USS Asphalt (IX-153), a Trefoil-class concrete barge designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for asphalt. Her keel was laid down in 1944 at San Francisco, California, by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyards. She was acquired by the Navy on 30 June 1944 through the Maritime Commission and was placed in service that same day.

History
United States
NameUSS Asphalt
BuilderBarrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyards, San Francisco, California
Laid down1944
In service30 June 1944
Stricken23 February 1945
FateWrecked by storm, 6 October 1944, then abandoned
NotesSemi-submerged at 15°13′2.60″N 145°42′14.27″E / 15.2173889°N 145.7039639°E / 15.2173889; 145.7039639
General characteristics
Class and typeTrefoil-class cargo barge
Displacement
  • 5,636 long tons (5,726 t) light
  • 10,960 long tons (11,136 t) full
Length366 ft (112 m)
Beam54 ft (16 m)
Draft33 ft (10 m)
PropulsionNone
SpeedNot self-propelled
Complement52
Armament1 × 40 mm AA gun

Service history

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Assigned to the Service Force, Pacific Fleet, as a floating provisions storage facility, she spent her brief career at forward bases, for the most part at Saipan, as a unit of Service Squadron 10. When a storm struck the anchorage at Saipan on 6 October 1944, Asphalt's anchor chains parted, and she was driven hard aground on a coral reef. The barge was then declared a total loss. After her cargo and machinery were salvaged, she was abandoned. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 23 February 1945.

References

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