Cockwood AN 44

Corkwood

Any of several trees having light or corky wood.
(AN-44: dp. 1,100; 1. 194'6"; b. 37'; dr. 13'6"; s. 12 k.;
cpl. 56; a. 1 3"; cl. Ailanthus)

Corkwood (AN-44) was launched as YN-63, 29 March 1944 by Everett Pacific Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Everett, Wash., sponsored by Miss D. Anerson; reclassified AN 44 and named Corkwood 20 January 1944; and commissioned 16 May 1944, Lieutenant J. L. Driggs, USNR, in command.

Sailing from Seattle 27 August 1944 with YTL 422 in tow, Corkwood arrived at Pearl Harbor 6 September for duty towing target rafts and for replacing buoys and radar rafts until 16 October. From 27 October until 6 March 1945 Corkwood conducted net operations and laid cruiser moorings at Eniwetok. Sailing by way of Ulithi to Beyte, she joined Amphibious Group 7 and sortied with an LST flotilla for the Okinawa operation. She served as harbor entrance control ship at Kerama Retto between 26 March and 6 July. She also conducted salvage and net maintenance operations, frequently under enemy attack.

Arriving at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, 12 July 1945 Corkwood underwent repairs, then sailed to Ulithi arriving 17 August. She tended nets at this port until 16 October when she departed for the west coast. She arrived at San Diego 29 November and remained there until decommissioned 7 March 1946. She was transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal 13 March 1946.

Corkwood received one battle star for World II service.