The Concrete Ships of WWI and WWII: An Experiment In Maritime Construction
WWI
Atlantus
Cape Fear
Cuyamaca
Dinsmore
Latham
Moffitt
Palo Alto
Peralta
Polias
San Pasqual
Sapona
Selma
WWII
Anderson
Aspdin
Chateliere
Considere
Cowham
Eckel
Grant
Hennibique
Humphrey
Kahn
Lesley
Meade
Merriman
Pasley
Pollard
Saylor
Slater
Smeaton
Talbot
Thatcher
Vicat
Vidal
Vitruvius
Wason
Barges
Quartz
YOGN 82
Breakwaters
Powell River
Kiptopeke
 

Concrete Barges of WWII

Besides the 24 concrete ships built by McCloskey and Company during the Second World War, the United States commisioned the construction of several fleets of concrete barges. The total number of barges may be as high as 78.

These barges were not the flat platforms we think of today, but actual full-sized ships used to store supplies and raw materials. Like modern barges, these ships had no engines of their own so they were towed around by other ships.

22 barges were built by Concrete Ship Constructors Incorporated in National City, California. They were not considered worthy of actual names. They were simply numbered instead. One of these barges, YOGN 82, is still afloat as part of a giant floating breakwater on the Powell River in Canada.

Another 20 barges were built by Barret and Hilp in San Fransisco. They were named after minerals, such as Agate, Granite, Mica and Limestone. One of these barges, the Quartz, was present at the famous nuclear tests at the Bikini Atoll. The Quartz is also still afloat at the Powell River Breakwater.

Ships

Photos

Click on any blue-bordered photos for a larger picture.

Quartz (Source: John Campbell)

YOGN 82 (Source: John Campbell)

Abandoned barge near Kwajalein Missile Range
(Source: Bob Hampton)

Abandoned barge off Shipwreck Beach, Hawaii
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