Collection

Ships

Ships, builders, home ports, specifications, and histories.

Showing 1,701–1,750

Name	Type	Hull Num	Class	Status	Comm Is Date	Decom Sunk Or Reclass	Reclass Num	Builder	Built City	Built State	Home Port	Historynotes
Belgian Tenacity					1944-04-08 00:00:00.000			New England Shipbuilding Corp.	South Portland	ME		Maritime Commission E Hull 3011 Merchant ship Original ope… Maritime Commission E Hull 3011 Merchant ship Original operator, War Shipping Administration WW II
Belgian Unity					1944-11-09 00:00:00.000			New England Shipbuilding Corp.	South Portland	ME		Maritime Commission E Hull 3072 Merchant ship Original ope… Maritime Commission E Hull 3072 Merchant ship Original operator, War Shipping Administration WW II
Belgium Victory					1944-04-14 00:00:00.000			Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.	Portland	OR		Maritime Commission Victory Hull 92 Merchant ship Original… Maritime Commission Victory Hull 92 Merchant ship Original operator, Sudden & Chris. WW II
Belize	Cargo							Manitowoc shipbuilding	Manitowoc	WI		Built 1919 Norwegian Army vessel WW II
Belknap	DD	251	Clemson	Reclas	1919-04-28 00:00:00.000	1944-06-22 00:00:00.000	*	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp.	Quincy	MA		1st Belknap Named for RADM George E. Belknap, qv Originall… 1st Belknap Named for RADM George E. Belknap, qv Originally commissioned DD-251 Reclassified AVD-8, qv, Aug 2 1940 WW II Aug 5 1942, Atlantic Fleet, as Seaplane tender Again reclassified DD-251 Nov 14 1943 Atlantic Reclassified APD-34, qv, 6/22/1944
Belknap	CG	26	Belknap	Decom	1964-11-07 00:00:00.000	1995-02-15 00:00:00.000		Bath Iron Works	Bath	ME		2nd Belknap Probably named for RADM George E. Belknap, qv … 2nd Belknap Probably named for RADM George E. Belknap, qv 1994-Flagship of 6th Fleet Decommissioned Feb 15 1995
Belknap	APD	34		Decom	1944-06-22 00:00:00.000	1945-08-04 00:00:00.000		Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp.	Quincy	MA		1st Belknap Named for RADM George E. Belknap, qv Ex DD-251… 1st Belknap Named for RADM George E. Belknap, qv Ex DD-251, qv. Ex AVD-8, qv Reclassified from DD-251 to APD-34 Jun 22 1944 WW II Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, LT R. Childs Jan 1945, Invasion at Lingayen Gulf, LT R. Childs. Severely damaged by crashing Japanese aircraft Jan 11 1945. 38 of crew killed Decommissioned Aug 4 1945 Sold Nov 30 1945 for scrapping 3 Battle Stars WW II (During the war she was DD-251, AVD-8 and APD-34)
Belknap	AVD	8		Reclas	1940-08-02 00:00:00.000	1943-11-14 00:00:00.000	*	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp.	Quincy	MA		1st Belknap Named for REAM George E. Belknap, qv Ex DD-251… 1st Belknap Named for REAM George E. Belknap, qv Ex DD-251, qv Reclassified AVD-8 Aug 2 1940 WW II Atlantic Again recalassified DD-251, qv, Nov 14 1943 Presiedntial Unit Citation as AVD-8, WW II
Bell	DD	587	Fletcher	Decom	1944-03-04 00:00:00.000	1946-06-14 00:00:00.000		Charleston Navy Yard	Charleston	SC		2nd Bell Named for RADM Henry H. Bell, qv WW II Jan-Feb 1… 2nd Bell Named for RADM Henry H. Bell, qv WW II Jan-Feb 1944, Invasion of Marshall Islands Apr 1944, landings at Hollandia Jun-Jul 1944, Invasion of Marianas (Saipan and Guam) June 19-20 1944, Battle of the Philippine Sea, CDR J. S. C. Gabbert Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CDR J. S. C. Gabbert Jan 1945, Invasion at Lingayen Gulf, CDR J. S. C. Gabbert Jan 31 1945, together with O'Bannon and Ulvert M. Moore, sunk Japanese submarine RO-115 Jun 1945, landings at Brunei Bay Jul 1945, landings at Balikpapan, Borneo Late 1945, China and Korea Decommissioned Jun 14 1946 12 Battle Stars WW II
