List of World War II vessel types of the United States

This List of World War II vessel types of the United States is a list of the types of vessels used by the United States during the time period of World War II. It includes submarines, battleships, minelayers, oilers, barges, pontoon rafts and other types of water craft, boats and ships. (This list is not yet complete.)

Army
Under the Army organization of 1940, the Army Quartermaster was charged with the responsibility of providing the Army with all water transport services except those specifically authorized; for the Corps of Engineers in river and harbor work, for the Coast Artillery Corps in mine planting, and for the Signal Corps in cable laying (the Army had no communication ships at this time). In March 1942, most of the transportation functions of the Army Quartermaster were consolidated into the Transportation Division of the newly created Services of Supply. That same year, on July 31, the Transportation Corps was established.
 * Water Transportation - U.S. Army, 1939-1942, ASF
 * FM 21-6 List of Publications for Training - January 20, 1945

Coast Artillery Corps Mine Planter Service
The Army Mine Planter Service was responsible for the mine fields of the coast defenses. The largest vessels of the service were the U.S. Army Mine Planter (USAMP ) which was equipped to install mines and associated control cables. Smaller vessels known as "junior mine planters" or "pup planters", were occasionally employed as mine planters, but for the most part they served as freight and passenger boats for river and harbor duty. In addition to the mine planters, there were distribution box boats, used for servicing the mine-cable distribution boxes and rugged utility boats called motor mine yawls.

Mine ships

 * MP-7
 * JMP-70 (ex FS-70)

Cable ships

 * USASPB Col. William. A. Glassford (BSP-2098)

Communication ships
Army communications ships in the South West Pacific theater of World War II provided radio relay services and acted as command posts for forward elements ashore.


 * p262 The Signal Corps: The Outcome ( Mid-1943 through 1945 )


 * PCER-848
 * Apache (S-568, CSN-1)
 * FP-47 (S-430, CS-2)
 * PS Weeroona (1910) (S-195, CSQ-1) See: A salute to the doyen of old paddle-steamers


 * Schooners


 * Argosy Lemal (S-6)
 * Harold (S-58, CS-3)
 * Geoanna (IX-61, TP-249, S-382, CS-1)
 * Volador (IX-59, TP-248, S-385, CSM-1)

South West Pacific Area (SWPA) - Services of Supply (USASOS)

 * U.S. Army Transportation in the Southwest Pacific Area 1941-1947

Small Ships Section


As there was a need for a fleet of shallow-draft vessels that could navigate among coral reefs and use primitive landing places far up the coast of New Guinea and along the outlying islands. An "S" fleet under Army control was created using local Australian vessels crewed largely by civilian Australians and New Zealanders. It was a miscellaneous collection of luggers, rusty trawlers, old schooners, launches, ketches, yawls, and yachts.
 * US Army Small Ships Section
 * The Formation and Operation of the US Army Small Ships in World War II
 * pp. 430, 448-53 The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas


 * Coringle (S-31)
 * Jane Moorhead (S-63)
 * Will Watch (S-116)
 * Tuhoe (S-132) 1 2

Troop ships

 * Ships and Men of the Army Transport Service (ATS)
 * Army Transport Service WW II
 * Troops and Cargo Transported During World War II under U.S. Army Control


 * USAT Agwileon
 * USAT George Washington
 * USAT Orizaba
 * Sunk


 * USAT Cynthia Olsen (sunk December 7, 1941)
 * USAT Dorchester
 * USAT Meigs
 * USAT Liberty
 * USAT General John McE. Hyde

Cargo ships over 1,000 tons

 * The Army's Cargo Fleet in World War II
 * FM 55-105 Water Transportation: Oceangoing Vessels (War Department 25SEPT1944)

Harbor Branch - Harbor Boat Service (HBS)

 * FM 55-130 Small Boats and Harbor Craft - January 31, 1944

Harbor Vessels

 * HARBOR CRAFT COMPANY

The harbor craft company is organized for the purpose of ferrying to shore cargo from freighters and transports arriving in theaters of operation. The vessels may either be riding offshore at anchor in the open sea or more likely, anchored in a harbor. Cargo from the ships is loaded by Transportation Corps port company personnel onto barges. Then tugs, tow boats, or marine tractors propel the barges to the shore for unloading. Any cargo too heavy for the vessel's gear to lift is handled by a 60-ton floating crane.


