Wooden boats of World War II
Under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program and War Shipping Administration contracts went out to over fifty boatyards across the country.
William Denman, President of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, supported the building of wooden ships for the war while General Goethals disapproved.
[4][5][6] Submarine chasers (hull designation "SC") were built to combat the threat U-boats put on merchant convoys as they departed American ports to support the Allies.
Theodore R. Treadwell wrote a book called Splinter Fleet: The Wooden Subchasers of World War II in 2000 outlining the work of the 40,000 men that served on Submarine chaser in the open seas.
By the end of World War II, America had produced 300,000 planes, creating a need to have crash rescue boats, also called Recovery Craft, stationed around the globe.
Many had the Hull classification designation Air Rescue Boats or ARB or AVR or P or C or R. The 104-foot had a cold-weather option, that added a heating system, ice protection on the hull, insulation for working around Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands.
[30][31] Minesweepers removed or detonate naval mines blocking ports and shipping lanes.
These ships were assigned to the Pacific War where they transported supplies, personnel and munitions around the Island hopping campaign.
Most were the wooden hull Accentor minesweeper modified to carry 60 troops and their gear to a combat zones.
[38][39][40] The specifications for modified coastal minesweepers redesign, where given by the District Craft Development Board on April 20, 1942, The redesign gave three planned uses for new APc transport ships:[39][41][42] Net laying boats of World War II built with wooden hulls were the Ailanthus-class net laying ships.
[47] With the building of many new ships, Auxiliary floating drydocks and barges for the war, there was a demand for more tugboats.
[48][49] For World War II the US Army had tugboats built to move cargo barges in harbors.
Landing small woodcraft in the surf was a skill the Coast Guard had and was called on to help with.
For dangerous work Chris-Craft built 36-foot wooded Radio Controlled Patrol boats.
Needless to say, duty in the war zones will be hazardous.” Over 600 men volunteered to work on the boats and join the Navy.
Due to their small size, the US Navy often carried them on larger ships to work in remote ports.
[68][69][70] During the war, there were tugboats with fire-fighting gear, dedicated fireboats and some minesweepers that had firefight capability added to the boat.
Example: The Atlantic III was a wood hull fireboat built in 1943 in Brownsville, Texas, after the war served in Wilmington, North Carolina.
[81] A motor launch has an open deck and often is used to ferry passengers from large ships to shore or other boats.
Key design of the landing craft is a flat bottom, shallow draft, and protection for the propeller so it does not hit the sea floor.
[91][92] The Higgins Boat or also called the LCVP for landing craft, vehicle, personnel could take 36 troops to shore.
The Higgins boat was used to place a jeep with 12 troops or up to 8,000 pounds of cargo on the beach.
The LCP(R) was used in beach landing on North Africa, Guadalcanal, Salerno, and Tarawa.
[96] Landing Craft, Personnel (Large) or LCP (L) were used to bring troops from ship to beaches, like the LCVP, but without a ramp.
The 100 gallons of gasoline fuel was stored in two fire-resistant covered tanks, called "Linatex.
The United States Army Rangers used and like the craft also as it had low silhouette, a shallow draft, little bow wave, quiet engines, a sturdy hull, and a good load capacity with on ramp.
Crew of four: coxswain, two seamen (sternsheetsman and bowman-gunner) and mechanic-stoker) with one officer per group of three boats.
DIHT, a heat-treated steel plate, was added over the hardwood planking to give some armor.
For armor DIHT plating was added to the deck, sides, gun positions, generator house, and forward bulkhead.
[111] There were many types of small wooden boats used during World War II, due to the size, these were normally made of wood, but some would not be included in the title of the Splinter fleet.
