ABOUT NET TENDERS
THERE WERE 87 OF THESE SHIPS BUILT DURING WORLD
WAR TWO, HOWEVER, 5 OF THE HIGHER NUMBERED WOODEN SHIPS WERE BUILT
FOR GREAT BRITAIN UNDER LEND LEASE AND ANOTHER 5 IN THIS SERIES WERE
CONVERTED TO OCEAN TUGS. THE REMAINING 77 SHIPS WERE DESIGNATED AS
AN's, (AUXILIARY NET TENDERS), AND NAMED AFTER TREES. AN6 THROUGH AN37,
(WHICH INCLUDES THE MULBERRY), WERE IN THE 'ALOE' CLASS, (ORIGINALLY YN-1
THROUGH YN-32, BEFORE JANUARY 1944). THEY WERE STEEL SHIPS.
THANKS TO GLENN PAULSON FOR THE ABOVE
INFORMATION TAKEN FROM A BOOK HE WROTE ENTITLED 'WORLD WAR TWO NET
TENDERS'. GLENN SERVED ONBOARD THE NET TENDER, USS ANAGUA (AN-40),
FOR 21 MONTHS DURING THAT WAR. YOU MAY CONTACT GLENN BY MAIL: 2308 SOUTH
18TH STREET, #D,
FARGO, ND, 58103
email: NXFZGLENN@aol.com
Now ....
ABOUT THE
MULBERRY
The USS Mulberry, (AN27),
originally classified as a "Boom" Net Tender, (YN-22)... was built by the American Shipbuilding
Company, Cleveland, Ohio. Her keel was laid 18 October 1940, and she was launched 26 April
1941, sponsored by Mrs. W. H. Gehauser.YN-22 was placed "in service" on 1 November
1941, and assigned net maintenance duties under the Tenth Naval District while based at the
Naval Net Depot, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
KEEPER'S NOTE:
I find it important to point
out that during the service under YN22, the ship's main activity
was operating around the shipping lanes between Haiti and Cuba. At that time the german
submarines were wreaking havoc, mostly with small fishing boats, etc.... using them as target
practice. So, YN22's operation mainly dealt with picking up survivors.
To give you an idea of what it was like ... I received the following email:
"My name is Ken Dunn. On March 7, 1942, my dad was 3rd Engineer on the SS Cardonia when she was shelled, torpedoed and sunk by the German U-Boat U-126 (Bauer). Dad survived the war but has since passed away. When the Cardonia was sunk, one lifeboat (with my dad in it), made land in Haiti, but the rest of the crew were rescued at sea by the USS Mulberry and taken to Guantanamo Bay on 8 March 1942. This is information that was passed on to me by my dad. Thanks Ken Dunn."
On 19 December 1942,
the ship was removed form "in service" status and redesignated as
USS Mulberry, (AN-27) and "commissioned" under the command of Lieutenant W. T. Holly,
USNR, receiving 40 men from the Naval Net Depot as complement. The Mulberry was named
after a tree of the 'Genus Morus', which bears a berry-like fruit, usually dark purple and pleasantly
acid.
MORE HISTORY
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