The Aloe-class net laying ships were a class of thirty-two steel-hulled net laying ships built prior to the US entry into World War II. The lead ship, , was laid down in October 1940 and launched the following January; the final member, , was launched in October 1941. They were assigned tree and plant names in alphabetical order, but eight ships (in order Cottonwood, Dogwood, Fir, Juniper, Maple, Poplar, Sycamore, and Walnut) were renamed prior to launching, producing discontinuities in the name order. These ships were originally classed as YN and numbered 1-32, but were reclassified and renumbered in 1944 as AN-6 through AN-37.
These ships had a unique appearance with a pair of "horns" jutting out from either side of the bow, each functioning as a fixed crane with a capacity of . They were powered by a pair of diesel engines which provided electricity for both propulsion and lifting machinery; there were also two auxiliary diesels and an evaporator for fresh water. Between the "horns" was an opening through which nets could be hauled, bridged by a catwalk.
two 700hp Enterprise diesels, Westinghouse reduction gears driving 2 WH generators, one WH motor AN-6 ... AN-17 General Motors 6-278, Farrel-Birmingham gears AN-22 ... AN-33 uncertain AN-34 ... AN-37
All members of this class survived the war though was caught in a typhoon in September 1945 and decommissioned the following year. Three ships were transferred to the French Navy in 1944 and another three were so transferred in the 1960s; two others went to the Turkish and Ecuadorian navies respectively. Three others were retained for various purposes, while the remainder were put into the reserve fleet shortly after the war.
Class members Name Builder Launched Fate AN-6 YN-1 Lake Washington Shipyards, WA 11 Jan 1941 3 Aug 1946 sold for scrap AN-7 YN-2 15 Feb 1941 13 Dec 1946 sold for scrap AN-8 YN-3 8 Mar 1941 13 Nov 1946 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-9 YN-4 10 May 1941 18 Jul 1969 used for test range support 1957–69; reclassed YAG-60 1969; sunk as target AN-10 YN-5 Commercial Iron Works, OR 22 Feb 1941 21 Oct 1946/7 Oct 1955 unknown AN-11 YN-6 16 Mar 1941 7 Sep 1946 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-12 YN-7 2 Jul 1941 6 Nov 1946 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-13 YN-8 26 Jul 1941 Mar 1947 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-14 YN-9 General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, CA 27 Mar 1941 20 Aug 1947 reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 AN-15 YN-10 3 Jun 1941 23 Mar 1946 reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 AN-16 YN-11 3 Jul 1941 6 Mar 1946 reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 AN-17 YN-12 15 Jul 1941 6 Mar 1946 reserve fleet; scrapped 1976 AN-18 YN-13 Marietta Manufacturing Co., WV 20 Mar 1941 20 Jun 1946 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-19 YN-14 17 Apr 1941 7 Jun 1946 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-20 YN-15 19 Jun 1941 18 Dec 1959 unknown AN-21 YN-16 2 Jul 1941 28 Jun 1946 transferred to Turkish Navy 1948 AN-22 YN-17 American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, OH 1 Feb 1941 8 Jul 1946 transferred to French Navy; sank July 1978 AN-23 YN-18 18 Feb 1941 Sep 1945 damaged in Typhoon Ida; scrapped AN-24 YN-19 22 Feb 1941 4 Apr 1947 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-25 YN-20 28 Oct 1941 12 Nov 1944 transferred to French Navy as Araignée (A727); scrapped 1985 AN-26 YN-21 15 Mar 1941 27 Dec 1946 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-27 YN-22 26 Mar 1941 11 Apr 1960 transferred to Ecuadorian Navy 1965; scrapped 1980 AN-28 YN-23 American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH 1 Feb 1941 1 Jan 1947 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-29 YN-24 15 Feb 1941 11 Feb 1958 reserve fleet; struck 1962 AN-30 YN-25 22 Feb 1941 6 Jun 1947 reserve fleet; fate uncertain AN-31 YN-26 1 Mar 1941 10 Jun 1946 reserve fleet; transferred to French Navy 1969; sunk as target 1983 AN-32 YN-27 6 Mar 1941 13 Aug 1946 reserve fleet; transferred to French Navy 1967; sold, fate unknown AN-33 YN-28 13 Mar 1941 Jan 1947 reserve fleet; sold 1971; fate unknown AN-34 YN-29 John H. Mathis & Company, NJ 24 May 1941 14 Dec 1946/7 July 1961 recommissioned 19 April 1953 for auxiliary service; sold 1962 for scrapping AN-35 YN-30 7 Jul 1941 30 Aug 1946 reserve fleet; sold for scrap 1976 AN-36 YN-31 25 Aug 1941 15 Dec 1944 transferred to French Navy; struck 1972 AN-37 YN-32 4 Oct 1941 1 Jan 1944 transferred to French Navy; sank 1978
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