USS Skylark (AM-63)

Last updated
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Skylark
Namesake skylark
Builder General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, Alameda, California
Laid down9 July 1941
Launched12 March 1942
Commissioned25 November 1942
Stricken28 April 1945
IdentificationAM-63
Honours and
awards
3 battle stars (World War II)
FateSunk by a mine off Okinawa, 28 March 1945
General characteristics
Class and type Auk-class minesweeper
Displacement890 long tons (904 t)
Length220 ft 6 in (67.21 m)
Beam32 ft 2 in (9.80 m)
Draft10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Speed18.1 knots (33.5 km/h; 20.8 mph)
Complement105 officers and enlisted
Armament

USS Skylark (AM-63) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She earned three battle stars during World War II. Skylark was mined and sunk off Okinawa in April 1945. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register the same day.

Contents

Career

Skylark was laid down on 9 July 1941 by the General Engineering & Dry Dock Company of Alameda, California; launched on 12 March 1942; sponsored by Mrs. William L. Simpson; and commissioned on 25 November 1942.

After almost a month of trials, calibrations, and training along the coast of California, Skylark got underway for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of 20 December. The convoy arrived in Pearl Harbor ten days later, and Skylark remained in the Islands for another eleven days. On 10 January 1943, she stood out of Pearl Harbor and set course for Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, escorting another convoy. For the next year, Skylark escorted convoys around the various island groups in the South Pacific, the New Hebrides, Samoa, New Caledonia, and the Solomons, the conquest of which she was supporting. Often she shepherded supply echelons to Guadalcanal and to some of the other islands in the group, then would patrol the area for a week or two.

Guadalcanal

Of all the months of that year, June 1943 was her most active. On the 16th, while she was screening ships off Guadalcanal, she came under aerial attack by Japanese dive bombers and assisted in splashing four of the intruders. A week later, on 23 June, two ships of her convoy, Aludra and Deimos were torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, Ro-103. Skylark succeeded in rescuing 193 survivors and carried them on to Espiritu Santo.

Solomons

In January 1944, the minesweeper began an extended period of convoy-escort and patrol duty in the Solomons. Until 15 April, her theater of operations was restricted to those islands alone as she herded the supply echelons between them. On 15 April, she departed the Solomons for Espiritu Santo, arriving there the next day. On 7 May, she began her return voyage to the Solomons; and, two days later, she put into Purvis Bay, Florida Island, for repairs. Repairs and minesweeping exercises occupied her time until 3 June, when she sailed from Purvis Bay with elements of Task Force 53, bound for Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshalls. The various elements of the task force rendezvoused at Kwajalein on the 8th, refueled, and departed on the 12th.

Marianas and Marshall Islands

The Southern Attack Force, otherwise known as task force TF 53, was assigned the job of retaking Guam during the Marianas operation. Originally, the Guam assault was to have come several days after that upon Saipan. However, the necessity of meeting and defeating the Japanese fleet in what was to be the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the determination that additional troops would be needed to conquer Guam caused the assault to be delayed. Thus, TF 53 steamed around in the ocean 150 to 300 miles (240 to 480 km) east of Saipan until 25 June when Admiral Spruance ordered the bulk of it to Eniwetok to await the lifting of additional forces from Hawaii. Skylark arrived in Eniwetok Lagoon three days later.

She remained at Eniwetok until 17 July at which time the task force departed for Guam. Arriving off Apra Harbor on 21 July, Skylark took up her screening station and, for almost two months, screened ships and patrolled in the vicinity of Apra. On 9 September, Skylark ceased patrolling and screening and departed Guam in the escort of an Eniwetok-bound convoy. She arrived on 14 September and entered an availability period until 3 October. From Eniwetok, she moved to Ulithi, arriving on 9 October and departing again on 17 September to escort the repair ship Oahu back to Eniwetok. The two ships made Eniwetok on 23 October, and Skylark departed the next day. After a two-day layover at Majuro, 26 to 28 October, she headed for Pearl Harbor. From Pearl Harbor, she continued on to California, where she underwent repairs at both the Stockton Ship Works at Stockton, California, and General Engineering & Dry Dock Co., at Alameda, California.

Okinawa

On 15 February 1945, Skylark pointed her bow westward again and sailed out of Alameda. She entered Pearl Harbor on 22 February, provisioned the next day, and headed back to Eniwetok on 24 February. A month later, Skylark was with the other minesweepers clearing the invasion areas around Okinawa.

