SS Edward Richardson on 4 February 1944.
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.
Class: YAG 45 (YAG 45)
Design: MC EC2-S-C1
Displacement (tons): 3,900 light, 13,710 full
Dimensions (feet): 442' oa, 416' pp x 57' e/wl x 28' max nav
Armament: none
Accommodations (original): 38
Speed (kts., original): 11
Propulsion (HP, original): 2,500
Machinery (original): Steam triple expansion reciprocating, 2 boilers (220psi/450deg), 1 screw
Construction:
| YAG | Name | Acq | Builder | Keel | Launch | Svc |
| 45 | YAG 45 (ex JOHN MARSHALL) | -- | Alabama DD & SB | 18 Aug 1941 | 21 Feb 1942 | -- |
| 46 | YAG 46 (ex ELI WHITNEY) | -- | Permanente Metals #2 | 10 Jul 1942 | 26 Aug 1942 | -- |
| 47 | YAG 47 (ex GEORGE CHAMBERLAIN) | -- | Oregon SB | 7 Jul 1942 | 14 Aug 1942 | -- |
| 48 | YAG 48 (ex GEORGE CHAFFEY) | -- | California SB | 18 Oct 1942 | 18 Nov 1942 | -- |
| 49 | YAG 49 (ex CLIFFORD D MALLORY) | -- | Bethlehem-Fairfield SYs | 30 Jan 1943 | 11 Mar 1943 | -- |
| 50 | YAG 50 (ex JOHN STEVENSON) | -- | Bethlehem-Fairfield SYs | 1 Jun 1943 | 30 Jun 1943 | -- |
| 51 | YAG 51 (ex R NEY MCNEELY) | -- | J A Jones, Brunswick | 9 Dec 1943 | 29 Jan 1944 | -- |
| 52 | YAG 52 (ex EDWARD RICHARDSON) | -- | North Carolina SB | 5 Nov 1943 | 4 Jun 1943 | -- |
| 53 | YAG 53 (ex WILLIAM H ASHLEY) | -- | Oregon SB | 20 Sep 1943 | 6 Oct 1943 | -- |
| 54 | YAG 54 (ex ANDREW J NEWBURY) | -- | New England SB | 22 May 1944 | 12 Jul 1944 | -- |
Disposition:
| YAG | Name | T | Inact | Strike | Disposal | Fate | MA Sale |
| 45 | YAG 45 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 26 Oct 1970 | |
| 46 | YAG 46 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 13 Jun 1974 | |
| 47 | YAG 47 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 23 Dec 1970 | |
| 48 | YAG 48 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 28 Oct 1971 | |
| 49 | YAG 49 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 28 Oct 1971 | |
| 50 | YAG 50 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 23 Dec 1970 | |
| 51 | YAG 51 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 9 Jun 1972 | |
| 52 | YAG 52 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 9 Jun 1972 | |
| 53 | YAG 53 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 10 Jul 1972 | |
| 54 | YAG 54 | -- | -- | -- | Never USN | 28 Oct 1971 |
Class Notes:
By 1955 the Navy had a program for introducing minesweeping YAGs like the YAG 36 class (q.v.) into the force. Correspondence between BUSHIPS and MARAD indicated that there were to be 14 Liberty ship conversions, 4 acquired and converted by the Navy (possibly YAG 36 and 38-40) and ten converted by MARAD with its own funds. For flotation the Navy conversions would use empty drums and the MARAD conversions would use Styrofoam (log shapes). These ships would precede units of the Fleet entering a harbor and would set off mines encountered. The approximate cost of the MARAD conversions would be $294,000 per ship. The ships were also to have automatic control from the main deck, requiring a crew of ten men operating above the main deck and no personnel below decks. The 1955-56 conversions do not appear to have involved changes in propulsion like those made in 1957 to YAG 37.
