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List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy

This is a list of auxiliaries of the United States Navy. It covers the various types of ships that support the frontline combat vessels of the United States Navy.

Auxiliary ships which function as hospital ships and as oilers are to be found in their own articles: List of United States Navy hospital ships and List of United States Navy oilers. Escort carriers, amphibious warfare vessels, and some mine warfare vessels were also originally classed as auxiliaries but were later given their own hull classification symbols outside the auxiliary series (which all begin with an 'A'). Links to these and other list articles of similar ships can be found throughout this article.

Yard and district craft also function as auxiliaries but generally are smaller and less capable than their ocean-going counterparts, and so they generally remain in harbors and coastal areas. Their hull classification symbols begin with a 'Y'.

Ship status is indicated as either currently active [A], ready reserve [R], inactive [I], or precommissioning [P] (though United States Naval Ships - USNS - are not commissioned). Ships in the inactive category include only ships in the inactive reserve, ships which have been disposed from US service have no listed status. Ships in the precommissioning category include ships under construction or on order.

Listed ship classes will often state 'MA type' or 'MC type'. The difference is that 'MC Type' refers to ships designed by the United States Maritime Commission aka MarCom, while 'MA Type' refers to ships designed or converted under MarCom's successor agency, the United States Maritime Administration or MarAd. They are in fact the same designs, and the year 1950 is the date at which MarAd succeeded MarCom.

Historical overview

Prior to the creation of the auxiliary hull classification system, ships that performed such tasks had no symbol or code to identify them, only informal designations such as Fleet Collier No. 1.

World War I

During World War I the Navy created the Section patrol (SP) and identification number (ID) system to register civilian vessels for naval acquisition. The ID series can be considered a forerunner of the current auxiliary hull numbering system, and some ships with ID numbers were later given 'A' hull symbols.

Also during WWI a series of mass-produced ships were designed by the Emergency Fleet Corporation, but few were completed before the end of the war and even fewer became naval auxiliaries.

Pre-World War II

Until World War II the US auxiliary fleet was notable for being composed of non-standard ships which had been purchased ad-hoc. Very few were designed specifically for their intended role.

Interesting examples from the 1920's of rare early auxiliaries deliberately designed for their roles include the destroyer tenders USS Dobbin (AD-3) and USS Whitney (AD-4), the repair ship USS Medusa (AR-1), and the submarine tender USS Holland (AS-3): these 4 ships had the same length hulls and similar superstructures, so they were likely of the same basic design.

In the late 1930's the Navy began the construction of 22 large tenders and repair ships to a new basic design: all were nearly identical in hull form, power plant, and superstructure (but the seaplane tenders had a large hangar that the others lacked):

The last of these 22 ships (the submarine tender Sperry) was scrapped in 2011.

Also at this time the Navy began the construction of 4 large net layers (AN)s and 3 minelayers (CM)s to a different basic design, but changing requirements resulted in all but one minelayer being redesignated as transports (AP)s and then converted into Landing ships, vehicle (LSV)s.

World War II

During the naval build-up for World War II over 700 vessels of Maritime Commission (MarCom, later MarAd) standard designs were converted to US Navy auxiliaries, as were a few Landing Ships Medium (LSM)s:

Post World War II

During the Cold War over 100 United States Maritime Administration (MarAd) standard designs were converted to US Navy auxiliaries:

  • 8 Type C1 ships: 1 AF, 5 AGM, 2 AGS
  • 3 Type C2 ship: 2 AE, 1 AG
  • 4 Type C3 ships / CVEs: all AKV
  • 4 Type C4 ships: 1 AG, 3 AGM
  • 8 Type C5 ships: 3 ACS, 3 AK, 2 AVB
  • 7 Type C6 ships: all ACS
  • 7 Type C7 ships: 3 AK, 4 AKR
  • 20 Type EC2 Liberty ships: 1 AGM, 16 AGR, 3 AGTR
  • 2 Type R ships: both AF
  • 2 Type S3 ships (LSTs): 1 AG, 1 AVB
  • 17 Type S4 ships: 2 AGS, 13 AKV, 2 ARC
  • 3 T2 tankers: all AGM
  • 19 T3 tankers / CVEs: all AKV
  • 31 Type VC2 Victory ships: 11 AG, 4 AF, 8 AGM, 4 AGS, 2 AGTR, 2 AKV
  • 2 LSMs: 1 AG, 1 ARC

