Emergency Shipbuilders of WWII ~ Shipbuilding History

Emergency Shipbuilders of WWII

Builders of Wooden Ships and Barges

Most recent update: August 2021.

MARCOM only built wooden ships and barges reluctantly, at a point in the war when the steel shipbuilders were all at full capacity. The first batch of contracts was for oceangoing dry bulk barges to carry coal. This design, designated B3-F1, was 194 feet long, with a deadweight of 2,438 tons. Eleven shipyards built 30 of these barges and 11 of a larger design, designated B5-G1, which was 274 feet long, with a deadweight of 4,455 tons. Wooden tugs were built to go with the wooden barges. The design, designated V3-S-AH2, was 157 feet long, with a 1,000-hp steam reciprocating engine: 14 of these were built by 3 shipbuilders and 8 of these were transferred to Britain, with names beginning with AT, for American Tug. Later, a second design was built, designated V2-M-AL1, was 66 feet long, with a 240-hp diesel engine: 35 of these were built by 7 shipbuilders and all but one were transferred to Britain as TUSAs, for Tugs, USA. The TUSAs were numbered 200 thru 234 - see the second table below - but there is apparently no record of which tug was which TUSA.

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	Name	MARCOM #	Type	Delivered	Notes
Camden Shipbuilding Co., Camden ME
8	Pine Tree I	851	B3-F1	May 1943
9	Pine Tree II	852	B3-F1	June 1943
10	Pine Tree III	853	B3-F1	July 1943
11	Pine Tree IV	854	B3-F1	Aug 1943
Hodgson-Greene-Haldeman, Long Beach CA
11	Redwood I	1069	B3-F1	July 1943
12	Redwood II	1070	B3-F1	July 1943
13	Redwood III	1071	B3-F1	Aug 1943
14	Redwood IV	1072	B3-F1	Aug 1943
15	Redwood V	1073	B3-F1	Aug 1943
Casco Shipbuilding Co., Freeport ME
1	Red Oak I	1074	B3-F1	Aug 1943
2	Red Oak II	1075	B3-F1	Sep 1943
3	Red Oak III	1076	B3-F1	Oct 1943
5	Red Oak V	1078	B3-F1	Dec 1943
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette WI
1	White Pine I	1079	B3-F1	July 1943
2	White Pine II	1080	B3-F1	Aug 1943
3	White Pine III	1081	B3-F1	Sep 1943
4	White Pine IV	1082	B3-F1	Oct 1943
5	White Pine V	1083	B3-F1	Nov 1943
6	Port Austin	1683	tugboat	Dec 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
7	Port Homer	1684	tugboat	Dec 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
8	Port Hope	1685	tugboat	Dec 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
9	Port Sanilac	1686	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
10	Port William	1687	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
11	Port Wing	1688	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
Waterways Engineering Corp., Green Bay WI
1	Hemlock I	1084	B3-F1	Apr 1944
2	Hemlock II	1085	B3-F1	Apr 1944
Seabell Shipbuilding Co., Seattle WA
1	Douglas Fir I	1087	B3-F1	Sep 1943
2	Douglas Fir III	1088	B3-F1	Nov 1943
3	Douglas Fir III	1089	B3-F1	Dec 1943
4	Douglas Fir IV	1090	B3-F1	Feb 1944
5	Douglas Fir V	1091	B3-F1	Mar 1944
Richmond Shipbuilding Co., South Gardiner ME
1	White Ash I	1142	B3-F1	Sep 1943
2	White Ash II	1143	B3-F1	Dec 1943
3	White Ash III	1144	B3-F1	Feb 1944
Belfast Shipbuilding Co., Belfast ME
1	White Oak I	1218	B3-F1	July 1943
2	White Oak II	1219	B3-F1	July 1943
Anacortes Shipways Co., Anacortes WA
1	Western Larch I	1237	B5-G1	Nov 1943
2	Western Larch II	1238	B5-G1	Jan 1944
3	Western Larch III	1239	B5-G1	Mar 1944
Columbia River Packers Assn., Astoria OR
1	Oregon Pine I	1243	B5-G1	Jan 1944
2	Oregon Pine II	1244	B5-G1	May 1944
3	Oregon Pine III	1245	B5-G1	Oct 1944
Corpus Christi Shipbuilding Co., Corpus Christi TX
1	Sustainer	1345	V3-S-AH2	Feb 1945	intended for Britain as Atworth but to USSR as Sustainer
Puget Sound Shipbuilding Co., Olympia WA
14	Compeller	1410	V3-S-AH2	May 1944	to Britain as Atherida, sold 1948, scrapped
15	Dexterous	1411	V3-S-AH2	June 1944	to Britain as Athelney, to Trinidad 1945, to Caymans 1948, scrapped 1951
16	Mighty	1412	V3-S-AH2	July 1944	to Britain as Atil, sold 1948, scrapped
17	Secure	1413	V3-S-AH2	Aug 1944	to Britain as Attigny, sold 1948, Lenaship, scrapped 1955
18	Forthright	1414	V3-S-AH2	Sep 1944	to Britain as Attock, to USN as YTB-610, to USSR 1944 as Forthright
Standard Shipbuilding Co., San Pedro CA
1	power	1415	V3-S-AH2	Apr 1944	to Britain as Atengo, to Italy 1947 as Titano (A-5325), scrapped 1974