 * B 	Barge or Lorcha
 * BB 	Balloon Barge
 * BBP 	Balloon Barrage Leader
 * BC 	Cargo Barge (Med. 110'-130')
 * BCS 	Cargo Barge (Sm. 45' - 60')
 * BCL 	Cargo Barge (Large - 210' or more)
 * BD 	Derrick and Crane Barges
 * BDP 	Pontoon Derrick Barge
 * BK 	Knocked-down barge
 * BG 	Gasoline Barge
 * BSP 	Self-propelled Barge
 * BW 	Water Barge
 * BTL 	Truck Lighter
 * C 	Navy Type Launch (Obsolete designation)
 * CL 	Landing Boat
 * D 	Dory and Dinghie
 * G 	Marine Tractor
 * HA 	Hoisting or Retrieving Vessel
 * JR 	Radio Controlled Boat
 * J 	Launch up to 50'
 * MT 	Motor Towboat (Sm. 26')
 * MTL 	Motor Towboat (Large, over 26')
 * OB 	Outboard Launch - Detachable Motor
 * OBM 	Outboard Motor - Stationary Motor
 * Q 	Launch, more than 60'
 * R 	Rowboat
 * TKL 	Tank Lighter
 * V 	Speed Boat
 * Y 	Tanker - 176'

Cargo ships under 1,000 tons
Coastwise & Inter-island cargo ships  a.k.a. Coastal freighters
 * SMALL BOAT COMPANY

The small boat company provided regular coastal and island service to bases in the Aleutian and Pacific Islands to supply food and equipment transported by small coastal and inter-island vessels and water craft that were under 200 feet or under 1,000 gross tons of the following vessel types;
 * Ferry
 * Tanker
 * Water Boat
 * Motor Launch
 * Seagoing Tug
 * Freight-Passenger Vessel


 * Army FP/FS Vessels
 * p159 The Coast Guard at War, USCG crewed F ships
 * U.S. Army "FS" (Freight-Supply) Vessels Manned by Coast Guard crews
 * Menhaden fishing fleet of converted FS vessels
 * U.S. ARMY T-BOAT PICTURES


 * FS-80 to FS-90 were merchant vessels refitted for wartime operation


 * USAFS Major J. R. Wessely (FS-80)
 * Built during World War II


 * F-76 image-1 image-2
 * FS-64 image-1 media-1
 * FS-206 image-1 image-2
 * FS-240
 * FS-244 1 2
 * FS-246 image-1 image-2
 * FS-263
 * FS-344
 * FS-391
 * T-57
 * T-89
 * T-147
 * TP-225 image-1 image-2


 * LT-5 the only surviving Army vessel that participated in the D-Day Normandy landing.
 * LT-152
 * LT-638

Air Corps - Quartermaster Corps (QMC) boat service

 * late in 1943 all rescue-boat activities were reassigned to the Army Air Forces


 * Unit Designation Chronology
 * Air Corps Marine Rescue Service
 * Quartermaster Boat Company, Avn. (note; Avn=Aviation)
 * AAF Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron (ERBS)

Rescue Boats

 * p131 The 10th ERBS in Alaska


 * P-239

Rivers & Harbors Division

 * Reorganized 6 June 1942 as;
 * Construction Division - Engineering and Operations branches


 * HISTORIC SHIPS TO VISIT - ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS


 * Sergeant Floyd (towboat)
 * William M. Black (dredge)
 * Montgomery (snagboat)
 * WT Preston

Port & Harbor Rehabilitation

 * Engineer Port Repair ship

The engineer port repair ship is equipped with repair facilities that include a heavy crane and a machine shop and maintains channels and ship berths by removing sunken ships and other obstructions. It also maintains channel markings and other aids for pilots. It does needed work on docks and wharves in conjunction with engineer port construction and repair groups.


 * Port Construction and Repair Group

The primary mission of the engineer port construction and repair group is to make ready for use the facilities of ports of debarkation in a theater of operations. and to perform work involved in improvement or expansion of such ports, exclusive of harbors. Its work is performed in conjunction with engineer port repair ship operations offshore.

The construction platoon consists of a divers' section under the supervision of an officer, as master diver. Enlisted personnel consists of marine divers and divers' attendants. This section does underwater work incident to construction of quay walls, wharves, piers, etc.


 * Port Restoration - WWII
 * The dredge "William L. Marshall" in World War II
 * The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany: CHAPTER XVI Developing Beaches and Reconstructing Ports
 * The District, A History of the Philadelphia District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1866-1971, Marine Design - Unique Mission
 * United States Army in World War II - The Corps of Engineers: Troops and Equipment - Chapter XVII - Preparing to Reconstruct Ports
 * Historic Dredging Photos


 * Chester Harding (dredge)


 * Junior N. Van Noy (Only one of the ten Port Repair Ships not a Maritime Commission type N3-M-A1 type conversion.)