Bell	DD	95	Wickes	Decom	1918-07-31 00:00:00.000	1922-06-21 00:00:00.000		Fore River Shipbuilding Co.	Quincy	MA		1st Bell Named for RADM Henry H. Bell, qv WW I - Decommis… 1st Bell Named for RADM Henry H. Bell, qv WW I - Decommissioned Jun 21 1922 Declared excess Aug 1936 and reduced to a hulk Later sold
Bella	No.	2211		Decom	1918-03-16 00:00:00.000	1920-02-20 00:00:00.000		Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd.	Newcastle	EN		AK Built 1906 Purchased by Navy Feb 22 1918 Commissioned … AK Built 1906 Purchased by Navy Feb 22 1918 Commissioned Mar 16 1918 WW I - Europe Transferred to Army Transport Service Feb 27 1919 Decommissioned Feb 20 1920 Sol Aug 2 1920
Bellatrix	AK	20	Bellatrix	Reclas	1941-06-14 00:00:00.000	1943-02-01 00:00:00.000	*	Tampa Shipbuilding Co.	Tampa	FL		1sst Bellatrix ex SS Raven, Maritime Commission Hull 126 T… 1sst Bellatrix ex SS Raven, Maritime Commission Hull 126 Transferred to Navy Apr 16 1941 Launched as Bellatrix (AK-19) Aug 15 1941 Commissioned Feb 17 1942 WW II Aug, 1942, Operation Watchtower, invasion of Guadalcanal, CDR William F. Dietrich Reclassified AKA-3, qv, 2/01/43
Bellatrix	T-AKR	288		Active
Bellatrix	AKA	3	Arcturus	Decom	1943-02-01 00:00:00.000	1965-06-03 00:00:00.000		Tampa Shipbuilding Co.	Tampa	FL		ex SS Raven, Maritime Commission Hull 126 Originally commis… ex SS Raven, Maritime Commission Hull 126 Originally commissioned AK-19, qv. Reclassified AKA-3 2/01/1943 WW II Jul 1943, Operation Husky, invasion of Sicily, CDR Oliver H. Ritchie (Combat Narrative says CPT) Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galvanic, Gilbert Islands operation, CDR C. A. Jones Jun-Aug 1944, Operation Forager, Invasion of Saipan and Tinian, CDR E. J. Anderson Decommissioned Apr 1 1946 Returned to Maritime Commission Jul 1 1946 Reacquired by Navy Aug 27 1951 Recommissioned May 16 1952 Korean War Decommissioned Jun 3 1965 5 Battle Stars WW II 1 Battle Star Korean War
Belle	schooner											Army vessel Mexican War era
Belle	ScStr			Sold		1866-07-12 00:00:00.000			Philadelphia	PA		Built 1864 Purchased by Navy Jun 2 1864 and commissioned la… Built 1864 Purchased by Navy Jun 2 1864 and commissioned later in that month Civil War North Atlantic Blockading Squadron Oct 31 1864, capture of Plymouth NC Sold Jul 12 1866
Belle Creole												Civil War Used to transport troops for Battle of Shiloh (Al… Civil War Used to transport troops for Battle of Shiloh (Alldredge list)
Belle Darlington	Tug											Civil War Army vessel 1864, Mississippi Marine Brigade
Belle Grove	LSD	2	Ashland	Decom	1943-08-09 00:00:00.000	1969-11-12 00:00:00.000		Moore Dry Dock Co.	Oakland	CA		Reclassified from APM-2 WW II Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galv… Reclassified from APM-2 WW II Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galvanic, Gilbert Islands operation, LCDR Morris Seavey Jan-Feb 1944, Invasion of Marshall Islands Jun-Aug 1944, Operation Forager, Invasion of Saipan and Tinian, CDR Morris Seavey Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CDR Morris Seavey (SEM lists as Seavy) Jan 1945, Invasion at Lingayen Gulf Feb 1945, Invasion of Iwo JIma Nov-Dec 1945, China Decommissioned Aug 30 1946 Recommissioned Dec 27 1950 Decommissioned and struck Nov 12 1969 Sold Jul 24 1970 for scrapping 7 Battle Stars WW II
Belle Haven	TP	243							San Francisco	CA		Built 1930 Army vessel WW II
Belle Isle	Launch											Army vessel WW II
Belle Isle	Troopship							Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson	Newcastle	EN		Built 1932 WW II Army troopship
Belle Isle	AKS	21						New England Shipbuilding Corp.	South Portland	ME		Ex AG-73, qv Reclassified AKS-21 Aug 18 1951
Belle Isle	AG	73	Belle Isle	Decom	1944-11-15 00:00:00.000	1946-08-30 00:00:00.000	*	New England Shipbuilding Corp.	South Portland	ME		Maritime Commission E Hull 3070 WW II Decommissioned Nov 1… Maritime Commission E Hull 3070 WW II Decommissioned Nov 18 1944 Saw no active service in World War II because of being converted to electronics repair vessel Recommissioned Jul 13 1945 Decommissioned Aug 30 1946 Reclassified AKS-21. qv. Aug 18 1951