Modern auxiliaries have been designed to reduce operating costs by introducing scales of economies with larger ships and by reducing manning requirements (a trend begun in 1949 with the introduction of manning non-commissioned ships with civilian crews under the Military Sealift Command and its predecessors - such ships carry the 'T-' prefix on their hull symbols and the USNS prefix rather than USS; ships with MV or SS prefixes are under long-term charter with the Navy rather than under Navy ownership).

Crane ships (AB)

Colliers (AC)

Auxiliary minelayers (ACM)

Auxiliary crane ships (T-ACS)

unknown class: MA type C6-S-MA1qd

  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [I]

Gopher State-class: MA type C5-S-73b

  • [R]
  • [I]
  • [R]

unknown class: MA type C6-S-1aq

  • [I]

unknown class: MA type C6-S-MA60d

  • [I]
  • , later X-Band Transportable Radar Ship (XTR-1) SS Pacific Tracker

Auxiliary aircraft carriers (ACV)

The Auxiliary aircraft carriers (ACV) were designated as Auxiliary aircraft escort vessels (AVG) until 20 August 1942 and then were redesignated Escort aircraft carriers (CVE) on 15 July 1943.

Destroyer tenders (AD)

Dobbin-class

Unknown classes

Altair-class

Dixie-class

Cascade-class

Hamul-class: MC type C3

Klondike-class: MC type C3

Shenandoah-class: MC type C3

New England-class

Alcor-class

Samuel Gompers-class

Yellowstone-class

Degaussing ships (ADG)

Ammunition ships (AE)

Ammunition ships have been replaced by the more capable Advanced auxiliary dry cargo ships (T-AKE).

Lassen-class: MC types C2, C2-T, C2-N

Unknown class: MC type C1-A

Mount Hood-class: MC type C2-S-AJ1

Fomalhaut-class: MC type C1-A

Suribachi-class

The Suribachi class were the first ammunition ships specifically designed for underway replenishment.

Nitro-class

Andromeda-class: MA type C2-S-B1

Kilauea-class

Auxiliary floating drydock

Large auxiliary repair docks (ABSD)

Reclassified as Large Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFDB) in August 1946.

Large auxiliary floating dry docks (AFDB)

Small auxiliary floating dry docks (AFDL)

Medium auxiliary floating dry docks (AFDM)

All AFDMs were classified as YFDs until 1945.

Auxiliary repair docks (ARD)

Medium auxiliary repair docks (ARDM)

Yard floating drydocks (YFD)

All YFDs were reclassified as AFDMs in 1945.

Provisions store ships (AF, T-AF)

Hyades-class: MC type C2-S-E1

Adria-class: MC type R1-M-AV3

Alstede-class: MC type R2-S-BV1 or C2-S-B1

Unknown class: MC type C2-S-B1

Grommet Reefer-class: MA type C1-M-AV1

Denebola-class: MA type VC2-S-AP2

Rigel-class: MA type R3-S-4A

Combat stores ships (AFS, T-AFS)

Combat stores ships have been replaced by the more capable Advanced auxiliary dry cargo ships (T-AKE).

Mars-class

Sirius-class

Miscellaneous ships (AG, T-AG)

For similar lists of 'miscellaneous' ships see:

List of unclassified miscellaneous vessels of the United States Navy (IX)

and

'

Icebreakers (AGB)

Amphibious force command ships (AGC)

Deep submergence support ship (T-AGDS)

Hydrofoil research ship (AGEH)

Environmental research ships (AGER)

Signals intelligence collection vessels.

Banner-class

Command ships (AGF)

Missile range instrumentation ships (T-AGM)

Major communications relay ships (AGMR)

Oceanographic research ships (T-AGOR)

Robert D. Conrad-class

Eltanin-class: MC type C1-ME2-13a

Melville-class

Hayes-class

Diver-class

Gyre-class

Thomas G. Thompson-class

Kilo Moana-class

Neil Armstrong-class

  • [A]
  • [A]

Ocean surveillance ships (T-AGOS)

Underwater acoustics collection vessels.

