USS Cohoes (AN-78)

Career (USA)
Name: USS Cohoes
Namesake: A city in New York State
Ordered: as Cohoes (YN-97)
Builder: Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon
Laid down: date unknown
Launched: 29 November 1944
Sponsored by: Mrs. W. W. Johnson
Commissioned: 23 March 1945 as USS Cohoes (AN-78)
Recommissioned: 1968
Decommissioned: 3 September 1947 at San Diego, California; again on 30 June 1972
Reclassified: AN-78, 20 January 1944; ANL-78, 1 January 1969
Struck: 30 June 1972
Honors and
awards:
Nine campaign stars for Vietnam service
Fate: sold for scrapping, 1 February 1973
General characteristics
Type: Cohoes-class net laying ship
Displacement: 775 tons
Length: 168' 6"
Beam: 33' 10"
Draft: 10' 10"
Propulsion: diesel-electric, 2,500hp
Speed: 12 knots
Complement: 46 officers and enlisted
Armament: one single 3"/50 gun mount

USS Cohoes (YN-97/AN-78/ANL-78) was a Cohoes-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her anti-submarine nets. Her World War II career was short lived; however, she was recommissioned during the Vietnam War where she earned nine campaign stars.

Contents

Constructed in Oregon

The second ship to be so named by the Navy, Cohoes (AN-78) was launched 29 November 1944 by Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Mrs. W. W. Johnson; commissioned 23 March 1945, Lieutenant D. B. Little, USNR, in command; and reported to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

World War II service

After training at Pearl Harbor, Cohoes sailed 20 June 1945 for Eniwetok, arriving 2 July. She remained at Eniwetok installing, maintaining, and then removing the net line there until 16 October, when she sailed for Ponape, arriving 18 October to lay a mooring.

In Langar Roads, she salvaged and re-laid a Japanese mooring buoy, and performed similar operations in the Caroline Islands and in the Marshall Islands until 20 November, when she cleared Kwajalein for Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, California, arriving 12 December for duty at Tiburon Net Depot at Tiburon, California.

Post-war activity

Cohoes served at Tiburon until 8 April 1946, when she sailed for duty at Astoria, Oregon. She returned to San Francisco 3 September, and remained there until 25 August 1947 when she sailed for San Diego, California, arriving 27 August.

Post-war inactivation

There Cohoes was placed out of commission in reserve 3 September 1947.

Vietnam War service

Cohoes was re-commissioned in 1968 and served in Vietnam. The Navy journal (DANFS) is not complete at this date, but other sources indicate that Cohoes was active in the Vietnam area based on the numerous campaign stars she was awarded:

Final inactivation

Cohoes was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 June 1972.

References