Belle of Portugal	Transport								San Diego	CA		Built 1937 WW II Army vessel
Belle of the Sea	Cargo				1945-04-20 00:00:00.000			Moore Dry Dock Co.	Oakland	CA		Maritime Commission Hull 1204 Merchant ship Original opera… Maritime Commission Hull 1204 Merchant ship Original operator, Alcoa Steamship WW II
Belle of the West	Cargo				1944-07-08 00:00:00.000			Moore Dry Dock Co.	Oakland	CA		Maritime Commission Hull 1187 Merchant ship Original opera… Maritime Commission Hull 1187 Merchant ship Original operator, Matson Navigation WW II Jun 17-23, Operation Iceberg, Okinawa Campaign
Belle of the West	Steamer											Civil War March 1862, used to transport Union troops for th… Civil War March 1862, used to transport Union troops for the Battle of Shiloh. (Hurst List)
Belle Peoria	Steamboat											Civil War Used by Army December 1862, lower Mississippi
Belleau Wood	LCU	1668	LCU-1600									Named for World War I Battle of Belleau Wood In service 197… Named for World War I Battle of Belleau Wood In service 1977 1996, Panama
Belleau Wood	CVL	24	Independence	Decom	1943-03-31 00:00:00.000	1947-01-13 00:00:00.000		New York Shipbuilding Corp.	Camden	NJ		1st Belleau Wood Named for World War I Battle of Belleau Wo… 1st Belleau Wood Named for World War I Battle of Belleau Wood Ex New Haven (CL-76) Renamed Belleau Wood Feb 16 1942, before launching Commissioned Mar 31 1943 Reclassified CVL-24 Jul 15 1943 WW II Sep 1943, occupation of Baker Island Sep 18 1943, raid on Tarawa Oct 5-6 1943, raid on Wake Island Nov-Dec 1943, Operation Galvanic, Gilbert Islands operation, CPT A. M. Pride Jan-Feb 1944, Invasion of Marshall Islands Feb 21-22 1944, raids on Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam Mar 30-Apr 1 1944, raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai Apr 22-24 1944, raids on Sawar and Wakde Islands in support of landings at Hollandia Apr 29-May 1 1944, raids on Truk, Satawan, and Ponape Jun 1944, Invasion of Marianas Islands (Saipan) Jun 15-16 1944, 1st Bonins raid Jun 19-20 1944, Battle of Philippine Sea (TG 58.1), CPT John Perry. Belleau Wood's planes sank Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyo Jun 24 1944, 2nd Bonins raid Aug 1944, Invasion of Marianas Islands (Guam) Sep-Oct 1944, Invasion of Palau Islands Sep 1944, landings on Morotai Oct 1944, raid on Okinawa Oct 11-14 1944, raids on northern Luzon and Formosa Oct 1944, Invasion of Leyte, CPT John Perry Oct 24-26 1944, Battle of Cape Engano Oct 30 1944, damaged by Japanese suicide plane. 92 of crew killed or missing Feb 1945, Invasion of Iwo Jima Apr-Jun 1945, Operation Iceberg, Okinawa Campaign, CPT John Perry, then CPT W. G. Tomlinson, TG 58.1 Decommissioned Jan 13 1947 Transferred to France Sep 5 1953 under Mutual Defense Assistance Program Presidential Unit Citation and 12 Battle Stars WW II
Belleau Wood	LHA	3	Tarawa	Active				Ingalls Shipbuilding Co.	Pascagoula	MS	Sasebo, Japan	2nd Belleau Wood Named for World War I Battle of Belleau Wo… 2nd Belleau Wood Named for World War I Battle of Belleau Wood
Bellerophon	ARL	31	Achelous	Decom	1945-07-21 00:00:00.000	1948-03-26 00:00:00.000		Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.	Seneca	IL		Originally LST-1132, no name, qv Reclassified and renamed B… Originally LST-1132, no name, qv Reclassified and renamed Bellerophon and recommissioned Jul 21 1945 San Francisco Bay Decommissioned Mar 26 1948
Bellingham				Sunk		1942-09-22 00:00:00.000						Merchant ship WW II Jun-Jul 1942, Convoy PQ-17 to North Ru… Merchant ship WW II Jun-Jul 1942, Convoy PQ-17 to North Russia. Damaged by shelling Sunk by torpedo on Murmansk route May be the same as World War I AK Bellingham, qv