Stalwart-class

Victorious-class

Impeccable-class

Motor torpedo boat tenders (AGP)

Radar picket ships (AGR)

Guardian-class: MC type Z-EC2-S-C5

All Guardian-class ships were originally classed as YAGR but were then reclassed as AGR in 1958.

Surveying ships (AGS)

YMS-135-subclass

Artemis-class: MC type S4–SE2–BE1

Auk-class

Bowditch-class: MA type VC2-S-AP3

Other classes

Silas Bent-class

Other classes

Pathfinder-class

Coastal survey ships (AGSC)

Submarine and special warfare support vessel (T-AGSE)

Black Powder-class

  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]

Auxiliary submarines (AGSS)

Albacore class

  • , museum ship

Dolphin class

  • , museum ship

Technical research ships (AGTR)

Signals intelligence collection vessels.

Oxford-class: MA type Z–EC2–S–C5

Belmont-class: MA type VC2-S-AP3

Hospital ships (AH)

Dry cargo ships (AK, T-AK)

Attack cargo ships (AKA)

Cargo ship dock (T-AKD)

The Point Barrow was similar in design to the amphibious warfare Landing Ships Dock (LSD)s, but with a hull strengthened for sailing in Arctic ice.

Advanced auxiliary dry cargo ships (T-AKE)

Advanced Auxiliary Dry Cargo Ships (T-AKE) are designed to deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products via underway replenishment; they effectively combine the missions of Ammunition Ships (AE) and Combat Stores Ships (AFS, T-AFS) along with a limited refueling capability.

Lewis and Clark-class

Small cargo ships (AKL)

Net cargo ships (AKN)

Indus class: MC type EC2-S-C1

Other classes

Vehicle cargo ships (T-AKR)

Cape-I-class: MA Type C7-S-95

  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]

Cape-T-class

  • [R]
  • [R]

Algol-class

Shughart-Class

Gordon-Class

Bob Hope-class

Watson-class

Other classes

  • [R]
  • [I]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [I]
  • [I]
  • [I]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [A]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R], used to destroy Syrian chemical weapons in 2014
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]
  • [R]

General stores issue ships (AKS)

Castor and Unknown classes: all MC type C2

Acubens-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

LST-542 class

Belle Isle-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

LST-542 class

Antares-class: MA type VC2-S-AP3

Technical stores issue ships (AKST)

Appeared in a Ship Characteristics Board project list under projects SCB 81 and SCB 108, not assigned to any ship.

Aircraft transports (AKV, T-AKV)

LT. James E. Robinson class: MA type VC2-S-AP1

Other classes

MA type T3
MA type S4-S2-BB3

Commencement Bay class

MA types C3-S-A1 and C3-S-A2

Auxiliary minesweepers

Minesweepers (AM)

Auxiliary Base Minesweepers (AMb)

Coastal Minesweepers (AMc)

Coastal Minesweepers (Underwater Locator) (AMCU)

Ocean Minesweepers (AMS)

Net laying ships (AN)

All of the following ships were originally classed as Yard Net Tenders, see for the original hull numbers.

Aloe-class

Ailanthus-class

Cohoes-class

Net layer (ANL)

Fleet oilers (AO, T-AO)

Fast combat support ships (AOE, T-AOE)

Gasoline tankers (AOG, T-AOG)

All AOG tankers were MarCom (MC) T1 tankers, with the exception of these former commercial ships: the Halawa-class, AOG-13, AOG-14, AOG-16 and AOG-47.

Patapsco-class: MC type T1-MT-M1

Halawa-class

Mettawee-class: MC type T1-M-A2

Klickitat-class: MC type T1-M-BT1

Other / unknown classes

Light replenishment oilers (T-AOL)

Replenishment oilers (AOR)

Oiler submarines (AOSS)

Oil transporters (T-AOT)

Transports (AP, T-AP)

Attack transports (APA)

Self-propelled barracks ships (APB)

Benewah-class

All ships of this class were based on LST hulls, but less than half were converted from actual LSTs.