The ten sweepers to be provided by MARAD were shown in Navy records as YAG 45-54. They were called by the Navy SCB 22A conversions and were shown in MA sources as EC2-S-22a. The design probably used data from early tests conducted at Panama City, Fla., in 1954-55 with YAG 37. The ships were converted by MARAD as part of its Emergency Ship Repair Program. This program was intended primarily to prolong the service lives of Victory ships and S4 (AKA and APA) types, but the 205 ships selected by the MARAD-NAVY Planning Group included 13 Liberties which were to be converted to Naval Auxiliaries type YAG. Ten of these conversions, known as MA Design EC2-S-22a, were accomplished and the ships were sufficiently reactivated to perform dock trials, at a cost of about six times that of a normal repair overhaul. In addition, at the request of the Navy, one operating YAG (YAG 37) was given the EC2-S-22a conversion at the end of 1955 before being placed in layup, although she was soon reactivated for further trials. No other Liberties were included in the Emergency Ship Repair Program except for four wartime net cargo ship (AKN) conversions (J FRED ESSARY, MATTHEW LYON, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, and WILLIAM R COX) and three special ships, THOMAS NELSON (EC2-S-8b), JOHN SERGEANT (EC2-G-8f), and WILLIAM PATTERSON (EC2-G-8g). YAG 45-54 were never added to the Naval Vessel Register as naval ships but were converted and ready in MARAD reserve fleets if needed.
Ship Notes:
| YAG | Name | MCE | Notes |
| 45 | YAG 45 | 2 | (ex JOHN MARSHALL, compl. 31 May 1942). Hudson River reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 20 May 1955 to 1 Dec 1955 by Constable Hook Shipyard Inc., New York. To buyer 29 Nov 1970. |
| 46 | YAG 46 | 264 | (ex ELI WHITNEY, compl. 12 Sep 1942). Beaumont (Tex.) reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 9 Jun 1955 to 7 Feb 1956 by Port Houston Iron Works, Houston. To buyer 13 Aug 1974. |
| 47 | YAG 47 | 560 | (ex GEORGE CHAMBERLAIN, compl. 26 Aug 1942). Hudson River reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 6 Jul 1955 to 16 Dec 1955 by Todd Shipyards Corp., New York. To buyer 5 May 1971 after resale. |
| 48 | YAG 48 | 671 | (ex GEORGE CHAFFEY, compl. 8 Dec 1942). Mobile (Ala.) reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 7 Jun 1955 to 1 Dec 1955 by Boland Machine & Mfg. Co., New Orleans. To buyer 26 Jan 1972. |
| 49 | YAG 49 | 952 | (ex CLIFFORD D MALLORY, compl. 26 Mar 1943). Mobile (Ala.) reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 1 Jun 1955 to 17 Jan 1956 by Tampa Ship Repair & DD Co., Tampa. To buyer 16 Dec 1971. |
| 50 | YAG 50 | 1011 | (ex JOHN STEVENSON, compl. 12 Jul 1943). Hudson River reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 17 Mar 1955 to 24 Sep 1955 by Bethlehem Steel Co., New York. To buyer 5 May 1971. |
| 51 | YAG 51 | 1513 | (ex R NEY MCNEELY, compl. 10 Feb 1944). Wilmington (N.C.) reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 28 Feb 1955 to 16 Sep 1955 by Bethlehem Steel Co., New York. To buyer 14 Aug 1972. |
| 52 | YAG 52 | 1979 | (ex EDWARD RICHARDSON, compl. 10 Jun 1943). Wilmington (N.C.) reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 5 Jul 1955 to 8 Feb 1956 by Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah. To buyer 10 Aug 1972. |
| 53 | YAG 53 | 2246 | (ex WILLIAM H ASHLEY, compl. 14 Oct 1943). James River reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 26 May 1955 to 3 Jan 1956 by General Ship & Engine Works Inc., Boston. To buyer 16 Aug 1972. |
| 54 | YAG 54 | 3038 | (ex ANDREW J NEWBURY, compl. 26 Jul 1944). Mobile (Ala.) reserve fleet. Converted during MA repair program 6 May 1955 to 16 Dec 1955 by Waterman Repair Division, Mobile. To buyer 4 Apr 1972. |
Page Notes:
Compiled: 20 Oct 2021
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2021