USS Ash (AN-7)

USS "Ash" (AN-7/YN-2) was an "Aloe"-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.

Built in Washington

"Ash" (YN-2) was launched on 15 February 1941 at Houghton, Washington, by the Lake Washington Shipyards, Inc., and was placed in service on 1 July 1941, Lt. Charles E. Ide, USNR, in charge.

World War II service

The net layer served briefly in San Francisco Bay laying out net buoys and tending nets until 20 August when she headed for the Hawaiian Islands and duty in the 14th Naval District.

Under Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor

"Ash" arrived at the section base at Bishop's Point on the island of Oahu on 28 August and began working on the nets that protected Pearl Harbor. She was at the Bishop's Point section base when the Japanese attacked American warships and installations at Pearl Harbor on the morning of 7 December 1941. Though she fired sporadically at some of the enemy planes during the two hours of the attack, she claimed no kills and suffered neither casualties nor damage.

Assigned to duty in Hawaii

Following the attack, the ship served at Pearl Harbor through the end of the war. Redesignated "AN-7" on 20 December 1942, she was placed in full commission that same day, Lt. J. H. Russell, USNR, in command.

"Ash" continued to operate in the Pearl Harbor area until 11 May 1946 when she got underway for San Francisco, California. The net layer was moored at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard until 1 November when she got underway for Vancouver, Washington.

Post-war inactivation

She was placed out of commission there on 13 December 1946 and remained in reserve until 1 September 1962 when her name was struck from the Navy list. She was then transferred to the U.S. Maritime Administration for lay up with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Washington. She stayed there until sold on 14 May 1971 to I. D. Logan for scrapping.

See also

* United States Navy
* World War II

References

*
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/18/18007.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - YN-2 / AN-7 Ash]