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Other class

Coastal transports (APC)

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Small coastal transports (APc)

APc-1-class small coastal transports:

High-speed transports (APD)

Evacuation transports (APH)

Barracks craft (APL)

APL-2-class

APL-17-class

APL-41-class

APL-53 class

Other classes

APL-61-class

APL-65 class

APL-67-class

Mechanized artillery transports (APM)

APM was the original hull designation of what became the Landing Ship, Dock (LSD).

Convoy rescue craft (APR)

APR was the original hull symbol intended for the patrol craft escorts that were converted to rescue crews from ships attacked in convoys, but they were instead redesignated as PCERs.

Transport submarines (APS, APSS)

Transport and aircraft ferries (APV)

Repair ships (AR)

Vulcan-class

Delta-class: MC type C3

Altair-class

Amphion-class

Xanthus-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

Klondike-class: MC type C3

Shenandoah-class: MA type C3

Battle damage repair ships (ARB)

Base repair ship (ARb)

Cable repair ships (ARC)

Aeolus-class: MA type S4–SE2–BE1

Neptune-class: MA type S3-S2-BP1

Zeus-class

Two other Navy vessels performed cable support operations without the ARC hull classification: USS Nashawena (AG-142 / YAG-35) and Kailua (IX-71).

Internal combustion engine repair ships (ARG)

Aroostook-class

Luzon-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

Basilan-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

Other ships

Heavy-hull repair ship (ARH)

Landing craft repair ships (ARL)

Achelous-class

Rescue and salvage ships (ARS)

Lapwing-class

Diver-class

Unknown class

  • USS Assistance (ARS-10), not commissioned

Anchor-class

Rescuer-class

Ex-commercial vessels

Weight-class

Tackle-class

Bolster-class

Safeguard-class

Salvage lifting vessels (ARSD)

Salvage craft tenders (ARST)

Aircraft repair ships (ARV, ARV(E), ARV(A))

Chourre-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

Aventinus-class

  • USS Aventinus (ARV(E)-3), ex-LST-1092
  • USS Chloris (ARV(E)-4), ex-LST-1094

Fabius-class

  • USS Fabius (ARV(A)-5), ex-LST-1093
  • USS Megara (ARV(A)-6), ex-LST-1095

Helicopter aircraft repair ships (ARVH)

Submarine tenders (AS)

Ships which have functioned as submarine tenders without the AS designation include the four Arkansas-class monitors.

Fulton-class

Griffin-class: MC type C3

Ex-commercial ships

Aegir-class: MC type C3-S-A2

Uncertain class

Hunley-class

Simon Lake-class

L. Y. Spear-class

Emory S. Land-class

Submarine rescue vessels (ASR)

Lapwing-class

Chanticleer-class

Penguin-class

Pigeon-class

The Pigeon-class was designed to operate deep submergence rescue vehicles (DSRV).

Cargo transport submarines (ASSA)

Fleet tugs (AT)

Sonoma-class

Arapaho-class

Bagaduce-class

Cherokee-class

Abnaki-class

Sotoyomo-class

Lapwing-class

Auxiliary ocean tugs (ATA, T-ATA)

The first ten boats of the Sotoyomo-class were originally classed as Fleet Tugs (AT), as were ATA-146, ATA-166, and ATA-167.

Sotoyomo-class

ATA-214-class

Other classes

Fleet ocean tugs (ATF, T-ATF)

All tugs of the Cherokee and Abnaki classes were reclassed from Fleet Tugs (AT) on 15 May 1944.

Cherokee-class

Abnaki-class

Powhatan-class

Fleet tugs, old (ATO)

The Fleet Tug Old classification was created on 15 May 1944, several Fleet Tugs received this classification at this time without a change of hull number.

