Anet laying ship, also known as anet layer,net tender,gate ship orboom defence vessel was a type of navalauxiliary ship.
A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steelanti-submarine nets oranti torpedo nets. Nets could be laid around an individualship at anchor, orharbor entrances ordry docks, or otheranchorages. Net laying was potentially dangerous work, and net laying seamen were experts at dealing with blocks, tackles, knots and splicing. AsWorld War II progressed, net layers were pressed into a variety of additional roles includingsalvage, troop and cargo transport,buoy maintenance, and service astugboats.[1]
War Plan Orange, the pre-World War II US plan for war with Japan, anticipated thatPearl Harbor would be too small for the US Navy fleet that would be amassed in Hawaii. Orange anticipated the construction of a large anchorage inLahaina Roads between the islands ofMaui,Lānaʻi, andMolokaʻi. Construction would consist of massive nets and minefields to protect the anchored ships.[2]
Ultimately four large netlayers would be laid down just before and after theattack on Pearl Harbor:USS Monitor,USS Montauk,USS Osage, andUSS Saugus.[A 1] It turned out that these ships were not needed. First, dredging significantly enlarged the anchorages in Pearl Harbor. Second, the mobility ofaircraft carrier warfare made the large Lahaina Roads anchorage concept obsolete, though smaller nets would still be needed for the entrance channels at advanced bases such as theNaval Base Majuro andNaval Base Ulithi. Third, new technology resulted in lightweight nets that could be handled by smaller vessels. The four large netlayers would be converted to carry and launch amphibious vehicles under the hull classificationlanding ship, vehicle (LSV).[3]
| General characteristics of US NavyAloe-class net laying ship | |
|---|---|
| Displacement: | 560 long tons (570 t), 700 long tons (710 t) laden |
| Length: | 151 ft 8 in (46.23 m) |
| Beam: | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Draft: | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
| Speed: | 14knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Propulsion: | Diesel, singlescrew |
| Complement: | 40 |
| Armament: | 1 ×3 in (76 mm)/50-caliber dual-purpose gun, 3 ×20 mm (0.79 in) mounts |
The 77 small auxiliary net layers were built in three classes. The first 32, theAloe class, were all launched in 1940 (before the attack on Pearl Harbor) and were built of steel. Due to the chronic shortage of steel during the war, the next 40, theAilanthus class, were built of wood. The last 15, theCohoes class, laid down in 1944 and 1945, were again constructed of steel.[4] These vessels served in all theatres of war but particularly in thePacific. Many of the ships were decommissioned after the war, but some continued in service for several more decades. Net layers were eventually made redundant by advances in underwater detection technology.[5]
There were also at least 43 craft that were classed asnet gate craft; many were simply poweredbarges.[2]
To transport nets and to otherwise support the net layers, by 1943 specially built cargo ships, designatednet cargo ships (AKN), were built. The first of this class wasUSS Indus.Indus worked inNaval Base Philippines.[6][7] Finally in 1946, USSMontauk was converted back from an LSV to net cargo duties as USSGalilea.
TheUnited Kingdom andBritish Commonwealth referred to net laying ship as boom defence vessels.[8][9]
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