USS Sentry (AM-299)

Last updated
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Sentry
Builder Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Company, Seattle
Laid down16 May 1943
Launched15 August 1943
Sponsored byMiss Nanette L. Pratt
Commissioned30 May 1944
Decommissioned19 June 1946
ReclassifiedMSF-299, 7 February 1955
Stricken1 February 1962
FateTransferred to South Vietnam, 21 August 1962
History
Flag of the Republic of Vietnam Navy.svg  Republic of Vietnam Navy
NameRVNS Ky Hoa (HQ-09)
Acquired21 August 1962
FateCaptured by North Vietnam, 30 April 1975. To Vietnam People's Navy
History
Ensign of Vietnam People's Navy.svg Vietnam People's Navy
NameHQ-05
Acquired21 August 1962
FateCaptured by North Vietnam, 30 April 1975. To Vietnam People's Navy
General characteristics
Class and type Admirable-classminesweeper
Displacement650 tons
Length184 ft 6 in (56.24 m)
Beam33 ft (10 m)
Draft9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Propulsion
Speed14.8 knots (27.4 km/h)
Complement104
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Operations:
Awards:

USS Sentry (AM-299) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and was awarded six battle stars, a Navy Unit Commendation, and a Presidential Unit Citation. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1946. In August 1962, the former Sentry was transferred to South Vietnam as RVNS Ky Hoa (HQ-09) in the Republic of Vietnam Navy. Her fate after 1962 is unreported in secondary sources.

Contents

U.S. Navy career

Sentry was laid down on 16 May 1943 by the Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Washington; launched on 15 August 1943 sponsored by Miss Nanette L. Pratt, and commissioned on 30 May 1944. After shakedown, Sentry sailed from San Francisco, California, on 28 August 1944 and joined the U.S. 7th Fleet at Manus on 6 October for the Leyte invasion. She arrived off the Leyte beaches on 17 October and carried out a three-day pre-invasion sweep. She continued sweeping during and after the initial landings on 20 October until joining the transports on 24 October to provide antiaircraft support.

Sentry remained in Leyte Gulf for the next six weeks then participated in most of the subsequent landings in the Philippines. With her division, Mine Division 34 she carried out pre-invasion sweeps at Ormoc Bay on 6 December 1944, Mindoro Island on 14 December Lingayen Gulf on 6 January 1945, and Zambales and Subic Bay on 29–31 January. For all but the Ormoc landings, she remained on the scene after the initial troop landings, helping extend the mineswept areas and providing antisubmarine and antiaircraft protection to the transports. Many mines were encountered, and kamikaze resistance was intense, and the ships saw much antiaircraft action.

On 13 February, Sentry and her division began pre-invasion sweeps in Manila Bay in preparation for the landings at Mariveles and Corregidor. While sweeping off Corregidor on the 14th, the minesweepers came within 5,000 yards of the island and were repeatedly straddled by Japanese fire before supporting ships silenced the enemy's guns. Sentry continued sweeping in Manila Bay through 19 February, and her division earned a Navy Unit Commendation for the operation.

During the next two and one-half months, Sentry carried out various local sweeps in support of mop-up operations in the Philippines, the most notable being a pre-assault sweep for the landings at Legaspi, Luzon on 1 April, and an 8-day sweep in the Sulu Sea off Palawan beginning on 22 April. On 9 May, the ship arrived at Morotai to prepare for operations in the Netherlands East Indies.

Between 7 and 18 June, Sentry supported the landings at Brunei Bay, Borneo; and, between 22 June and 15 July, she helped clear the way for the assault at Balikpapan. During both operations, the minesweepers came under fire from shore batteries; and one ship, USS Salute (AM-294), was sunk by a mine on 8 June. Sentry's task unit received a Presidential Unit Citation for its service off Borneo between 15 June and 1 July 1945.

After overhaul at Subic Bay, Sentry departed the Philippines on 8 September and arrived at Sasebo Japan, on 20 October, having accepted the surrender of the Japanese army garrison of Shan Zaki in the Ryukyus while en route. In the following weeks, she swept Japanese minefields in the Ryukyus, the Tsushima Strait, and the Van Diemen Strait. She sailed from Sasebo on 9 December for the United States. Arriving at Orange, Texas, on 2 April 1946, she was decommissioned there on 19 June 1946 and placed in reserve. In addition to her six battle stars for World War II service, Sentry was also awarded a Navy Unit Commendation and a Presidential Unit Citation.

While she remained in reserve, Sentry's classification was changed to MSF-299, effective 7 February 1955. Sentry was struck from the Navy list on 1 February 1962 and transferred to South Vietnam on 31 August 1962.

Republic of Vietnam Navy career

The former Sentry was transferred to South Vietnam's navy, the Republic of Vietnam Navy, on 31 August 1962 as RVNS Ky Hoa (HQ-09). Her fate after that date is unreported in secondary sources.

In late April 30, 1975, Ky Hoa (HQ-09) had to be repaired at South Vietnam Navy Shipyard Factory (Ba Son) in Saigon, then until the collapse of South Vietnam Government, she was left at the Ba Son Shipyard dock and had been captured by the Communist Army when they won the Vietnam War.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Revenge</i> (AM-110) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Revenge (AM-110) was a World War II-era Auk-class minesweeper in the service of the United States Navy. It was the sixth United States vessel named Revenge.

