Laertes (AR-20) is flanked on her port by five minesweepers and on her starboard by five motor minesweepers at Sasebo, Japan, in 1952. USS Curlew (AMS-8) is the middle ship of the second group. | |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS YMS-218 |
Builder | |
Laid down | 18 July 1942 |
Launched | 23 December 1942 |
Completed | 23 June 1943 |
Commissioned | 23 June 1943 |
Decommissioned | early 1947 |
Renamed | USS Curlew (AMS-8), 18 February 1947 |
Namesake | the curlew bird |
Recommissioned | June 1949 |
Reclassified | MSC(O)-8, 7 February 1955 |
Motto | Where the fleet goes, we've been! |
Fate | Transferred to South Korea, 6 January 1956 |
South Korea | |
Name | ROKS Geumhwa (MSC 519) |
Acquired | 6 January 1956 |
United States | |
Name | USS Curlew (MSC(O)-8) |
Stricken | 15 November 1974 |
Fate | disposed, c. 1977 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | YMS-135 subclass of YMS-1-class minesweepers |
Displacement | 270 t. |
Length | 136 ft (41 m) |
Beam | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) |
Draft | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h) |
Complement | 32 |
Armament |
USS Curlew (MSC(O)-8/AMS-8/YMS-218) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth U.S. Navy ship to be named for the curlew.
Laid down, 18 July 1942 by the J. N. Martinac Shipbuilding Co. of Tacoma, Washington; Launched, 23 December 1942; Completed and commissioned USS YMS-218, 23 June 1943.
She served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II, and took part in occupation activities in late 1945 and early 1946.
In early 1947, after returning to the U.S. West Coast, she was placed out of commission. YMS-218 was reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper, AMS-8 and named USS Curlew, 18 February 1947. Curlew recommissioned in June 1949.
Curlew was sent to the Western Pacific a year later to support Korean War operations. During most of that conflict, she was active in the combat zone, performing mine clearance and blockade missions. Curlew remained in the Japan-Korea area after the war ended in mid-1953. She was redesignated a Coastal Minesweeper (Old), MSC(O)-8, 7 February 1955.
Curlew was transferred to South Korea on 6 January 1956 as ROKS Geumhwa (MSC 519). Returned from South Korea, the veteran minesweeper was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 November 1974, and was disposed of about 1977.
USS Hornbill was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. After World War II, she continued to be in use until the mid-1950s.
USS Lapwing was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after the lapwing.
USS Heron was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Pelican was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Seagull was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Flamingo was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third U.S. Navy ship to be named for the flamingo.
The YMS-1 class of auxiliary motor minesweepers was established with the laying down of YMS-1 on 4 March 1941. Some were later transferred to the United Kingdom as part of the World War II Lend-Lease pact between the two nations. One ship eventually made its way into the Royal Canadian Navy postwar.
USS Plover was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the U.S. Navy during World War II.
USS Crossbill was a YMS-1-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship to be named for the crossbill.
USS Grouse (AMS-15/YMS-321) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Condor was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the condor.
USS Hawk was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Courser was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship of the U.S. Navy to be named Courser.
USS Grackle was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Kite was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Mockingbird (AMS-27/YMS-419) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship to be named Mockingbird.
USS Chatterer (AMS-40/YMS-415) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Flicker (AMS-9/YMS-219) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass acquired by the U.S. Navy for clearing coastal minefields during World War II.
USS Firecrest (AMS-10/YMS-231) was an YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass acquired by the U.S. Navy for clearing coastal minefields during World War II.
USS Swallow was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-446 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally laid down as PCS-1416, and, when renamed later in her career, became the third U.S. Navy ship named for the swallow.