Type B ship

The Type B ship is a United States Maritime Administration designation for World War II barges. Barges are very low cost to build, operate, and move, and can transport bulky cargo. Because barges lack engines for self-propulsion, they are usually moved by a tugboat, some classed as Type V ships. Once the barge is moved into position, the tugboat departs and can do another task. This means there is no immediate rush to load or unload the barge.
Toward the end of World War II, some ships that had not been completed in time for the war were converted into barges. US Navy water barges are given the hull classification symbols YWN or YW. Some barge classification symbols contain -N, indicating that the barge was not self-propelled. Due to the shortage of steel during World War II, concrete ship constructors were given contracts to build ferrocement barges for oil or gasoline, which were given the hull symbols YO, YOG, and YOGN; built in 1944 and 1945, some were named after chemical elements.

List

Types

Freight (Lighter) Barges (YF – YFN)

YF barges were self-propelled. YFN barges were not self-propelled. YFN worked near shore in harbors, rivers, and other protected waters, and could carry a load of 550 long tons. They had steel hulls, were 110 feet long, had a 32-foot beam and maximum draft of 8 feet. The Pacific Bridge Company built 27 YFN freight barges in 1943. Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company built FN-619 to FN-742 and YFN-998 to YFN-1016.

Refrigerated Freight Barges (YFR – YFRN)

YFR Barges were self-propelled. YFRN barges were not self-propelled. Olson & Winge of Seattle made 10 in 1943 for the war. The Defoe Shipbuilding Company of Bay City, Michigan, built three in 1945. Long Beach Naval Shipyard of Long Beach, California, built the YFRN-997 in 1945. A few barges were converted to refrigerated barges, also called reefer barges.

Repair Barges

are repair barges type TR, YR, YRB, YRBM, YRDH, YRDM, YRR, LBE built in 1944 for World War II. Repair Barges were self-sustaining, 530 tons and 153 feet long. They had a beam of 36 feet and a draft of 6 feet. Repair barges had a machine shop and living quarters. They repaired small boats and craft. The barge had generators, a distilling plant, an air compressor, and a steam boiler. The living space had berths and a mess hall to support a crew of 48 men.

Barracks Barge

The US Navy Barracks Barges, also called berthing barges, were each 1,300 tons and 261 feet long. They were used as a temporary barracks for sailors or other military personnel. A barracks ship also saw use as a receiving unit for sailors who needed temporary residence prior to being assigned to their ship. Barracks Barges are a type of auxiliary ship, called an APL.

APL-1 to APL-58 are non-self-propelled barracks ships built in 1944 and 1945. APL displaced 2,600 tons at full load. Dimensions are 261.2 feet long, 49.2 feet beam, draft 8.5 feet when fully loaded. WW2 armament was four 20 mm guns. Crew quarters could accommodate 71 officers and 583 men. Some are still in use, such as the USS Mercer.
APL-59 to APL-72 are post-WW2 barracks ships.
Landing Barge, Kitchen

was a landing craft used to support amphibious landings in northwestern Europe during and after the Normandy invasion of World War II. Its primary purpose was to provide hot meals to the crews of the many minor landing craft not fitted with galley facilities. Constructed of steel, this shallow-draft lighter had storage and serving space to feed 900 men for one week. The kitchen capacity was able to provide 1,600 hot meals and 800 cold meals a day. They were used by both the US and British on D-Day.

Landing Barge, Vehicle

Landing Barge, Vehicle was a barge with a ramp added to load and unload vehicles like jeeps and trucks during World War 2. A nine-foot, four-inch ramp was added to the stern for loading and unloading. LBV 2, Mark 2, had an engine that could propel the LBV at 4.5 knots. They were powered by two Chrysler RM gas engines and were used by both the US and British on D-Day. Built in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Each had a draft of about 4 feet when loaded.

Landing Barge, Oiler

Landing Barge, Oiler stored fuel oil or diesel fuel for landing craft. They had a 40-ton fuel tank, with two compartments and an engine that could propel them at 4.5 knots. They were used by both the US and British on D-Day.

Landing Barge, Water

Landing Barge, Water were barges with a 33-ton freshwater tank and an engine that could propel them at 4.5 knots. They were World War 2 landing support vessels. Used by both the US and British on D-Day. YWN are non-self propelled.

Landing Barge, Flak

Landing Barge, Flak were landing barges with a 40mm anti-aircraft gun, manned by a crew of five. They also had two 20-mm Hispano AA guns or two twin Lewis guns. The LBF were 60 to 90 feet long. They could transport 15 troops. Used by both the US and British on D-Day.

Deck Barge

Deck Barges offered a large flat platform, on which many types of gear could be moved. The only downside was the cargo had a slightly higher center of gravity. A number of shipyards built deck barges. Kyle and Company of Stockton, California, built US Army BC-522 to BC-535 deck barges in 1942, that had a length of 110 feet, a beam of 35 feet, a draft of 6 feet, light displacement of 170 tons, full displacement of 500 tons, and deadweight of 330 tons.

