- USS Viburnum (AN-57)
USS "Viburnum" (AN-57/YN-76) was a "Ailanthus"-class
net laying ship which served with theU.S. Navy in thePacific Ocean theatre of operations. While operating in theCaroline Islands , she was severely damaged when struck by what appeared to be a Japanesetorpedo . However, she continued her work as well as she could, and, when she returned to theUnited States , she was considered too damaged to repair. She was sold in her damaged condition, and was eventually scrapped.Constructed in California
"Viburnum" (AN-57) -- a wooden-hulled, net-laying ship -- was originally classified as "YN-76" when the ship's
keel was laid on9 December 1943 atStockton, California , by the Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company. Re-classified to "AN-57" on1 January 1944 , the ship was launched on26 April 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. R. F. Chavin, the wife ofBrigadier General R. F. Chavin, USA, thecommanding officer of the United States Army's Stockton Ordnance Depot. "Viburnum" was commissioned at the Pollock-Stockton yard on2 June 1944 , Lt. Benjamin A. Smith,USNR , in command.World War II service
Pacific Ocean operations
After shakedown out of the Naval Net Depot, Tiburon Bay, California, and post-shakedown repairs and alterations at
Long Beach, California , "Viburnum" departed Treasure Island,San Francisco, California , on15 August , bound forPearl Harbor with two high-speed sled targets in tow. The net-layer reached Pearl Harbor on27 August , delivered her tows, and subsequently pushed on forMajuro , in theMarshall Islands , where she arrived on15 September . Assigned toService Squadron 10, "Viburnum" shifted toUlithi , in theCaroline Islands , soon afterwards. On28 October 1944 , "Viburnum" was tending the net installation at Doa Channel,Ulithi . Late that morning, she picked up a net section from the depot ship "Tuscana" (AKN-3) and proceeded to stretch a double net section early in the afternoon.truck by a Japanese torpedo
At 1457, a sudden, violent explosion blew the port side of the
forecastle deck upward, and the ship'scommanding officer , Lt. Smith, ordered all hands to stand by to abandon ship. The blast had killed two men and blown a dozen others over the side. The latter were swiftly rescued by a boat from "Volans" (AKS-9). "Arapahoe" (ATF-68) came alongside "Viburnum" at 1550, joined shortly afterwards by "Zuni" (ATF-95); the latter consequently moored the stricken net-layer alongside thedestroyer tender "Dixie" (AD-14) for a thorough check of the damage. The ensuing investigation revealed that a Japanesesubmarine mine had blown a hole in thestarboard side of the ship extending 10 frames' length (from frame 10 to frame 20) and to a point within five feet of the main deck. The explosion had broken the keel, and the hole extended about eight feet up from the keel on the port side. In ensuing days, a work crew from "ARB-6" cleared away the wreckage, and the ship's force recovered the bodies of the two men killed. From November1944 to January1945 , "Viburnum" received repairs from "Jason" (ARH-1) and "Vestal" (AR-4) before she was docked in floating drydock "AFDL-32" and repaired enough to resume active operations about9 February 1945 .End-of-war operations
"Viburnum" remained at "Ulithi", performing limited harbor work in a protected harbor into the spring of 1945. She sailed for the west coast of the
United States on9 May , stopped briefly atPearl Harbor en route, and arrived atSan Francisco, California , on5 June .Post-war evaluation and disposition
Due to the heavy workload on west coast yards for repairs to damaged combatant vessels, the Navy did not desire full restoration of "Viburnum". Accordingly, the net-laying ship was decommissioned and placed in an "in-service" status on
12 July 1945 ."Viburnum" was placed out of service on
3 January 1946 , and her disposal was authorized on17 January . Her name was struck from theNavy list on21 January , and the former net-layer was transferred to theUnited States Maritime Commission on12 August 1947 . The vessel was simultaneously delivered to Walter K. Wilms and Co., atSuisun Bay , and was probably scrapped soon afterwards.See also
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U.S. Navy
*World War II References
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* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/18/18057.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - YN-76 / AN-57 Viburnum]
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