W. A. ROBINSON

Ipswich MA

Most recent update: August 26, 2021.

William A. Robinson was an engineer from Kenosha WI whose early years were spent sailing the world.  In 1937, he bought an existing small shipyard on Fox Creek, near Ipswich.  The plan was to build wooden sailing vessels but the war changed that.  Sources say that the yard built over 200 vessels during the war, so there must have been many small craft as well as the 75~ small ships listed below.  We know that they built LCMs, for example, but we don't know how many.  Robinson closed the  business and moved to Tahiti after the war and the yard was razed: you can just see the site from the air on Google here.  If anyone can add to the table below, please e-mail me at timcolton@aol.com.
Hull # O.N. Original Name Original Owner Type Tons Ft. Delivery Disposition
238625 Swift W. A. Robinson Sailing Ship 46 62 1939 Later Swift of Ipswich, owned 1940-58 by Jimmy Cagney, now owned by the L.A. Mar. Inst.
238697 Santa Cruz Ralph Zimmerman Sailing Ship 26 51 1940  
239620 Caribee Richard B. Church Sailing Ship 88 87 1940  
  C-20 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-21 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-22 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-23 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-24 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-25 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-26 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
249746 C-27 US Army Launch 13 40 1942 Sold as Jean O
  C-28 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
  C-29 US Army Launch 13 40 1942  
Accentor (AMc 36) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 24-Jul-41 Sold 1946 as ?
Bateleur (AMc 37) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 26-Aug-41 Sold 1946 as ?
254219 Barbet (AMc 38) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 29-Sep-41 Sold 1946 as Barbet
259662 Brambling (AMc 39) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 15-Oct-41 Sold 1946 as Spot Pack
Energy (AMc 78) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 1-Jan-42 YDT 3 1943, sold 1960 as H. C. Hayes, later Telson Queen, Atlas
Exultant (AMc 79) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 14-Jan-42 YDT 4 1943, sunk as target 1973
Fearless (AMc 80) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 4-Feb-42 YDT 5 1943, sunk as target 1973
Fortitude (AMc 81) US Navy Minesweeper 205 90 20-Apr-42 YDT 2 1943
APc 75 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942 To Britain 1942, returned 1946, to Greece
APc 76 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942 To Britain 1942, returned 1946, sold 1947
APc 77 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942 To Britain 1942, returned 1946, 
APc 78 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942 To Britain 1942, returned 1946, 
APc 79 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942 To Britain 1942, returned 1946, sold 1947
APc 80 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942  
APc 81 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942  
APc 82 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942  
APc 83 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942  
APc 84 US Navy Transport 100 103 1942  
na SC 676 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 27-Jul-42 To Free French 1944 as CH 105, scrapped 1950
na SC 677 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 29-Aug-42 Disposed of 1946
254782 SC 760 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 10-Sep-42 Later PCC 760, sold 1948 as Pacific Retriever
SC 761 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 24-Sep-42 To the NDRF 1948
na SC 762 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 7-Oct-42 To Brazil 1942 as Jutai (CS 52)
na SC 763 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 20-Oct-42 To Brazil 1942 as Javari (CS 51)
na SC 764 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 1-Oct-42 To Brazil 1942 as Jurui (CS 53)
na SC 765 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 3-Dec-42 To Brazil 1943 as Jaguarao (CS 55)
na SC 766 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 11-Nov-42 To Brazil 1943 as Juruena (CS 54)
na SC 767 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 2-Jan-43 To Brazil 1943 as Jaguaribe (CS 56)
na SC 1288 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 12-Feb-43 To Brazil 1943 as Jacui (CS 57)
na SC 1289 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 12-Mar-43 To Brazil 1943 as Jundiai (CS 58)
na SC 1290 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 15-Apr-43 To Cuba 1948
na SC 1291 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 3-May-43 To Cuba 1948 as Habana (GC-107)
SC 1292 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 19-May-43 To the NDRF 1948
SC 1293 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 4-Jun-43 To the NDRF 1948
SC 1294 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 7-Jul-43 To the NDRF 1948
na SC 1295 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 12-Aug-43 To the USSR 1945 as BO 320
256975 SC 1296 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 16-Sep-43 To USCG 1945 as Air Stork (WAVR 468), sold 1948 as George R. Wallace
255239 SC 1297 US Navy Sub Chaser 136 110 8-Oct-43 To USCG 1945 as Air Swallow (WAVR 469), sold 1948 as Swallow
C11956-80 US Navy LCM(3) 26 50 1943 25 tank landing craft
C?????-?? US Navy LCM(6) 26 56 1944 ?? tank landing craft
Cahto (YT 215) US Navy Tug 260   Jun-44 Sold 1959
Cochise (YT 216) US Navy Tug 260   Jul-44 Sold 1960
Ensenore (YT 217) US Navy Tug 260   Dec-44 Sold 1964
Achigan (YT 218) US Navy Tug 260   Jan-45 Sold 1975
241612 Varua W. A. Robinson Yacht 43 70 1945 Abandoned in Anacortes WA
247515 Thomas J. Carroll Joaquin E Codinha Jr Crab Trawler 116 85 Feb-45 Later Agatha
248616 Captain Dave Gloucester Oil Supply Tanker 43 57 1945 Still active for Rose's Oil Service, in Gloucester MA