YFD-2 arriving Pearl Harbor Oct 1940
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS YFD-2 (nickname: Old New Orleans) |
Namesake | New Orleans |
Builder | Maryland Steel Co. |
Laid down | early 1901 |
Launched | 1901 |
Commissioned | 6 November 1901 |
Honors and awards | Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal |
Fate | unknown - Struck from the Naval Register, 28 January 1947 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 16,000 tons |
Length | About 375 ft (114 m) |
Beam | 128 ft (39 m) |
Armament | none |
Notes | First Yard Floating Dock, 18,000 tons lifting capacity. |
YFD-2 (Yard Floating Dock-2, USS YFD-2) was an auxiliary floating drydock built for the United States Navy in 1901. The first parts were laid down in early 1901 at Maryland Steel Co. of Sparrows Point, Maryland. YFD-2 was the first of its kind, steel movable auxiliary floating drydock, used to raise large ships out the water for repair below the ship's waterline. YFD-2 had a 18,000 tons lifting capacity.[1]
YFD-2 was repairing the destroyer USS Shaw on 7 December 1941 during the attack on the harbor. YFD-2 and Shaw were hit and damaged in the attack by Japanese dive bombers. Shaw also damaged YFD-2 with the explosion of her forward ammunition magazines stores. Both ships were repaired and put back in service. On 9 January 1942 YFD-2 had the water pumped out of her pontoon tanks and was raised for repair. When the repairs were completed she was put back in service in May 1942. The Pacific Bridge Company was give charge for the repairs of YFD-2. Divers had to repair more than 200 holes in YFD-2 to float her again. Repaired, the YFD-2 raised the USS Shaw for 10 days of repairs to install a new temporary bow so Shaw could return to the naval shipyard at Mare Island at Vallejo, California for final repairs. YFD-2 was used for salvaging and repairing many of ships damaged on 7 December 1941, as she could raise any ship here, other than the large new battleships.
She continued repair work throughout World War II at Pearl Harbor. After the war YFD-2 was struck from the Naval Register on 28 January 1947. She was sold on 30 March 1948 for private use.[4][5][6][7]