2	Steadfast	1416	V3-S-AH2	May 1944	to Britain as Atako, wrecked and lost 1944
3	Durable	1417	V3-S-AH2	May 1944	to Britain as Ataran, to Italy 1947 as Ciclope (A-5319), scrapped
4	Spirited	1418	V3-S-AH2	June 1944	to Britain as Atolia, to Trinidad 1948, to Caymans 1951, scrapped
5	Helper	1419	V3-S-AH2	July 1944	to Britain as Atoyac, to Italy 1949 as Nereo, used for spares
6	resister	1420	V3-S-AH2	Aug 1944	to Britain as Atiamuri, to Italy 1947, to Israel 1954
7	Superb	1473	V3-S-AH2	Aug 1944	to Britain as Atwood, to Trinidad 1948, to Caymans 1951, scrapped
8	Robust	1474	V3-S-AH2	Sep 1944	to Britain as Atmore, sold 1948, scrapped
Steinbach Ironworks, Tillamook OR
1563	Port Sewall	1563	tugboat	Jan 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
1564	Port Kennedy	1564	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
1565	Port Reading	1565	tugboat	Mar 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
Eureka Shipbuilding Co., Eureka CA
1	Port Costa	1566	tugboat	Jan 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
2	Port San Luis	1567	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
3	Port Chicago	1568	tugboat	Mar 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
4	Port Gamble	1569	tugboat	Apr 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
5	Port Tobacco	1570	tugboat	June 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
6	Port Haywood	1571	tugboat	July 1944	to US Navy as YTL-718, sold 1947 as Limpiar VI
Arlington Shipbuilding & Engineering Corp., Jacksonville FL
1	Port Inglis	1584	tugboat	Nov 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
2	Port Mayaca	1585	tugboat	Dec 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
3	Port Orange	1586	tugboat	Jan 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
4	Port Richey	1587	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
5	Port St. Joe	1588	tugboat	Mar 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
6	Port Tampa City	1589	tugboat	Mar 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
Texas Shipbuilding Co., Galveston TX
1	Port Arthur	1590	tugboat	Dec 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
2	Port Bolivar	1591	tugboat	Jan 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
3	Port Lavaca	1592	tugboat	Jan 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
4	Port Neches	1593	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
5	Port O'Connor	1594	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
6	Port Sullivan	1595	tugboat	Mar 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
7	Port Sulphur	1689	tugboat	Mar 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
8	Port Treverton	1690	tugboat	Apr 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
Siletz Boatworks, Kernville OR
67	Port Stanley	1596	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
68	Port Townsend	1597	tugboat	Feb 1944	to Britain as a TUSA
Arthur G. Blair Co., Yonkers NY
1	Port Ewen	1598	tugboat	Oct 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
2	Port Gibson	1599	tugboat	Nov 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
3	Port Jefferson	1600	tugboat	Nov 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
4	Port Leyden	1601	tugboat	Dec 1943	to Britain as a TUSA
DISPOSITION OF TUSAS
TUSA #	TUSA #				Notes
200	200				No details
201	201				sold 1946 in Egypt
202	202				returned to U.S. 1947
203	203				returned to U.S. 1947
204	204				sold 1947 in Egypt
205	205				returned to U.S. 1947
206	206				to Yugoslavia 1945
207	207				retained by U.S.
208	208				to Greece 1946
209	209				retained by U.S.
210	210				to Greece 1946
211	211				to Yugoslavia 1945
212	212				to Italy 1946
213	213				to Italy 1946
214	214				to Italy 1946
215	215				to Italy 1946
216	216				to Greece 1946
217	217				to Greece 1946
218	218				returned to U.S. 1947
219	219				sold 1947 in Malta
220	220				sold 1947 in Malta
221	221				returned to US 1947
222	222				to Italy 1946
223	223				to Italy 1946
224	224				sold 1948 in Australia
225	225				sold 1947 in India
226	226				sold 1948 in Australia
227	227				sold 1948 in Australia
228	228				sold 1947 in India
229	229				No details
230	230				sold 1948 in Australia
231	231				sold 1947 in Singapore
232	232				sold 1948 in Australia
233	233				sold 1947 in Burma
234	234				sold 1948 in Australia