Aloe Class Net Laying Ships: USS Boxwood

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 28. Chapters: USS Aloe (AN-6), USS Ash (AN-7), USS Boxwood (AN-8), USS Buckeye (AN-13), USS Buckthorn (AN-14), USS Butternut (YAG-60), USS Catalpa (AN-10), USS Chestnut (AN-11), USS Chinquapin (AN-17), USS Cinchona (AN-12), USS Ebony (AN-15), USS Elder (AN-20), USS Eucalyptus (AN-16), USS Gum Tree (AN-18), USS Hackberry (AN-25), USS Hazel (AN-29), USS Holly (AN-19), USS Larch (AN-21), USS Locust (AN-22), USS Mahogany (AN-23), USS Mango (AN-24), USS Mimosa (AN-26), USS Mulberry (AN-27), USS Nutmeg (AN-33), USS Palm (AN-28), USS Pepperwood (AN-36), USS Redwood (AN-30), USS Rosewood (AN-31), USS Sandalwood (AN-32), USS Teaberry (AN-34), USS Teak (AN-35), USS Yew (AN-37). Excerpt: USS Boxwood (YN-3/AN-8) was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets. Boxwood (YN-3)-originally named Birch but renamed before her construction began-was laid down on 19 November 1940 at Houghton, Washington, by the Lake Washington Shipyard; launched on 8 March 1941; and placed in service on 25 July 1941 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, Lt. Robert W. Nordstrom, USNR, in charge. Assigned to duty with the Inshore Patrol, 13th Naval District, the net tender reported to the section headquarters at Seattle, Washington, on 6 August and commenced operating between that port, Port Townsend, and Port Angeles, performing various towing tasks within the district. On typical chore was her towing of targets for the gunboat USS Charleston during September and October 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 prompted a flurry of defensive activity along the U.S. West Coast. The plans for the net defense of the Puget Sound area having been worked out in advance, Boxwood joined Butternut and Eucalyptus in installing the Rich Pass antisubmarine net line in Puget Sound, commencing the work soon after 7 December and bringing it to completion on 27 January 1942. Over the ensuing weeks, Boxwood remained on station in the Rich Pass area, maintaining the net line and occasionally conducting local patrol work. On 16 February, Boxwood sailed for Indian Island, Washington, and was soon busily engaged in work at the Net Depot there, installing an antisubmarine net line at Port Townsend, a combination antisubmarine and anti-torpedo net line at Marrowstone Spit, and a fine mesh net line across the Portage Canal. She completed the installation of approximately a mile and a half of netting on 11 July and remained in the Puget Sound area tending nets for the remainder of 1942. Placed in full commission on 2 January 1943, Boxwood resumed her tending tasks a