Name USS Chestnut Sponsored by Mrs. W. E. Meagher Length 50 m Weight 863.6 tons Builder Commercial Iron Works | Laid down as YN-6, date unknown Launched 16 March 1941 Tonnage 598,700 kg Displacement 771,100 kg | |
Namesake A tree of the beech family Commissioned 24 June 1942 as USS Chestnut (AN-11) Decommissioned 7 September 1946 at Bremerton, Washington | ||
USS Chestnut (AN-11/YN-6) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U.S. Navy during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets.
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Built in Portland, Oregon
Chestnut (YN-6) was launched 15 March 1941 by Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Mrs. W. E. Meagher, and placed in service 25 July 1941, Lieutenant (junior grade) R. D. Abernathy, USNR, officer-in-charge.
World War II service
Attached to the 11th Naval District, Chestnut tended nets and gave other harbor services at San Diego, California, until 24 June 1942. On 25 May 1942 she was placed in full commission and Lieutenant A. Schlott, USNR, her officer-in-charge, became commanding officer.
Steaming by way of Hawaii and Samoa, Chestnut arrived at Efate, New Hebrides, 26 February 1943. She tended nets there and at Noumea until 5 December 1943, except for an overhaul at Dunedin, New Zealand. Chestnut arrived in the Solomon Islands 13 December and until 29 August 1944 had cargo, salvage and net repair duty in those islands. She was redesignated AN-11, 20 January 1944.
From 3 September to 10 October 1944 Chestnut dismantled and removed the net line in Havannah Harbor, Efate, and after repairs in Australia, returned to Noumea until 3 January 1945. Chestnut then moved to Ulithi for net and mooring operations. Except for brief duty at the seaplane base at Kossol Roads, Palau in April, she remained at Ulithi until 19 June when she departed for Guam, arriving two days later.
Post-war inactivation
She had duty there until 14 September when she cleared for the U.S. West Coast, arriving at San Pedro, California, 13 October. Chestnut was placed out of commission in reserve 7 September 1946 at Bremerton, Washington.