Mine damage

At 10:55 on 28 March, while sweeping a minefield off the Hagushi beaches, she struck a mine on her port side amidships. Skylark drifted while the crew fought fires and tried to save her. Twenty minutes later, she struck a second mine, took a heavy list, and sank within fifteen minutes. Five men were killed by the two explosions and, thanks to the rescue work of the destroyer minelayer Tolman, these were her only losses.

Skylark was struck from the Navy list on 28 April 1945. Skylark earned three battle stars for World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Honolulu</i> (CL-48) Brooklyn-class light cruiser

USS Honolulu (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War. Honolulu was launched in 1937 and commissioned in 1938. The ship served in the Battle of Tassafaronga, the Battle of Kula Gulf, the Battle of Kolombangara and the Battle of Peleliu. She was taken out of action by serious torpedo damage just before the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was repaired, but not in time to rejoin the war. She was decommissioned in 1947 and was held in reserve until she was scrapped in 1959.

USS <i>Schley</i> (DD-103) Wickes-class destroyer

USS Schley (DD-103) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I and later designated, APD-14 in World War II. She was the first ship named in honor of Winfield Scott Schley.

USS <i>Hogan</i> Wickes-class destroyer

USS Hogan (DD-178/DMS-6) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Southard</i> Clemson-class destroyer

USS Southard (DD-207/DMS-10) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second Navy ship named for Secretary of the Navy Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842).

USS <i>Acree</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Acree (DE-167) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort in service the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Trever</i> Clemson-class destroyer

USS Trever (DD-339/DMS-16/AG-110) was a Clemson-class destroyer of the United States Navy in commission from 1922 to 1923 and from 1930 to 1945. Converted to a destroyer minesweeper in 1940, she served in the Pacific throughout World War II, including during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Guadalcanal campaign, and the New Georgia campaign.

USS <i>Haggard</i> Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Haggard (DD-555) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy named for Captain Haggard of the Louisa, who fought in the Quasi-War.

USS PC-1136 was a PC-461-class submarine chaser built for the United States Navy during World War II. Shortly after the end of the war, she was renamed USS PCC-1136 when she was reclassified as a combat communications control ship. In 1956, she was renamed Galena (PC-1136), becoming the third U.S. Navy vessel so named, but never saw active service under that name.

USS <i>Sheldrake</i> Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Sheldrake (AM-62/AGS-19) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was named after the sheldrake duck. The ship earned four battle stars during World War II. She was converted to a survey ship and re-designated AGS-19 in 1952 and remained in commission until 1968. She was sold for scrap in 1971.

USS <i>Starling</i> Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Starling (AM-64) 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>Swallow</i> (AM-65) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Swallow (AM-65) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was the second U.S. Navy ship named after the swallow. Swallow earned two battle stars for World War II service. She was sunk by a kamikaze aircraft off Okinawa on 22 April 1945. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 2 June 1945.

USS Motive (AM-102) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She earned three battle stars for World War II service. She was decommissioned in 1946 and placed in reserve where she remained until struck from the Naval Vessel Register in December 1966. She was sunk as a target in April 1968.

USS Oracle (AM-103) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was commissioned in May 1943 and decommissioned in May 1946. She was placed in reserve and remained there until struck from the Naval Vessel Register in December 1966. She was sunk as a target in 1967.

USS Tumult (AM-127) 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>Wileman</i> Evarts-class destroyer escort

USS Wileman (DE-22) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. At the end of the war, she returned to the United States proudly displaying four battle stars.

USS <i>Wintle</i> (DE-25) Evarts-class destroyer escort

USS Wintle (DE-25) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. By the time she returned to the United States at the end of the war she had been awarded three battle stars.

The second USS Dempsey (DE-26) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. By the end of the ship's World War II service career, when she returned to the United States, she had accumulated three battle stars.

USS <i>Stadtfeld</i> Evarts-class destroyer escort

USS Stadtfeld (DE-29) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was promptly sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. By the end of the war, when she returned to the United States, she was awarded four battle stars.

USS <i>Pocomoke</i> (AV-9) Tender of the United States Navy

USS Pocomoke (AV-9) was a Pocomoke-class seaplane tender, originally built as the SS Exchequer and acquired by the U.S. Navy as the military build-up occurred in the United States just prior to World War II. She operated principally in the Pacific Theatre of the war and serviced military seaplanes. At war’s end, she returned to the United States with two battle stars.

USS <i>Williams</i> (DE-372)

USS Williams (DE-372) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was finally sunk as a target in 1968.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here. 26°20′N127°40′E / 26.333°N 127.667°E / 26.333; 127.667