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 and later that same year, on July 31, the Transportation Corps was established.^[1][2]

Coast Artillery Corps Mine Planter Service edit

The Army Mine Planter Service was responsible for the minefields of the Coast Artillery Corps' 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 they mostly served as freight and passenger boats for river and harbor duty with the Harbor Boat Service.^[3] 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.^[4]

Mine ships edit

One example is:

• Wallace F. Randolph (MP-7)^[5] (ex FS-70)

Signal Corps edit

Cable ships edit

One example is:

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

Communication ships edit

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.^[6]

Surviving examples include:

• PCER-848^[7][8]
• PS Weeroona (1910) (S-195, CSQ-1)^[9]

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)

Transportation Corps - Water Division edit

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

Operated in the Southwest Pacific Area.^[10]

Small Ships Section edit

As there was a need for a fleet of shallow-draft vessels that could navigate among coral reefs, use primitive landing places far up the coast of New Guinea, and land 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.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]}

Water Branch - Army Transport Service (ATS) edit

The Army Transport Service (ATS), originating with the Quartermaster Corps in 1898 and continuing into Transportation Corps as a division, operated the Army's large ships, most of which were transports, but ATS also manned the Army's large cable ships.

Troop ships

Troop ships included the following.^[19][20][21]

Surviving examples include:

• USAT Agwileon
• USAT George Washington
• USAT Orizaba

Sunk

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

Cargo ships over 1,000 tons

Cargo ships moved freight around the world.^[22][23]

Harbor Branch - Harbor Boat Service (HBS) edit

FM 55-130 Small Boats and Harbor Craft^[24]

Harbor Vessels

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 and inter-island cargo ships, sometimes known as 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.^{[25][26][27][28]}

• Ferry
• Tanker
• Water Boat
• Motor Launch
• Seagoing Tug
• Freight-Passenger Vessel

FS-80 to FS-90 were merchant vessels refitted for wartime operation^[29]

Built during World War II:

• F-76^[30][31]
• FS-64^[32][33]
• FS-206^[34][35]
• FS-240^[36]
• FS-244^[37][38]
• FS-246^[39][40]
• FS-263
• FS-344
• FS-391
• T-57^[41]
• T-89^[42]
• T-147^[43]
• TP-225^[44][45]

Surviving examples include:

• LT-5 the only surviving Army vessel that participated in the D-Day Normandy landing.
• LT-152^[46]
• LT-638^[47]

Air Corps - Quartermaster Corps (QMC) boat service edit

Late in 1943 all rescue-boat activities were reassigned to the Army Air Forces.

Unit Designation Chronology

1. Air Corps Marine Rescue Service
2. Quartermaster Boat Company, Avn. (note; Avn=Aviation)
3. AAF Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron (ERBS)

Rescue Boats edit

Rescue boats included the following.^[48][49]

Corps of Engineers edit

Rivers & Harbors Division edit

Reorganized 6 June 1942 as Construction Division - Engineering and Operations branches.^[50]

Surviving examples include:

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

Troops Division edit

The 1943 Engineer Field Manual described a table of organization and equipment for specialized types of engineering units.^[51] These included:^[52]

• Engineer Units, Combat, with Army Ground Forces
• Engineer Units, Service, with Army Ground Forces
• Engineer Units with Army Air Forces
• Engineer Units with Army Service Forces
• Port Repair Ship
• Port Construction and Repair group
• Engineer Amphibian Brigades

Port & Harbor Rehabilitation

The engineer 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.^{[53][54][55][56][57][58]}

Surviving examples include:

• Junior N. Van Noy, only one of the ten Port Repair Ships that was not a Maritime Commission type N3-M-A1 type conversion.

Near-short units

The Engineer Amphibian Brigade, redesignated in 1943 as Engineer Special Brigade provided 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

River crossing units

Treadway bridge company

A Treadway bridge company is attached to an armored division in river-crossing operations to provide a bridge for heavy vehicles.^[60] Equipment included a steel-treadway bridge M1, providing a floating bridge about 1,080 feet long, or a steel-treadway bridge M2, providing a floating bridge about 864 feet long.

Light ponton company

The company is attached to a division in river-crossing operations to provide bridges and rafts. Equipment included two units of M3 pneumatic bridge equipage or two units of M1938 10-ton ponton bridge equipment.

Their stream-crossing equipment included:

One unit of footbridge, M1938

Four ferry set, No. 1, Infantry Support

Twelve raft, set No. 1, Infantry Support

Seventy assault boats, M2

Heavy ponton battalion

The Heavy ponton battalion was attached to a corps in river-crossing operations to provide bridges and rafts capable of supporting heavier loads. Bridges and rafts are constructed of four units of 25-ton heavy ponton equipment, 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

Vessels operated by the Maritime Commission included Liberty and Victory Ships.

Liberty ship edit

Surviving examples include:

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

Victory ship edit

Surviving examples include:

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

Amphibious warfare type edit

Amphibious warfare vessels include all ships with 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. ^{[61][62][63][64]}

Ships edit

• AGC: Amphibious Force Flagship

• class anewed^{[clarification needed]} (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 or LCI(L): Landing Craft, Infantry (Large)

• class anewed^{[clarification needed]} (1949) too, LSI—Landing Ship, Infantry
• LCI(G)(M)(R)—Landing Craft, Infantry (Gunboat) (Mortar) (Rocket)

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

• class anewed^{[clarification needed]} (1949) too, LSSL—Landing Ship, Support (Large)

• LCT: Landing Craft, Tank

• class anewed^{[clarification needed]} (1949) too, LSU—Landing Ship, Utility
• class anewed^{[clarification needed]} (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 edit

Aircraft Carriers

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

Minesweepers

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

Gasoline 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

Aviation's 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

• Hull classification symbol
• List of hull classifications
• War Shipping Administration
• United States Maritime Commission
• Services of Supply
• World War II United States Merchant Navy
• South West Pacific Area (command)

• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
• SHIPS of the UNITED STATES ARMY
• Naval Vessel Register -NAVY SHIP CLASSIFICATIONS
• U.S. Navy Abbreviations of World War II
• Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945
• HISTORIC SHIPS TO VISIT - LISTED BY TYPE OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE
• NavSource Naval History
• Summary of Vessels Built in WWII, by Type
• Comparison of U.S. Army and U.S. Navy Vessels in World War II
• Army Ships—The Ghost Fleet
• History of US Army T Boats
• Hero Ships: LST
• Engineer Assault Boats in Canadian Service
• Amphibious Forces
• Air Sea Rescue Boats

This article incorporates text from one or more United States military publications now in the public domain.