Bellingham	AK			Decom	1918-10-30 00:00:00.000	1919-05-10 00:00:00.000		Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Co.	Seattle	WA		Built 1918 Transferred to Navy Oct 30 1918 and commissioned… Built 1918 Transferred to Navy Oct 30 1918 and commissioned the same day WW I - Naval Overseas Transportation Serivce Decommissioned May 10 1919 and returned to U.S. Shipping Board the same day May be the same as World War II commercial vessel Bellingham, qv
Bellingham Victory					1945-09-24 00:00:00.000			Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.	Portland	OR		Maritime Commission Victory Hull 701 Merchant ship Origina… Maritime Commission Victory Hull 701 Merchant ship Original operator, Alaska Steamship
Bellona	ARL	32	Achelous	Grounded	1945-07-26 00:00:00.000	1945-12-01 00:00:00.000		Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.	Seneca	IL		Originally LST-1136, no name, qv Decommissioned Apr 27 1945… Originally LST-1136, no name, qv Decommissioned Apr 27 1945 Reclassified Bellona (ARL-32), Jul 26 1945 Pacific Grounded Dec 1 1945 on Kama Rocks, near Iwo Jima Destroyed May 14 1946
Beloit Victory					1944-07-07 00:00:00.000			Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.	Portland	OR		Maritime Commission Victory Hull 111 Merchant ship Origina… Maritime Commission Victory Hull 111 Merchant ship Original operator, McCormick Steamship WW II
Beltrami	AK	162	Alamosa	Decom	1945-01-04 00:00:00.000	1955-11-10 00:00:00.000		Kaiser Cargo	Richmond	CA		Maritime Commission Hull 2107 WW II Pacific Nov 1945-Jan … Maritime Commission Hull 2107 WW II Pacific Nov 1945-Jan 1946, China 1946, Operation Nanook Decommissioned Nov 10 1955
Belusan	IX	187		Decom	1945-02-14 00:00:00.000	1946-01-07 00:00:00.000		Howaldswerke	Kiel	GE		Tanker built 1920 as Vistula Commissioned Feb 14 1945 WW I… Tanker built 1920 as Vistula Commissioned Feb 14 1945 WW II Pacific Decommissioned Jan 7 1946 and returned to War Shipping Administration the same day
Belva Lockwood					1943-03-19 00:00:00.000			Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.	Portland	OR		Maritime Commission E Hull 1605 Merchant ship Original ope… Maritime Commission E Hull 1605 Merchant ship Original operator, United States Lines WW II Jun 1944, Operation Overlord, Invasion of Normandy
Belvoir	Launch								Duluth	MN
Bemis Heights					1944-09-19 00:00:00.000			Alabama Drydock & Shipbuilding Co.	Mobile	AL		Maritime Commission Hull 1511 Merchant ship Original opera… Maritime Commission Hull 1511 Merchant ship Original operator, Cities Service Oil WW II
Bemis Heights	ST	1988										Army vessel In service 1953 1996, Curtis Bay
Ben & Josephine	Fishing trawler			Sunk		1942-06-03 00:00:00.000						WW II Sunk by shelling in North Atlantic
Ben A. Ruffin					1944-04-24 00:00:00.000			Southeastern Shipbuilding Corp.	Savannah	GA		Maritime Commission E Hull 2442 Merchant ship Original ope… Maritime Commission E Hull 2442 Merchant ship Original operator, Marine Transp. WW II
Ben Brush	Freighter			Sunk		1942-04-12 00:00:00.000						Ex Caroline Maersk (Danish) WW II Sunk by shelling in Sout… Ex Caroline Maersk (Danish) WW II Sunk by shelling in South Atlantic. 1 crew member lost
Ben DeFord	Transport											Civil War Oct 1 1862, Battle of Saint John's Bluff
Ben F. Dixon					1943-09-29 00:00:00.000			Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc.	Baltimore	MD		Maritime Commission E Hull 1788 Merchant ship Original ope… Maritime Commission E Hull 1788 Merchant ship Original operator, United Fruit WW II May 1944, Convoy UGS-40, Mediterranean
Ben Froemming	Cargo				1945-10-31 00:00:00.000			Froemming Bros., Inc.	Milwaukee	WI		Maritime Commission Hull 2353