Littoral Traversal
Engineer Amphibian Brigade
 * redesignated in 1943 as;
 * Engineer Special Brigade

The engineer special brigade provides personnel and equipment for transporting combat troops from a friendly near shore to a hostile far shore when the distance is not over 100 miles. The brigade resupplies these troops during the early stages of establishing a beachhead. The brigade can transport one division when reinforced by naval LCT boats.


 * 2+1/2-ton amphibian trucks,
 * command and navigation boats
 * tank lighters
 * patrol boats
 * surf-landing boats

Riverine Traversal

 * Treadway bridge company
 *  "How Tank-Carrying Bridges Are Built" , Popular Mechanics, December 1943

The company is attached to an armored division in river-crossing operations, to provide a bridge for heavy vehicles.
 * 1 steel-treadway bridge M1, providing a floating bridge about 1.080 feet long
 * or
 * 1 steel-treadway bridge M2, providing a floating bridge about 864 feet long.

The company is attached to a division in river-crossing operations, to provide bridges and rafts.
 * Light ponton company
 * 2 units of M3 pneumatic bridge equipage
 * or
 * 2 units of M1938 10-ton ponton bridge equipage

Stream-crossing equipment includes;
 * 1 unit of footbridge, M1938
 * 4 ferry set, No. 1, Infantry Support
 * 12 raft, set No. 1, Infantry Support
 * 70 assault boats, M2

The battalion is attached to a corps in river-crossing operations, to provide a bridges and rafts capable of supporting heavier loads. Bridges and rafts are constructed of 25-ton ponton equipage.
 * Heavy ponton battalion
 * 4 units of heavy ponton equipage, 25-ton, M1940.


 * Airborne Engineer Battalion
 * pneumatic reconnaissance boats


 * Combat Engineer Battalion
 * 15   boat, reconnaissance, pneumatic, canvas, 2-man
 * 14   boat, assault, M-2, with paddles and canvas bag

Liberty ship

 * SS John W. Brown
 * SS Jeremiah O'Brien the only surviving Merchant Marine ship that was in the D-Day armada

Victory ship

 * SS Kingsport Victory
 * SS Simmons Victory (end USS Liberty (AGTR-5))

Amphibious warfare type


Amphibious warfare vessels include all ships having organic capability for amphibious warfare and which have characteristics enabling long duration operations on the high seas. There are two classifications of craft: amphibious warfare ships which are built to cross oceans, and landing craft, which are designed to take troops from ship to shore in an invasion. Some vessels called “landing ships” did not have the capability to off-load troops and supplies onto beaches; they were just transports or command-and-control vessels.

Ships
 * AGC : Amphibious Force Flagship
 * class anewed (1969) too, LCC -- Amphibious Command Ship


 * AKA : Attack Cargo Ship
 * APA : Attack Transport
 * APD : High speed transport
 * LSD : Landing Ship, Dock
 * LSM : Landing Ship, Medium
 * LSMR or LSM(R) -- Landing Ship, Medium (Rocket)


 * LST : Landing Ship, Tank
 * LSTH or LST(H) -- Landing Ship, Tank (Hospital)


 * LSV : Landing Ship, Vehicle


 * Landing Craft
 * LCC : Landing Craft, Control
 * LCFF · LC(FF) : Flotilla Flagship
 * LCI · LCIL · LCI(L) : Landing Craft, Infantry (Large)
 * class anewed (1949) too, LSI -- Landing Ship, Infantry
 * LCI(G)(M)(R) -- Landing Craft, Infantry (Gunboat) (Mortar) (Rocket)


 * LCM : Landing Craft, Mechanized
 * LCP · LCPL · LCP(L) : Landing Craft, Personnel (Large)
 * LCR · LCRS · LCR(S) : Landing Craft, Rubber (Small)
 * LCR · LCRL · LCR(L) : Landing Craft, Rubber (Large)
 * LCSS · LCS(S) : Landing Craft, Support (Small)
 * an LCP{L) conversion, fitted with heavy machine guns


 * LCS · LCSL · LCS(L) : Landing Craft, Support (Large)
 * class anewed (1949) too, LSSL -- Landing Ship, Support (Large)


