The USS Asher J. Hudson (SP-3104), later renamed Yuma, was a vessel originally completed in 1891 in Camden, New Jersey, by John H. Dialogue and Sons. Although primarily a civilian tugboat, she was acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I, commissioning at the Naval Station in New Orleans on 1 August 1918 under the command of Ensign Alva Carlton, USNRF. As a naval minesweeper and district tug, the Asher J. Hudson was equipped with minesweeping gear and assigned to operations in the Mississippi River delta region. Her primary duties included sweeping the approaches to the southwest pass of the Mississippi River, a critical shipping lane leading to the Mississippi River's interior. She conducted five minesweeping operations during August 1918, often working alongside the vessel Barnett (SP-1149). These missions were vital for clearing mines and ensuring safe passage for wartime shipping in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River area. Throughout the remainder of World War I, the vessel maintained a routine of minesweeping and patrol duties, alternating with periods of upkeep at Burrwood or New Orleans. After the armistice in November 1918, she was detached from the minesweeping flotilla on 6 December and reassigned to duties as a district tug, reflecting a shift to less active roles. Reclassified as YT-37 on 17 July 1920, the vessel's service was short-lived. She sank on 28 October 1920 at the New Orleans naval station, though she was later raised. Subsequently renamed Yuma on 24 November 1920, she apparently never returned to active service. She was decommissioned on 30 March 1921 and sold to the Crown Coal and Towing Co. in August of that year, with her name struck from the Navy List. Following her transfer to commercial service, the vessel resumed towing operations under different owners, including the Sabine Towing Co. of Port Arthur, Texas. Her career extended into the early 1960s, with her name disappearing from merchant registers around 1963, marking the end of her maritime service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.