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. 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, ready reserve, inactive, or precommissioning . 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 :
The last of these 22 ships was scrapped in 2011.
Also at this time the Navy began the construction of 4 large net layers s and 3 minelayers s to a different basic design, but changing requirements resulted in all but one minelayer being redesignated as transports 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 s:
  • 58 Type B barracks barges: all APL
  • 83 Type C1 ships: 2 AE, 3 AG, 2 AGOR, 2 AGP, 3 AH, 61 AK, 2 AP, 4 APC, 1 ARG, 3 AVS
  • 59 Type C2 ships: 15 AE, 3 AF, 22 AK, 5 AKS, 13 AP, 1 AVS
  • 63 Type C3 ships: 12 AD, 29 AP, 5 AR, 11 AS, 6 AV
  • 42 Type C4 ships: 6 AH, 2 AK, 34 AP
  • 107 Type EC2 Liberty ships: 63 AK, 4 AKN, 17 AKS, 5 AR, 14 ARG, 2 ARV, 2 AVS
  • 2 Type ET1 Liberty ships: both AW
  • 26 Type R ships: all AF
  • 88 Type S3 ships (most LSTs): 14 AGP, 5 AKS, 7 APB, 1 APL, 13 ARB, 2 ARC, 39 ARL, 3 ARST, 2 ARVA, 2 ARVE
  • 76 T1 tankers: all AOG
  • 4 T2 tankers: 1 AG, 1 AOG, 2 AW
  • 79 Type V ships: all AT
  • 34 Type VC2 Victory ships: 3 AG, 29 AK, 2 AKS
  • 4 LSMs: all ARSD

Post World War II

During the Cold War over 100 United States Maritime Administration 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 : 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.

Crane ships (AB)

Colliers (AC)

Auxiliary crane ships (T-ACS)

unknown class: MA type C6-S-MA1qd
Gopher State-class: MA type C5-S-73b
unknown class: MA type C6-S-1aq
unknown class: MA type C6-S-MA60d
  • , later X-Band Transportable Radar Ship SS ''Pacific Tracker''

Auxiliary aircraft carriers (ACV)

The Auxiliary aircraft carriers were designated as Auxiliary aircraft escort vessels (AVG) until 20 August 1942 and then were redesignated Escort aircraft carriers 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

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
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 in August 1946.

Large auxiliary floating dry docks (AFDB)

Small auxiliary floating dry docks (AFDL)

  • USS Endeavor (AFDL-1)
  • USS AFDL-2
  • USS AFDL-3
  • USS AFDL-4
  • USS AFDL-5
  • USS Dynamic (AFDL-6)
  • USS Ability (AFDL-7)
  • USS AFDL-8
  • USS AFDL-9
  • USS AFDL-10
  • USS AFDL-11
  • USS AFDL-12
  • USS AFDL-13
  • USS AFDL-14
  • USS AFDL-15
  • USS AFDL-16
  • USS AFDL-17
  • USS AFDL-18
  • USS AFDL-19
  • USS AFDL-20
  • USS AFDL-21
  • USS AFDL-22
  • USS Adept (AFDL-23)
  • USS AFDL-24
  • USS Undaunted (AFDL-25)
  • USS AFDL-26
  • USS AFDL-27
  • USS AFDL-28
  • USS AFDL-29
  • USS AFDL-30
  • USS AFDL-31
  • USS AFDL-32
  • USS AFDL-33
  • USS AFDL-34
  • USS AFDL-35
  • USS AFDL-36
  • USS AFDL-37
  • USS AFDL-38
  • USS AFDL-39
  • USS AFDL-40
  • USS AFDL-41
  • USS AFDL-42
  • USS AFDL-43
  • USS AFDL-44
  • USS AFDL-45
  • USS AFDL-46
  • USS Reliance (AFDL-47)
  • USS Diligence (AFDL-48)

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:
and

Icebreakers (AGB)

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

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

Surveying ships (AGS)

YMS-135-subclass
Artemis-class: MC type S4–SE2–BE1
Auk-class
Bowditch-class: MA type VC2-S-AP3
Other classes
  • USS Seranno (AGS-24)
  • USNS Kellar (T-AGS-25)
Silas Bent-class
Other classes
Pathfinder-class

Coastal survey ships (AGSC)

Submarine and special warfare support vessel (T-AGSE)

Black Powder-class

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

Dry cargo ships (AK, T-AK)

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 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
Cape-T-class
Algol-class
Shughart-Class
Gordon-Class
Bob Hope-class
Watson-class
Other classes
  • , used to destroy Syrian chemical weapons in 2014

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
Commencement Bay class

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)

Gasoline tankers (AOG, T-AOG)

All AOG tankers were MarCom 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

Oil transporters (T-AOT)

Transports (AP, T-AP)

/ USNS General Daniel I. Sultan (T-AP-120)
/ USNS General Hugh J. Gaffey (T-AP-121), later IX-507
/ USNS General Alexander M. Patch (T-AP-122)
/ USNS General Simon B. Buckner (T-AP-123)
/ USNS General Edwin D. Patrick (T-AP-124)
/ USNS General Nelson M. Walker (T-AP-125)
/ USNS General Maurice Rose (T-AP-126)
/ USNS General William O. Darby (T-AP-127), later IX-510
*

Self-propelled barracks ships (APB)

Benewah-class

Other class

Coastal transports (APC)


Small coastal transports (APc)

APc-1-class small coastal transports:

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.

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 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
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
Fabius-class

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

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, 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 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)

[image:Graphic representation of a Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship.jpg|right|thumb|Graphic representation of a Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship]
Edenton-class
ATS-4 and ATS-5 skipped
Navajo-class

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
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

Advance aviation base ships (AVB, T-AVB)

Wright-class: MA type C5-S-78

Seaplane catapult, light (AVC)

Destroyer seaplane tenders (AVD)

Clemson class

Auxiliary aircraft escort vessels (AVG)

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

Guided missile ships (AVM)

Small seaplane tenders (AVP)

Lapwing-class
Clemson-class
Barnegat-class

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)

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.