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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Rosewood (AN-31)
ex
 USS Rosewood (YN-26) (1942 - 1944)
Rosewood (YN-26) (1941 - 1942)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Kilo - Uniform
 NWKU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

USS Rosewood (AN-31) was transferred to France, renamed RFS Libellule (A730);
Aloe Class Net Laying Ship:
  • Laid down, 18 October 1940, as the Yard Net Tender Rosewood (YN-26), at American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain , OH.
  • Launched, 1 March 1941
  • Placed in service, 13 September 1941, LT. D. Nicoli, Jr., USNR, in charge
  • Commissioned, USS Rosewood (YN-26) 18 June 1942;
  • During World War II Rosewood was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Redesignated Net Tender (AN-31), 20 January 1944
  • Decommissioned, 10 June 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria, OR.
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Commission, 28 October 1968, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Reacquired by the Navy for sale to France under terms of the Military Assistance Program
  • Delivered to France in January 1969, renamed RFS Libellule (A730)
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target, near Brest, France, in 1983
    Specifications:
    Displacement 700 t.(fl) 805 t.(lim)
    Length 162' 2""
    Beam 30' 6"
    Draft 11' 8" (lim)
    Speed 12.5 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 4
    Enlisted 44
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two .50 cal machine guns
    one y-gun.
    Largest Boom Capacity 12 t.
    Propulsion
    one Enterprise DSG-6 Diesel-electric engine
    Single Westinghouse Main Reduction Gear
    two Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C. Ships Service Generators
    Single propeller, 800shp
    Fuel Capacity - Diesel 620 Bbls
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Rosewood (YN-26)
    Rosewood 332k Rosewood (YN-26) ceremony placing the ship in service, 13 September 1941, at Cleveland, OH. LT. D. Nicoli Jr. USNR reads his orders putting the ship in service while the crew stands at quarters.
    Officers from left to right, LT. T. H. Ross 9th Naval District Assistant Supervisor of Shipbuilding, LT. D. Nicoli Jr., Officer in Charge, LTjg. R.E Kinnie, ENS. J.H. Bloodworth and ENS R.G Holt (hidden by boom).    		 David Wright
    USS Rosewood (AN-31)
    Rosewood 43k Rosewood (AN-31) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.    		 Stan Svec
    RFS Libellule (A730)
    Rosewood 43k Ex-Rosewood (AN-31) under way while in French Naval service as RFS Libellule (A-730), date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Rosewood 31k RFS Libellule (A-730) moored pierside at a French naval base, date and location unknown.
    Marine Nationale photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Rosewood 86k RFS Libellule (A-730) underway, dates and locations unknown.Marine Nationale photo. Robert Hurst
    Rosewood 55k Images of RFS Libellule (A-730) underway, date and location unknown. Arie van Mazijk
    Rosewood 57k
    Rosewood 70k
    Rosewood 61k
    Rosewood 62k
    Rosewood
    091803111    		 233k RFS Libellule (A-730) underway, off Toulon, France, date unknown. Jacques Druel
    Rosewood
    091803112    		 222k
    Rosewood
    091803113    		 241k RFS Libellule (A-730) underway, 6 October 1970, location unknown. Jacques Druel
    Rosewood
    091803114    		 275k
    Rosewood
    091803115    		 224k RFS Libellule (A-730) underway, May 1972, location unknown. Jacques Druel
    USS Rosewood (YN-26) / AN-31)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Nicoli Jr., D., USNR (Officer in Charge)13 September 1941 - ?YN-26
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Yard and District Craft Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Yard Net Tender (YN) Photo Index Back To Net Laying Ship (AN) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 3 November 2023