 * LCT : Landing Craft, Tank
 * class anewed (1949) too, LSU -- Landing Ship, Utility
 * class anewed (1956) too, LCU -- Landing Craft, Utility


 * LCV : Landing Craft, Vehicle
 * LCVP or LCV(P) -- Landing Craft, Vehicle (Personnel)
 * an LCV, fitted with 1/4 inch armor
 * LCA -- Landing Craft, Assault (British term for LCVP)

Other types
Aircraft Carriers
 * Fleet Aircraft Carriers, Large CVB
 * Fleet Aircraft Carriers CV
 * Light Aircraft Carriers CVL
 * Escort Carriers CVE

Battleships
 * Battleships BB

Cruisers
 * Large Cruisers CB
 * Heavy Cruisers CA
 * Light Cruisers CL

Destroyers
 * Destroyers DD
 * Destroyer Escorts DE

Submarines
 * Submarines SS

Minecraft
 * Minelayers & Coastal Minelayers CM
 * Light Minelayers DM
 * Auxiliary Minelayers ACM
 * Minesweepers AM
 * Coastal Minesweepers AMc
 * Fast Minesweepers DMS
 * Motor Minesweepers YMS

Patrol Craft
 * Gunboats PG
 * Converted Yachts PG
 * Frigates PF
 * River Gunboats PR
 * Smaller Converted Yachts PY
 * Coastal Yachts PYc
 * Escort Patrol Craft PCE
 * Eagle Boats PE
 * Patrol Craft, Sweepers PCS
 * Motor Gunboats PGM

Submarine Chasers
 * Submarine Chasers (Steel Hull) PC
 * Submarine Chasers (Wooden Hull) SC

Motor Torpedo Boats
 * Motor Torpedo Boats PT
 * Motor Boat Submarine Chasers PTC

Auxiliaries
 * Crane Ship AB
 * Advanced Base Section Dock ABSD
 * Advanced Base Dock ABD
 * Destroyer Tenders AD
 * Ammunition Ships AE
 * Provision Store Ships AF
 * Auxiliary Floating Dock AFD
 * Large Auxiliary Floating Dock (non-self-propelled) AFDB
 * Small Auxiliary Floating Dock (non-self-propelled) AFDL
 * Medium Auxiliary Floating Dock (non-self-propelled) AFDM
 * Miscellaneous Auxiliaries AG
 * Amphibious Force Command Ships AGC
 * MTB Tenders AGP
 * Surveying Ships AGS

Hospital Ships
 * Hospital Ships AH

Cargo Ships
 * Cargo Ships AK
 * Attack Cargo Ships AKA
 * Net Cargo Ships AKN
 * General Stores Issue Ships AKS
 * Cargo Ships and Aircraft Ferries AKV

Net-Laying Ships AN Oilers & Tankers
 * Oilers AO
 * Gaoline Tankers AOG

Transports
 * Transports AP
 * Attack Transports APA
 * Self-Propelled Barracks Ships APB
 * Coastal Transports APc
 * High-Speed Transports APD
 * Evacuation Transports APH
 * Barracks Ships APL
 * Mechanized Artillery Transport APM
 * Transport Submarine APS
 * Aircraft Ferries APV

Repair Ships
 * Repair Ships AR
 * Battle-Damage Repair Ships ARB
 * Auxiliary Repair Dock (Concrete) ARDC
 * Internal Combustion Engine Repair Ships ARG
 * Heavy Hull Repair Ships ARH
 * Landing Craft Repair Ships ARL
 * Salvage Vessels ARS
 * Salvage Craft Tenders ARS(T)
 * Aircraft Repair Ships (Aircraft) ARV(A)
 * Aircraft Repair Ships (Engine) ARV(E)

Submarine Tenders & Rescue Vessels
 * Submarine Tenders AS
 * Submarine Rescue Vessels ASR

Tugboats
 * Auxiliary Tugs ATA
 * Fleet Ocean Tugs ATF
 * Old Ocean Tugs ATO
 * Rescue Tugs ATR

Seaplane Tenders & Aviation Supply Ships
 * Seaplane Tenders AV
 * Catapult Lighter AVC
 * Seaplane Tenders (Destroyers) AVD
 * Small Seaplane Tenders AVP
 * Aviations Supply Ships AVS

Distilling Ships
 * Distilling Ships AW

Unclassified Vessels
 * Unclassified Vessels IX

Yard and District Craft Coast Guard Cutters
 * Cruising Cutters WPG
 * Weather Patrol Ships WIX
 * Weather Patrol Cutters WPC
 * Icebreakers WAG