The USS Hackberry (YN-20/AN-25) was an Aloe-class net laying ship constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Originally ordered and laid down as USS Maple (YN-20), she was renamed shortly before her launch on 28 October 1941 by the American Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio. She was commissioned on 21 December 1942, marking her entry into active service. Designed as a net tender, Hackberry was tasked with laying and maintaining anti-submarine and harbor defense nets. After her shakedown and training exercises out of Tompkinsville, Rhode Island, she was deployed to North African waters, arriving in Palermo harbor on 12 April 1943. In the Mediterranean, she performed critical duties such as towing, cable recovery, and salvage operations. Her role included installing boom defenses at Catania, Sicily, and briefly operating in the harbor at Naples, Italy, to enhance harbor security during the ongoing campaign. Hackberry played a notable role in the Allied invasion of southern France, arriving off the beaches on 15 August 1944. She assisted in transporting garrison troops from Alpha Beach to Isle du Levant and remained in the area as the Allies advanced inland. During this period, she came under fire from German shore batteries on 22 August. Following the capture of Toulon, she resumed her primary mission of clearing harbor obstructions and removing nets. Redesignated as AN-25 on 20 January 1944, Hackberry continued operations at Toulon and Marseille until she was transferred to the French government under lend-lease on 12 November 1944. After returning to U.S. custody on 21 March 1949, she was sold to France, where she served as Araignée. Her service included voyages to Indochina, towing small tugs, and operating out of Toulon and Brest. Decommissioned in 1977, she was repurposed as a pontoon hulk until her sale for scrap in 1985. The USS Hackberry's service highlights her importance in wartime harbor defense and Allied operations across the Mediterranean, contributing significantly to naval security and logistics during WWII.

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