Background and Sources Collection notes, historical context, and related resources

Ships

Purpose

The Ships table is the most comprehensive and nearly complete of the tables in this site. It includes tens of thousands of different vessels. It is primarily, but not exclusively, Navy ships, that have helped make American history.

Fewer than half of the vessels in the table are named. Most of the others are identified only by a number but one that is unique to that vessel (called hull numbers by the Navy). The most famous of the latter is PT-109, John Kennedy’s PT boat that was sunk in World War II. Another famous group is the “LSTs”, the Landing Ships-Tank of World War II fame. (Some crew members who served on these big, ungainly vessels said that LST stood for Large Slow Target.) Following World War II, the Navy started giving the LSTs names, but those in the war were identified only by their hull numbers.

DANFS

The most authoritative and most common source of information about the Navy’s commissioned and named ships, plus the LSTs, is the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS). This series of eight books was published by the Navy and was not available through commercial book stores. The books are now out of print, but are available through the used book market. Much if not all of their content is now also available online at the Naval History and Heritage Command’s DANFS site.

Many thousands of watercraft had non-unique numbers, or semi-unique numbers, the latter including landing craft that carried the number of the transport that carried them plus a number of their own (such as PA-91-15). I have not tried to include these latter craft in this project.

The World War II Commercial Fleet

The Navy in World War II utilized many commercial vessels, even in the dangerous landing operations, the most famous being the Liberty Ships, which were mostly freighters, and their larger replacements, the Victory Ships. These and other commercial vessels from that war are included in the table. The U.S. built thousands of these ships and other commercial type ships during and shortly after World War II. Lists of the various types of commercial design ships built for the war, and separate lists of what ships were built by each shipyard, are at the Maritime Commission site.

Some of these were turned over to the Navy to operate, but most were operated by commercial shipping companies, even in battle and particularly in dangerous convoys crossing the Atlantic.

The liberty ships were named for people, and a book has been published that identifies who these people were. It is Liberty Ships, the People Behind the Names, compiled by Capt. Robert Deschamps and published in 1999. It is probably available online.

The Army’s Ships

The Army has also used thousands of ships and other watercraft over the years, especially in the Civil War and World War II. Major sources of information about these vessels are:

The Army’s Navy Series Volume I, Marine Transportation in War. The U.S. Army Experience 1775-1860, by Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson.

The Army’s Navy Series Volume II, Assault and Logistics Union Army Coastal and River Operations 1861-1866, by Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson.

U.S. Army Ships and Watercraft of World War II, by David H. Grover.

Smaller Vessels

Many books and web sites have been published about the tens of thousands of smaller vessels that the Navy used during World War II. I have found several of them and am sure there are many more that I’m not aware of.

Two fine examples are:

Ten Thousand Men and One Hundred Thirty “Mighty Midget” Ships–The U.S.S. LCS(L)s in World War II, by Raymond A. Baumler. This is about the Landing Ship Support (Large) vessels. This book was privately published and printed in 1991 by PIP Printing, Rockville MD.

At Close Quarters, PT Boats in the United States Navy, by Robert J. Bulkley, Jr. This book has extensive information about the history of each PT-Boat, many of the men who served on them, and their organizations. This book was first printed in 1962 for the Navy by the Government Printing Office, and has been reprinted by the Naval Institute Press.