USS YP-399

History
Name	YP-399 (ex-Big Dipper)
Builder	Peterson Boat Building, Tacoma
Sponsored by	John Brescovich
Completed	1942
Acquired	acquired by the U.S. Navy, 29 May 1942
Honors and awards	American Campaign Medal[1]  World War II Victory Medal[1]
Fate	unknown
Notes	Call sign: NZOO[1]
General characteristics
Type	Patrol boat
Displacement	115 long tons (117 t)[1]
Length	85 ft (26 m) o/a[1]
Beam	24 ft (7.3 m)[1]
Installed power	300 shp[1]
Propulsion	Diesel, 1 × screw

USS YP-399 was a fishing vessel acquired by the U.S. Navy before completion during World War II to serve as a patrol boat.

History

She was completed in 1942 at the Tacoma shipyard of the Peterson Boat Building for the benefit of John Brescovich and named Big Dipper.^[1][2] On 29 May 1942, she was acquired by the U.S. Navy.^[1] She was designated as a Yard Patrol Craft (YP) and assigned to the 13th Naval District.^[2] Her commanding officer was Lieutenant Commandeer Vernon Johnson.^[2] She was one of the initial ships assembled by Captain Ralph C. Parker for the Alaskan Sector, Northwest Sea Frontier, 13th Naval District^[2] colloquially known as the "Alaskan Navy".

On 8 May 1946, she was struck from the Naval List and transferred to the United States Maritime Administration who returned her to her original owner.^[1] She served as a commercial fishing vessel thereafter for a number of owners under the names Big Dipper (until 1951), FV Liberty Bell II (until 1967), and FV Nautilus.^[3] She went out of registration in 1997.^[3]

References

1. Priolo, Gary P.; Wright, David L. "YP-399". NavSource – Naval Source History. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
2. "Aleutian Heroes, the "Yippiees"". Pacific Motor Boat. April 1943. pp. 7–10.
3. Williams, Greg H. (2013). World War II U.S. Navy Vessels in Private Hands. McFarland & Company. p. 305. ISBN 9781476600406.