m/s Alpo

Type: Tugboat, minesweeper, and harbor icebreaker Owner: Toppilan Möljä Ltd Length: 24.48 m. Width: 6.06 m

History

The vessel was built in 1943 by the United Boat Services Corporation at the New York City Island shipyard for the United States Army transportation forces. The vessel was commissioned in 1944, originally named ST-335. Small tugboats, such as ST-335, were transported across the Atlantic primarily on the decks of Liberty ships.

During the Normandy landings, ST-335 participated in the assembly of the artificial Mulberry harbor on Omaha Beach (Mulberry A). After the landings, ST-355 continued to assist in the maintenance operation.

After the war, ST-335 was transferred to Rotterdam to serve as a harbor tug. In June 1946, the Finnish Ministry of Supply purchased 24 tugboats, including ST-335, and it was renamed “No. 18”. The vessel was leased to the Finnish Navy on November 28, 1946, equipped as a minesweeper, and renamed DR-18 (Diesel Raivaaja 18). Mine clearance with DR-18 continued until October 9, 1948.

In May 1950, DR-18 was transferred to the F. W. Hollming shipyard in Rauma, where it was reinforced and equipped with an icebreaker bow. The vessel was sold to the city of Oulu on May 12, 1952, and renamed Alpo, after the deputy mayor of Oulu, Alpo Autio.

Alpo served as a harbor icebreaker and tugboat until May 1971 when it was replaced by a new vessel named Tuura. Afterward, Alpo was kept in reserve for potential crisis periods until officially retiring in 1992.

Alpo was sold to Toppilan Moljä Ltd on August 18, 1999, and since then, volunteers have maintained the vessel. Alpo visited Normandy in June 2004 for the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings. The current crew has been caring for the vessel since 2018 and established the Merikaupunni association in spring 2019 to ensure the crew’s activities.