Builders of Wooden Ships

As with the concrete shipbuilding program, the Maritime Commission only built wooden ships and barges reluctantly, at a point in the war when the steel shipbuilders were all at full capacity.

The first batch of contracts was for oceangoing dry bulk barges to carry coal.  This design, designated B3-F1, was 194 feet long, with a deadweight of 2,438 tons.  Eleven shipyards built 30 of these barges and 11 of a larger design, designated B5-G1, which was 274 feet long, with a deadweight of 4,455 tons.

Wooden tugs were built to go with the wooden barges.  The design, designated V3-S-AH2, was 157 feet long, with a 1,000-hp steam reciprocating engine: 14 of these were built by 3 shipbuilders and 8 of these were transferred to Britain, with names beginning with AT, for "American Tug".  Later, a second design was built, designated V2-M-AL1, was 66 feet long, with a 240-hp diesel engine: 35 of these were built by 7 shipbuilders and all but one were transferred to Britain as TUSAs, for "Tugs, USA".  The TUSAs were numbered 200 thru 234 but there is apparently no record of which tug was which TUSA.  If anyone has such a record, please send me a copy at tim@coltoncompany.com

Hull # Name USMC # USMC Type Delivery Disposition
Camden Shipbuilding Co., Camden ME
8 Pine Tree I 851 B3-F1 May-43  
9 Pine Tree II 852 B3-F1 Jun-43  
10 Pine Tree III 853 B3-F1 Jul-43  
11 Pine Tree IV 854 B3-F1 Aug-43  
12 Pine Tree V 855 B3-F1   Cancelled
Hodgson-Greene-Haldeman, Long Beach CA
11 Redwood I 1069 B3-F1 Jul-43  
12 Redwood II 1070 B3-F1 Jul-43  
13 Redwood III 1071 B3-F1 Aug-43  
14 Redwood IV 1072 B3-F1 Aug-43  
15 Redwood V 1073 B3-F1 Aug-43  
Casco Shipbuilding Co., Freeport ME
1 Red Oak I 1074 B3-F1 Aug-43  
2 Red Oak II 1075 B3-F1 Sep-43  
3 Red Oak III 1076 B3-F1 Oct-43  
4 Red Oak IV 1077 B3-F1   Cancelled
5 Red Oak V 1078 B3-F1 Dec-43  
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette WI
1 White Pine I 1079 B3-F1 Jul-43  
2 White Pine II 1080 B3-F1 Aug-43  
3 White Pine III 1081 B3-F1 Sep-43  
4 White Pine IV 1082 B3-F1 Oct-43  
5 White Pine V 1083 B3-F1 Nov-43  
Waterways Engineering Corp., Green Bay WI
1 Hemlock I 1084 B3-F1 Apr-44  
2 Hemlock II 1085 B3-F1 Apr-44  
3 Hemlock III 1086 B3-F1   Cancelled
Seabell Shipbuilding Co., Seattle WA
1 Douglas Fir I 1087 B3-F1 Sep-43  
2 Douglas Fir III 1088 B3-F1 Nov-43  
3 Douglas Fir III 1089 B3-F1 Dec-43  
4 Douglas Fir IV 1090 B3-F1 Feb-44  
5 Douglas Fir V 1091 B3-F1 Mar-44  
Richmond Shipbuilding Co., South Gardiner ME
1 White Ash I 1142 B3-F1 Sep-43  
2 White Ash II 1143 B3-F1 Dec-43  
3 White Ash III 1144 B3-F1 Feb-44  
Belfast Shipbuilding Co., Belfast ME
1 White Oak I 1218 B3-F1 Jul-43  
2 White Oak II 1219 B3-F1 Jul-43  
Anacortes Slipways Co., Anacortes WA
1 Western Larch I 1237 B5-G1 Nov-43  
2 Western Larch II 1238 B5-G1 Jan-44  
3 Western Larch III 1239 B5-G1 Mar-44  
4 Western Larch IV 1240 B5-G1   Cancelled
5 Western Larch V 1241 B5-G1   Cancelled
6 Western Larch VI 1242 B5-G1   Cancelled
Columbia River Packers Assn., Astoria OR
1 Oregon Pine I 1243 B5-G1 Jan-44  
2 Oregon Pine II 1244 B5-G1 May-44  
3 Oregon Pine III 1245 B5-G1 Oct-44