Other Self-Propelled District Craft, 1922-1945: Photo Gallery
Part 1: Lighters

YF-221, the apparent prototype for the self-propelled YFs built during World War II, was a single ship built at the New York Navy Yard in 1932.
(Photo: NavSource 144322101)

YF-270 departing Pacific Dry Dock & Repair, Oakland, where she had been completed on 19 September 1941.
(Photo: NavSource 144327001)

YF-327 served as a self-propelled lighter until being transferred to the General Services Administration (GSA) on 4 September 1964. This photograph was received in Washington, D.C., on 22 September 1959.
(Photo: USN 1044172, NHHC L-file)

YF-852 underway at the U.S. Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, on 15 September 1965. She had just been named Ensenada on 19 July 1965. She was redesignated as the self-propelled range tender YFRT-523 with name cancelled effective 1 April 1971 to support submarine training at the underwater torpedo range off St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
(Photo: USN 1112872, Shipscribe)

Kodiak (YF-866) moored at Nha Be, South Vietnam, in October 1971. She replaced Kodiak (LSM-161) in Alaska and took her name on 21 April 1965. (Photo: NavSource 144386603 © Richard Leonhardt)

(Previous photo)
YF-885 became an ammunition lighter at the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, Bangor, Wash., in 1950 and was transferred on 4 April 1960 to the Naval Torpedo Station at Keyport and designated an Underwater Weapons Recovery Craft. In this photo, backstamped at Keyport on 9 September 1964, a torpedo and a torpedo launch tube are visible at the after end of the superstructure. On 8 June 1965 she was named Keyport.
(Photo: USNTS Keyport serial 14987 in NHHC UA-281)

YF-1038 shortly after being launched on 7 October 1944 by Seagar Brothers of Auckland, New Zealand.
(Photo: NavSource 1443104001/RNZAF photo, Mariners Museum photo PN1194)

YF-1040. Stern view, probably while fitting out by Seagar Brothers at Auckland in the summer of 1945.
(Photo: NavSource 1443103801/RNZAF photo, Mariners Museum photo PN1201.)

(Previous photo)
YFR-890 carrying fresh provisions on the Mekong River from Saigon to units of Operation Game Warden. She was nicknamed "Delta Queen" after joining YFR-889 on the rivers in April 1967. She was still there in April 1972.
(Photo: USN 1111327 and NHHC L-file)

YF-257 was a single ship built at the Norfolk Navy Yard in 1940. She served as a range tender at Alexandria, VA, during the war.
(Photo: NavSource 144325701)

YFRT-287 shown derelict at Gloucester, MA, 16 February 2002. She was sold on 20 December 2001 and was to have become a floating restaurant, but she was never converted.
(Photo: NavSource 144328702)

YF-411 at sea during or immediately after World War 2. YF-411 assisted with torpedo development and was fitted with a triple 21" (533mm) torpedo launcher of the same type that was fitted to many destroyer escorts at the time.
(Photo: NavSource 144341101/BGSU, caption: Facebook)

YFRT-519, nicknamed "Easy Rider," probably operating in the Newport area during the 1950s.
(Photo: NavSource 144351903, by Tom Lange USN Ret.)

YFRT-520 was assigned to the Torpedo Station at Keyport, Wash., in 1954 for torpedo testing. Note that the YF-257 type had no forecastle and its main deckhouse did not come out to the hull sides. YFRT-520 had a second pilot house on her forecastle.
(Photo: NHHC L-file)

YF-451 was converted at Lake Union Drydock, Co. in 1951 for torpedo testing at the Naval Torpedo Station at Keyport, Wash., and redesignated YFRT-451 in 1953. Note the second pilot house on the forecastle and the lack of portholes in the forecastle and the main deckhouse.
(Photo: NHHC L-file)

YG-16. Barely visible are the doors of the dumping ports in the side.
(Photo: NavSource 14621604)

YG-21 arriving at Mare Island after her trials in May 1939.
(Photo: NavSource 14622105)

YG-22.
(Photo: NARA RG-LCM, BS-49353)

YG-29.
(Photo: NavSource 14622902)

YG-33 at Apra Harbor, Guam, in 1945 with crews of LST-726 and LST-817 dumping trash into her starboard hold.
(Photo: NavSource 14623301)

YG-34 probably during acceptance trials in 1944 near Port Arthur, TX.
(Photo: NavSource 14623401)

YG-45. The personnel aboard appear to all be civilians, so this might be a trials photo. She ran trials in October 1945.
(Photo: NavSource 14624501)

YG-51 departing Danang Harbor circa mid-1968 into the South China Sea with side doors open dumping trash.
(Photo: NHHC L-file)

YG-53 at Newport, RI, 11 July 1953.
(Photo: NavSource 14625301)