USS Ailanthus (AN-38/YN-57) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship which served with the U.S. Navy in the western Pacific Ocean theatre of operations during World War II.

She ran aground at Lash bay, Tanaga Island in the Aleutians 26 February 1944 and was declared a total loss.

The net tender completed fitting out and, during the second half of December, conducted shakedown training.

Reassigned that same day to Service Squadron 6, U.S. Pacific Fleet, she began to carry out net laying duties.

Having delivered a cargo of perforated steel plating (Marston Mat) to a Navy Seabee contingent building an airfield on the westernmost island of Attu, Ailanthus was caught in a violent winter storm, and on 26 February 1944, slipped her anchorage and was driven hard aground, suffering extensive damage.