FS Anchors - Freight Supply (FS) Ships

FS Anchors - Freight Supply (FS) Ships. . , During the early days of World War II, the United States Army recognized a need for cargo ships that could transport supplies from large ports to shallow draft areas along a coastline where large ocean-going transports could not sail. The Army decided to mount an expansive small-craft program to provide vessels in support of these marine terminal operations and to serve those areas where command responsibilities had been assigned to the Army, such as Europe and the Southwest Pacific. The coastal freighters that were built or purchased became known as Freight Supply, or simply 'FS', ships. The first of these ships was delivered by the end of 1942.

The FS ships did not have one particular design, they varied in many ways. Some of the ships had wooden hulls while others had steel; some had a single screw while others were twin-screw; and the length varied between 114 and 180 feet. The crews of the ships were varied as well. While the vessels were Army owned, they were crewed by the Navy, Coast Guard, and Army Transport Service personnel. In all, 363 FS ships saw service during World War II with 321 being built and the rest purchased from private sources. These ships were an invaluable link in the logistic chain that kept our soldiers supplied in the far-flung areas of World War II.

The FS ships would continue to serve well after World War II had ended. They would again see service during the wars in Korea and Vietnam. Several FS ships were still in use well into the 1980s.