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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

BCL-3051

Barge, Large, Wooden Non Self-propelled:

Laid down as Helium a U.S. Maritime Commission Barge type B5-BJ1 (covered dry cargo barge) at Concrete Ship Constructors, Inc., National City CA

Launched in January 1944

Delivered, 11 March 1944 to the U.S Army, assigned to Pacific Area of Operations, placed in service as BCL-3051

USS ATA-123 took BCL 3051 in tow 3 October 1944 in Renard Sound, Russell Islands, and towed her to Guadalcanal

USS ATR-33 took BCL 3051 in tow from Guadalcanald to Renard Sound, Bankia Island 26 October 1944

USS ATA-123 took BCL 3051 in tow at Pontoon Dock, White Beach, Russell Islands, 4 November and towed her to Tillotson Cove, arriving 9 November

From Tilleton Cove she was towed to Macquitti Bay, Solomon Islands

This pattern of moving BCL 3051 around using ATA-123 and ATR-33 continued throughout 1944.

ATR-33 took BCL 3051 in tow 29 May 1945 bound for Eniwetok

USS ATA-217 took BCL 3051 in tow at Eniwetok 13th July 1945, the last entry in the War Diaries mentioning the barge

At some time after the barge was towed to Eniwetok she was towed to Hawaii

Retired from US Army service, circa 1945-46

BCL-3051 was listed for sold in December 1946 to Henry Shae of Island Fish & Salvage Co.

Final Disposition, The story of the ex-BCL 3051 (Shae’s Concrete Barge). Henry Shae of Island Fish and Salvage Company was told to remove his WWII U.S. Army surplus concrete barge BCL (Barge Cargo Large) 3051 from Honolulu Harbor. With limited options, he decided to anchor it off Waikiki. Heavy seas caused the barge to run aground on a reef on August 15, 1947. Shae was adamant to salvage his barge, even with many in disbelief and growing impatience. There was a huge legal battle of who is responsible for the removing the barge, which played out in the local newspapers. The process was slow. Some of the yacht clubs were calling the barge, “Diamond Head jr”, the beach goers “The Monster”. Shae’s barge was becoming a tourist attraction to the Matson passengers. Calling it Second Blowhole, since when waves hit the vessel the water would plume up, similar to Halona Blowhole.
A year had gone by with the plan to dynamite the eye sore off the reef. On June 21, 1948 the barge caught fire. Possible from overnight fisherman or Mr. Shae salvage crew. Finally on July 28 dynamite was used to blow up the barge. The drama of Shae’s barge did not end there. In 1954 Henry J. Kaiser of the Kaiser Shipyard and Kaiser Permanente Health Care, develop Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel (now Hilton Hawaiian Village) in Waikiki. In 1955, Kaiser Channel was dredged to allow for catamaran boat tours. The sunken barge was a hazard to navigation when the channel was completed in 1956. The barge sat in 10 – 12 feet of water with the top only being 18 inches below the surface. The cost of totally removing the barge was impractical. The U.S. Coast Guard placed a buoy to warn of the wreck in 1956 and discontinued in 1980.

Courtesy Concrete Ship & Mulberry Blog.Com

Specifications:
Displacement 1,632 t.
Length 265'
Beam unknown
Draft unknown
Machinery unknown

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
3028305101	391k	Ex-U.S. Army Large Covered Barge BCL-3051 photos and newspaper articles.		Blade Shepherd-Jones
3028305102	306k	Ex-U.S. Army Large Covered Barge BCL-3051 underwater photo		Blade Shepherd-Jones

History from Concrete Ship & Mulberry Blog.Com

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 23 May 2025