Sonoma-class

Bagaduce-class

Lapwing-class

Rescue tugs (ATR)

ATR-1 class

Sotoyomo-class

Salvage and rescue ships (ATS)

Edenton-class

ATS-4 and ATS-5 skipped

Navajo-class

  • USNS Navajo (T-ATS-6) [P]
  • USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS-7) [P]
  • USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS-8) [P]
  • USNS Lenni Lenape (T-ATS-7) [P]
  • USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS-10) [P]
  • USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS-11) [P]
  • USNS Solomon Atkinson (T-ATS-12) [P]
  • USNS James D. Fairbanks (T-ATS-13) [P]
  • USNS Narragansett (T-ATS-14) [P]
  • (T-ATS-15) [P]

Seaplane tenders (AV)

Ships which have functioned as seaplane tenders without the AV designation include the USS Mississippi (BB-23) in 1914, the USS Ajax (AG-15) in 1924-1925, and the USS Christiana (IX-80 / YAG-32) in WW2.

Wright-class

Jason-class

Langley-class

  • USS Langley (AV-3), ex-AC-3, CV-1, scuttled Java Sea 27 February 1942 after air attack, 16 killed outright, possibly hundreds killed after rescue ship sunk

Curtiss-class

Patoka-class

Currituck class

Tangier-class: MC type C3

Pocomoke-class: MC type C3

Chandeleur-class: MC type C3

Kenneth Whiting-class: MC type C3

Ashland-class

unknown class

  • (AV-22), conversion from unassigned ship canceled
  • (AV-23), conversion from unassigned ship canceled

Advance aviation base ships (AVB, T-AVB)

Wright-class: MA type C5-S-78

Seaplane catapult, light (AVC)

  • AVC-1

Destroyer seaplane tenders (AVD)

Clemson class

These ships were formerly Destroyers (DD), some of which had been converted to Small seaplane tenders (AVP) and then reclassified as AVD. Seven would later be converted to High-speed transports (APD).
  • , former AVP-14
  • , former AVP-15, later APD-27
  • , former AVP-16, later APD-33
  • , former AVP-17, later APD-31
  • , former AVP-18, later APD-32
  • , former AVP-19
  • , former AVP-20
  • , former DD-251, later APD-34
  • , former DD-255, later APD-35
  • , former DD-267
  • , former DD-270
  • , former DD-260
  • USS Greene (AVD-13), former DD-266, later APD-36
  • , former DD-237

Auxiliary aircraft escort vessels (AVG)

The Auxiliary aircraft escort vessels (AVG) were redesignated Auxiliary aircraft carriers (ACV) on 20 August 1942 and then Escort aircraft carriers (CVE) on 15 July 1943.

Guided missile ships (AVM)

Small seaplane tenders (AVP)

Lapwing-class

Clemson-class

The Clemson-class of Small seaplane tenders (AVP) were reclassified as Destroyer seaplane tenders (AVD) in 1940; they were originally Destroyers (DD).
  • USS Childs (AVP-14), former DD-241, later AVD-1
  • USS Williamson (AVP-15), former DD-244, later AVD-2
  • USS George E. Badger (AVP-16), former DD-196, CG-16 (USCG), later AVD-3
  • USS Clemson (AVP-17), former DD-186, later AVD-4
  • USS Goldsborough (AVP-18), former DD-188, later AVD-5
  • USS Hulbert (AVP-19), former DD-342, later AVD-6
  • USS William B. Preston (AVP-20), former DD-344, later AVD-7

Barnegat-class

The Barnegat class ships were the first purpose-built AVPs.

Aviation stores issue ships (AVS)

Grumium-class: MC type EC2-S-C1

Gwinnett-class: MC type C1-M-AV1

Other

Aircraft transports (AVT)

All of these aircraft carriers received this classification while in reserve in 1959, 1960, and 1961, and none ever operated as Aircraft Transports after receiving it.

Auxiliary aircraft landing training ships (AVT)

Distilling ships (AW)

Stag-class: MC type Z-ET1-S-C3

Pasig-class: MC type T2-SE-A2

Lighter-than-air aircraft tender (AZ)

Miscellaneous classifications (IX)

Yard and district craft (Y)

Pre-1920 craft

Screw tugs

World War I (ID) series

Civilian cargo ships, tankers, transports, etc., were registered during World War I for potential use and given "ID" identification numbers in the "ID/SP" numbering series.

See also

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links

Museum ships