The USS Redwood (AN-30/YN-25) was an Aloe-class net laying ship built to support U.S. naval operations during World War II. Constructed by the Amship Lorain in Lorain, Ohio, she was laid down on October 18, 1940, and launched on February 22, 1941. The vessel was commissioned on December 12, 1942, and was specifically designed to install and maintain anti-submarine and torpedo nets critical for harbor defense. Redwood's operational service began shortly after her commissioning, with a shakedown cruise that took her south to the British West Indies. She played a vital role in installing torpedo nets at Trinidad until March 1943, after which she moved to Antigua in April, where she tended nets through May. Her activities extended across several key locations, including Barbados, St. Thomas, and St. Lucia, where she maintained defensive nets. In mid-August 1943, Redwood shifted her operations to Guantanamo Bay, continuing her essential duties of net tending for the remainder of the war, primarily at Guantanamo Bay and ports on Hispaniola. Redwood was reclassified as AN-30 on January 20, 1944, reflecting her role more clearly as a net-layer. After the war, she returned to Trinidad in August 1945 to assist in the disposal of nets at sea. Following her service in the Caribbean, she sailed to the U.S. East Coast, arriving at Charleston Navy Yard for repairs before reporting on November 24, 1945, to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs, Florida. She was decommissioned on June 6, 1947, and later transferred to the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet at James River in 1961. Eventually, Redwood was sold for non-transportation use to Boston Metals Co. in 1974 for $33,666.66 and was removed from the fleet in January 1975. Her service highlights her role in harbor defense during World War II, contributing to the safety of strategic ports and naval installations in the Caribbean and Atlantic theaters.

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