
- ISBN 1-55750-250-1.
- ^ ISBN 1-59114-500-7.
- ^ Friedman, 2002, pp 178-179
- ISSN 0043-0374.
- ^ World War II Net Tenders, Navsource Online.
- ^ USS Indus (AKN-1)US Navy
- ^ USS Indus (AKN-1), Net Tender Storynavsource.org
- ^ Richard Pelvin with Robert Darby. "Australian War Memorial : Know your warships!, Page 67" (PDF). www.awm.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
- ^ Boom defence vessel uboat.net