USS Bitterbush
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Bitterbush |
| Namesake | A small tropical American tree with red berries |
| Builder | Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Everett, Washington |
| Laid down | 30 November 1942 as Almond (YN-58) |
| Launched | 30 June 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Veberly Jean Miller |
| Commissioned | 15 January 1944 as USS Bitterbush (YN-58) |
| Decommissioned | 4 January 1946, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California |
| Renamed | Bitterbush (YN-58), 3 April 1943 |
| Reclassified | AN-39, 20 January 1944 |
| Stricken | 21 January 1946 |
| Honors and awards | one battle star (Iwo Jima ) for World War II service |
| Fate | Transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission, 6 May 1947; destroyed by fire off Puerto Rico , 27 May 1954 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Ailanthus-class net laying ship |
| Displacement | 1,100 long tons (1,100 t) |
| Length | 194 ft 7 in (59.3 m) |
| Beam | 34 ft 7 in (10.5 m) |
| Draft | 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m) |
| Installed power | 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) |
| Propulsion | diesel electric |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 56 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | one single gun mount; two single 20 mm AA gun mounts |
USS Bitterbush (AN-39/YN-58) was an
battle star
to her credit.
Built in Washington
The net tender Almond (YN-58) was laid down on 30 November 1942 at Everett, Washington, by the Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company; renamed Bitterbush on 3 April 1943; launched on 30 June 1943; sponsored by Miss Veberly Jean Miller; and commissioned on 15 January 1944.
World War II service
Redesignated a net laying ship, AN-39, on 20 January 1944, Bitterbush completed outfitting on 26 February 1944, reported for duty to the Commander, Operational Training Command, Pacific, and departed
San Francisco, California, on 20 March. The ship worked the submarine nets at Tiburon, California, and San Francisco over the next eight months, before departing San Francisco Bay
on 29 November 1944.
Bitterbush made stops at
Eniwetok and Guam to Iwo Jima. After voyage repairs, Bitterbush worked on the submarine net line at the recently conquered island through the end of hostilities with Japan
.
End-of-war decommissioning
On 17 September 1945, she sailed for the United States. Proceeding via
12th Naval District—remained drydocked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard until decommissioned on 4 January 1946. Deemed surplus to Navy needs, Bitterbush was struck from the Navy List
on 21 January 1946.
Transferred to the
U.S. Maritime Commission for disposal on 6 May 1947, she was sold and converted for merchant service, in which capacity she operated from 1948 until destroyed by fire off Puerto Rico
on 27 May 1954.
Honors and awards
Bitterbush was awarded one
battle star
for her World War II service.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - YN-58 Almond / Bitterbush - AN-39 Bitterbush