USS Sentry may refer to the following ships of the United States Navy:

USS <i>Cony</i> (DD-508)

USS Cony (DD/DDE-508), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Joseph S. Cony (1834–1867), a naval officer during the Civil War.

USS Execute (AM-232) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally ordered and laid down as USS PCE-905, the lead ship of the PCE-905 class of patrol craft. She was reclassified as an Admirable-class minesweeper by the time of her June 1944 launch, and named Execute by the time of her November 1944 commissioning. After service in the Pacific during World War II, she was decommissioned in August 1946 and placed in reserve. While she remained in reserve, Execute was reclassified as MSF-232 in February 1955 but never reactivated. In 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-03. In 1994, she was renamed ARM General Juan N. Méndez (C51). She was stricken in July 2001, but her ultimate fate is not reported in secondary sources.

USS Serene (AM-300) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean and was awarded six battle stars. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1946. In January 1964, the former Serene was transferred to South Vietnam as RVNS Nhật Tảo (HQ-10) in the Republic of Vietnam Navy. She was sunk in January 1974 during combat with Chinese forces in the Battle of the Paracel Islands.

USS <i>Shelter</i> (AM-301) Admirable-class minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Shelter (AM-301) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. After service in the Pacific during World War II, Shelter was decommissioned in June 1946 and placed in reserve. In January 1964, she was transferred to South Vietnam for service in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Chi Linh (HQ-11). She remained in South Vietnamese service until the collapse of that country in 1975. Chi Linh was one of several ships that fled from South Vietnam to the Philippines. She was then commissioned into the Philippine Navy in April 1976 as RPS Datu Tupas (PS-18), named after a chieftain of Cebu. The ship's fate is not reported in secondary sources.

USS <i>Triumph</i> (AM-323) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Triumph (AM-323) was a World War II Auk-class minesweeper of the United States Navy.

USS <i>Velocity</i> (AM-128) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Velocity (AM-128) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. She was the second warship to bear the name.

USS Sage (AM-111) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing naval mines.

USS <i>Strive</i> (AM-117) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Strive (AM-117) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

USS <i>Salute</i> (AM-294) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Salute (AM-294), was a U.S. Navy oceangoing minesweeper, laid down on 11 November 1942 by Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Washington; launched on 6 February 1943; sponsored by Miss Patricia Lindgren; and commissioned on 4 December 1943, Lt. R. H. Nelson in command.

USS Staunch (AM-307) was a steel-hulled Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her crew was quickly trained in the art of minesweeping and then sent to the Pacific Ocean to clear dangerous mine fields so that Allied troops could land on Japanese-held beaches. Because of her courageous work under fire, she was awarded four battle stars.

USS Scurry (AM-304) was a steel-hulled Admirable-class minesweeper constructed for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was crewed by sailors who were trained in minesweeping, and quickly sent to the Pacific Ocean to clear minefields so that Allied forces could invade Japanese-held beaches. For this dangerous work, often under enemy fire, she was awarded four battle stars.

USS Design (AM-219) was a steel-hulled Admirable class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. A crew, trained in minesweeping, boarded the new vessel, and proceeded to the Pacific Ocean to clear minefields so that Allied forces could safely invade Japanese-held beaches. For this dangerous work under combat conditions she was awarded three battle stars.

USS <i>Prowess</i> (AM-280) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Prowess (AM-280) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. At war's end she was placed in reserve. In the mid-1960s, she was converted into a training ship for U.S. Naval Reserve personnel. She was transferred to South Vietnam in June 1970 as RVNS Ha Hoi (HQ-13) in the Republic of Vietnam Navy. In 1975, Ha Hoi was seized by North Vietnamese forces and incorporated into the Vietnamese People's Navy. She remained in service until 1998, when she was converted into a training ship. She has since been scrapped.

USS Saunter (AM-295) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters.

USS Scout (AM-296) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II; she was the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. She was awarded 5 battle stars for service in the Pacific during World War II. She was decommissioned in February 1947 and placed in reserve. Although she did not see service in the war zone, Scout was recommissioned in May 1951 during the Korean War and remained in commission until March 1954, when she was placed in reserve again. While she remained in reserve, Scout was reclassified as MSF-296 in February 1955 but never reactivated. In October 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-09. Although she is reported out of service, her ultimate fate is not reported in secondary sources.

USS Scrimmage (AM-297) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters. She served in the Pacific Ocean and, because of her valiant efforts in combat, her crew returned home with six battle stars.

USS Scuffle (AM-298) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and five battle stars for service in the Pacific during World War II. She was decommissioned in June 1946 and placed in reserve. While remaining in reserve, Scuffle was reclassified as MSF-298 in February 1955, but never reactivated. In October 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-05. In 1994, she was renamed ARM General Felipe Xicoténcatl (C53). She was sunk as an artificial reef and dive attraction off of Cozumel in 1999, and was stricken from the rolls of the Mexican Navy in 2000.

USS Signet (AM-302) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She received four battle stars during World War II. She was decommissioned in December 1945 and placed in reserve. In February 1955, while still in reserve, her hull number was changed from AM-302 to MSF-302, but she was not reactivated. She was transferred to the Dominican Republic in January 1965 and renamed Tortuguero (BM455). She was employed as a patrol vessel in Dominican Navy service. Her pennant number was changed from BM455 to C455 in 1995. Tortuguero was stricken and hulked in 1997.

References