The Bolster class were a series of rescue and salvage ships designed and built for the United States Navy during World War II.

Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor, this allowed the navy to begin salvage operations through a contract with Merritt-Chapman & Scott on 11 December 1941.

This could include fire fighting, towing ships to repair facilities, or clearing harbors of vessels damaged or scuttled in combat.

Modeled closely on the Diver salvage-ship design, the Bolster class had a 5 ft (1.5 m) wider beam for increased stability and equipment.

[2] (Note:[3]) Crew size was about 120 men including the complement of divers, made complete with some unique features found on board.

Two fire monitors, capable of pumping out 4,000 US gallons (15,000 L; 3,300 imp gal) of water per minute onto a flaming deck, aided in rescue efforts.

Also on the fantail was the Almon Johnson Towing machine which held 2,100 feet (640 m) of 2-inch (51 mm) wire rope capable of a maximum pull of 50 tons.

Crewmembers also had access to onboard equipment to patch salvage vessels, but shipyards generally performed the larger and more complex repairs that superseded the crew’s ability.