USS AFDM-2

USS AFDM-2 (YFD-4) is an AFDM-3-class medium auxiliary floating drydock built in Mobile, Alabama by the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company for the U.S. Navy. Originally named USS YFD-4, Yard Floating Dock-4, she operated by Todd Shipyards at New Orleans, Louisiana for the repair of US ships during World War II. YFD-4 was renamed an Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium AFDM-2 in 1945 after the war. USS AFDM-2 was 37 feet (11.3 m) tall, 116 feet (35.4 m) wide, length of 614 feet (187.1 m) (all three section connected), and has a displacement of 6,360 tons. AFDM-2 could lift capacity 9,000 tons and had two service cranes to lift material and parts for removing damage parts and the installation of new parts. The floating drydock can repair ships up to a beam of 90 feet (27.4 m), as she is 90 feet wide between the wing walls. Ballast pontoons tanks are flooded with water to submerge or pumped dry to raise the ship. Submerged she can load a ship with a draft up to 20 feet (6.1 m).[1][2][3][4][5]

USS AFDM-5, sister ship to USS AFDM-2
History
United States
Name: USS AFDM-2
Operator: Todd Shipyards at New Orleans, Louisiana.
Builder: Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company of Mobile, Alabama
Cost: $2,760,300 in 1942
Laid down: January 1943
Commissioned: 1 October 1942
Identification: YFD-4
Honors and
awards:

American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

World War II Victory Medal
Fate: sold to private on 11 February 1999
General characteristics
Class and type: AFDM-2-class medium auxiliary floating drydock
Displacement: 6,360 tons
Length: 614 ft (187.1 m)
Beam: 116 ft (35.4 m)
Draft: 5 1⁄5 ft (1.6 m) empty
Capacity: Lift capacity 9,000 tons
Complement: 4 officers, 146 enlisted
Armament:
Notes: 2 × service cranes
Sister ship USS Richland

Hurricane Betsy

Hurricane Betsy, Category 4, sank and damaged USS AFDM-2 on 9 September 1965. USS AFDM-2 was at Todd Shipyards on the west side of the Mississippi River in Algiers, New Orleans. AFDM-2 had the water pumped out of her pontoon tanks and was raised for repair. The salvage ships MS Cable and USS Curb and USS Salinan, an Achomawi-class fleet ocean tug, helped in the recovery of AFDM-2. Due to the large size of AFDM-2 two rescue and salvage ships, USS Salvager and USS Windlass arrived with three special support barges to help in the salvage. Land-based winches were also used in the recovery. On 25 August 1966 tugs returned AFDM-2 to Todd Shipyards, eleven months after her sinking. Repairs where completed and she was put back in service. Divers had to repair more than 100 holes in AFDM-2 to float her again.[6]

Post US Navy use

On 16 May 1995 she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas. On 11 February 1999 she was reactivated and transferred to the Government of the Dominican Republic. She was later sold to Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corpation at Port Arthur, Texas and renamed Mr. Morris.[7] In 2013 USS LST-325, a landing ship, tank, now a museum ship, was repaired in AFDM-2.[8]

See also

References
  1. navsource USS AFDM-2, ex USS YFD-4 (1943–1945)
  2. "Floating Dry-Docks (AFDB, AFDM, AFDL, ARD, ARDM, YFD)". shipbuildinghistory.com. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  3. The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia, Floating Dry Docks
  4. Building the Navy's Bases in World War II, History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940–1946 Chapter IX, Floating Drydocks
  5. USN AFDM-2 Floating Drydocks & Shipyards WWI & Beyond old films, a DVD, Jan 1, 2012, 95.00 minutes, Campbell Films
  6. US Navy USS AFDM-2 (YFD-4)
  7. marad, AFDM-2
  8. USS LST-325 repaired in AFDM-2, January 31, 2013
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