USS Skimmer (AMCU-41)

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History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS LCI(L)-1093
Builder
Laid down11 September 1944
Launched23 September 1944
Commissioned28 September 1944
DecommissionedJuly 1946
In service20 April 1947 as Naval Reserve training ship
Out of serviceJanuary 1950
RenamedUSS Avocet (AMCU-41), 7 March 1952
Namesake avocet
Refit
Recommissioned23 January 1954
ReclassifiedMHC-41, 7 February 1955
Decommissioned1 July 1955
Stricken1 January 1960
Fatefate unknown
General characteristics
Displacement387 (full)
Length159 ft 0 in (48.46 m)
Beam23 ft 8 in (7.21 m)
Draft5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Propulsiontwo sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600, twin variable pitch propellers
Speed14.4 knots (tl.)
Endurance
  • 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
  • 500 nautical miles (930 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) loaded, 110 tons of fuel
Capacity75 tons
Troops6 Officers, 182 Enlisted
Complement4 officers, 24 enlisted
Armament5 × 20 mm guns

USS Skimmer (AMCU-41/LCIL-1093) was an LCI(L)-351-class landing craft infantry built for the U.S. Navy for the task of landing troops in combat areas.

Contents

The second ship to be named Skimmer by the Navy was laid down as LCI(L)-1093, a large, infantry landing craft, on 11 September 1944 by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan; launched on 23 September 1944; and commissioned on 28 September 1944.

World War II service

LCI(L)-1093 made her way through Lake Michigan and the Chicago Drainage Canal, down the Illinois River and the Mississippi River, and arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 11 October 1944. She drydocked at New Orleans, then commenced her shakedown cruise to Galveston, Texas. After completing shakedown and amphibious training, she departed Galveston on 25 November 1944.

Transfer to the Pacific Theatre

She transited the Panama Canal on 1 December, and arrived in San Diego, California, on the 18th. In mid-February 1945, following further exercises and training at San Diego, LCI(L)-1093 got underway for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, en route to Guam in the Marianas. She entered Pearl Harbor on 11 March and departed soon thereafter, visiting Eniwetok Atoll along the way to the Marianas. She arrived at Guam on 8 April and stayed there until the 24 April.

Saipan and Okinawa operations

From there she sailed to Saipan and, after about a month of miscellaneous duties there, headed for Okinawa. She spent the next month, 30 May to 30 June, providing smoke screens, carrying troops and supplies, and helping other landing craft retract from the beaches.

End-of-war operations

The conquest of Okinawa was fairly well complete by the end of June, but the LCI(L) continued to operate in that vicinity until 12 September. At that time, she was sent to Japan where she performed a number of duties, including ferrying allied prisoners-of-war to Guam and supporting the occupation forces in the Tokyo area. LCI (L)-1093 departed Japan on 14 April 1946. Sailing via Guam and Pearl Harbor, she arrived at San Diego on 10 June. By mid-July, she had retransmitted the Panama Canal and had arrived in Boston, Massachusetts. She then decommissioned at Boston and was towed to the berthing area at Hingham, Massachusetts.

Reactivation in 1947

She returned to Boston, Massachusetts, on 20 April 1947, and for almost three years, served the 1st Naval District as a U.S. Naval Reserve training ship. In January 1950, she was taken to Charleston, South Carolina, to be inactivated. This time, she was berthed at Green Cove Springs, Florida.

Reactivation in 1953 as AMCU-41

In August 1953, she returned to Charleston to be converted to a coastal minesweeper AMCU-41. On 23 January 1954, the ship was commissioned as Skimmer (AMCU-41), Lieutenant W. M. Gattis commanding. She was assigned to the 1st Naval District in late February 1954 and, on 6 March, departed Charleston for Boston.

She headed via the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, the East River, Long Island Sound, and the Cape Cod Canal and arrived in Boston on 14 March. She operated in the 1st Naval District for the next year participating in LANTSUBMINEX-54 and LANTFLTEX-55 and representing the 1st Naval District at the Rhode Island State American Legion Convention from 18 to 20 June 1954.

Final deactivation and decommissioning

On 1 March 1955, she commenced Phase Able inactivation at Boston and was redesignated MHC-41. By 20 April, she was back at Charleston, South Carolina, beginning Phase Baker inactivation. Finally, on 1 July 1955, Skimmer decommissioned at Charleston and was berthed there as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. In 1958, she was moved to the berthing area at Green Cove Springs, Florida; and, on 1 January 1960, her name was struck from the Navy list.

Military awards and honors

Skimmer (LCI(L)-1093) received one battle star for World War II service.

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References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .

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