The USS Robert L. Barnes was a vessel utilized by the United States Navy during the early 20th century, notably serving as an oil storage ship and station ship. Originally constructed as a commercial tanker by the McDougall-Duluth Shipbuilding Company in Duluth, Minnesota, the ship was launched in June 1917.
The U.S. Navy acquired the vessel in 1918, commissioning it as USS Robert L. Barnes (ID-3088). Following the end of World War I, the ship was reclassified as an oiler (AO-14) in 1920. Due to its limited engine power and design, it was primarily utilized for stationary fuel storage rather than active transport across open seas. In 1921, the vessel was towed to Guam to serve as a floating oil depot and station ship for the Naval Government of Guam.
On July 1, 1938, the ship was reclassified as a miscellaneous auxiliary (AG-27). It remained at Guam until the outbreak of hostilities in the Pacific during World War II. On December 10, 1941, during the Japanese invasion of Guam, the USS Robert L. Barnes was captured by Imperial Japanese forces. It was one of the few U.S. Navy vessels to be taken intact by the Japanese during the conflict.
Under Japanese control, the vessel was reportedly used as a repair ship or storage hulk and was renamed. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, the ship was recovered by U.S. forces in Japanese waters. It was subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register and sold for scrapping in 1950.