Concrete Barge

Concrete Barges were built by Concrete Ship Constructors in National City, California, in 1944 and 1945. These were a type of concrete ship built with ferrocement. Steel shortages led the US military to order the construction of small fleets of ocean-going concrete barge and ships. Typical displacement:, full load: 12,910 tons; length:, beam:, draft: ; crew: 52 officers and men. Ship armament one to four 40 mm AA gun.
Concrete ships were fitted as needed. Some had diesel-electric power generators for refrigeration or tool use, or equipment for water distilling. Others were used to store fuel or water, while others served as the Quartermaster general store.
Type MC B7-A2 were concrete tank barges made by Concrete Ship Constructors Inc in National City, CA.

YOG-85
YO-144
YOG-40
YOG-41
YOG-42 – Beached off a Hawaiian island, visible from the shore
YOG-64 – Service history unknown, now wrecked at the Staten Island boat graveyard, currently known as the Donjon Iron and Metal Scrap Facility
YO-145
YO-146 – Sank in accident, July 1957
YOG-53
YO-159 – Sunk by Japanese submarine RO-42 off New Hebrides, 14 January 1944
YO-160 – Atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll, 25 July 1946
YO-161 – Sank at Eniwetok, 29 November 1946
YO-162
YO-163
YO-182
YO-183
YOGN-82 – Sunk on June 23, 2018, to form an artificial reef in Powell River, B.C.
YO-184 – Sank at Eniwetok during typhoon in September 1946
YO-185 – Sank off Saipan, 16 March 1946
YOG-83 – Sank off Kwajalein, 16 September 1948
YO-186 – Sank at sea off Guam, 5 April 1948
YO-187 – Lost by grounding off Midway Island in 1957
YOG-84 – Lost during typhoon at sea off Saipan, 14 November 1948

Type B5-BJ1 were covered dry cargo barges mostly operated by the Army. They were 265 feet long with a deadweight of 1,632 tons.

Barium
Helium
Nitrogen
Radium
Argon
Cadmium
Chromium
Cobalt
Iridium
Lithium
Magnesium
Neon
Nickel
Phosphorus
Sodium
Sulphur
Tellurium
Tungsten
Uranium
Bismuth
Bromide
Hydrogen – with reefer storage
Calcium – with reefer storage
Antimony – with reefer storage
Cerium – maintenance barges
Radon – maintenance barges
YOGN 104 – built by Alabama Dry Dock Mobile AL Ex-C 105, disposed of 1947

1950s

Built by Trinity Industries in Nashville, TN
* YOGN-110
* YOGN-111
* YOGN-112
* YOGN-113
Built by Albina Engine & Machine in Portland, OR
* YOGN-114
* YOGN-115 – used to support cooling efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
* YOGN-116
* YOGN-117
* YOGN-118
* YOGN-119 – renamed YON 367, sunk as target 1973
* YOGN-120 – renamed Ex-BG 1165, sunk as target 1978
* YOGN-121
* YOGN-122 – Ex-BG 8452, scrapped 1986
* YOGN-123 – Ex-BG 6380, YON 252
* YOGN-124 – Ex-BG 6383, struck 2006
* YOGN-125 – Ex-YWN 154, now YON
Built by Manitowoc SB in Manitowoc, WI
* YOGN-196 – renamed Ex-YO 196, sunk as target 2000

Trefoil-class concrete barge – Type: B7-D1 were built by Barrett & Hilp in South San Francisco, California. They had a tonnage of M.C. deadweight: 5,687; full load: 10,970 tons; dimensions: length: 366'4", beam: 54', with max draft 26'.

B7-A1 were 5,786 deadweight tons concrete barges.

MacEvoy Shipbuilding Corporation of Savannah, Georgia, made seven B7-A1 concrete barges in 1944.
San Jacinto Shipbuilding Corporation of Houston, Texas, made four B7-A1 concrete barges in 1943.
Concrete ships

Steel Barges

Wood Barges

A number of different types of wood barges were used in the war. A flat bottom wood barge could be used in shallow ports or be towed onto beaches. They had low construction cost and could be abandoned after used if needed. To stop wooden hull rot, many had copper-sheathed hulls. With the shortage of steel, a fleet of wood barges and a fleet of concrete barges were also built.

Barge	Type	Builder	Notes
YS-110		Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, in 1943	Flat deck, 80' long, with a 40' beam
YS-88		Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, in 1941	100' long, with a 42' beam
YC-843 – YC-847		Martha's Vineyard Ship Building Company in Vineyard Haven, MA, in 1942	Built for the US Navy; 110' long, 250 tons
Millville	EFC # 2432, USSB Design #1067	American Lumber in Millville, FL
Shelbank	EFC #2127	Beaumont Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Beaumont, TX	Later completed as sailing ship Marie F. Cummins; scrapped in 1947.
Shelby	EFC #2128	Beaumont Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Beaumont, TX	Later completed as sailing ship Albert D. Cummins; now rests in mud in the Delaware River.
Catonsville	EFC #2141	Coastwise Shipbuilder in Baltimore, MD
Sherwood	EFC #2142	Coastwise Shipbuilder in Baltimore, MD
Carroll	EFC #2143	Coastwise Shipbuilder in Baltimore, MD
Whitehead	EFC #2481	Cobb & Company, F. in Rockland, ME
Druid Hill	EFC #2594	Crook, H. E. Baltimore MD
Ruxton	EFC #2595	Crook, H. E. Baltimore MD
Hallowell	EFC #2577	Crosby Navigation in Richmond, VA
Richmond	EFC #2578	Crosby Navigation in Richmond, VA