History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Laid down | 26 May 1919 |
Launched | 11 September 1919 |
Commissioned | 29 January 1920 |
Decommissioned | 29 May 1920 |
In service | as ARS-12, 13 September 1941 |
Out of service | 1 December 1947 |
Stricken | 5 December 1947 |
Fate | Sold for scrap 2 November 1948 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 840 tons |
Length | 187 ft 10 in (57.25 m) |
Beam | 35 ft 5 in (10.80 m) |
Draught | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) |
Propulsion | triple expansion reciprocating steam engine, two Babcock & Wilcox boilers, one shaft. |
Speed | 14 kts |
Complement | 85 |
Armament | two 3 in (76 mm) gun mounts |
USS Willet (AM-54) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper commissioned by the United States Navy for service after World War I. Willet's task was to clear mines from minefields laid in combat areas by enemy forces.
Willet (Minesweeper No. 54 ) was laid down on 19 May 1919 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard; launched on 11 September 1919, sponsored by Miss Caroline Chantry, the daughter of Comdr. A. J. Chantry, CC; and commissioned on 29 January 1920.
After brief service with the Atlantic Fleet Train Willet was decommissioned on 29 May 1920 and simultaneously transferred, on loan, to the United States Shipping Board.
She operated with the civilian firm of Merritt, Chapman, and Scott through World War II. (During the 1920s and 1930s, she was based at the Merritt, Chapman, and Scott salvage depot in New York City before being shifted to Key West, Florida, from which point she operated during World War II.)
Classified as a salvage vessel on 13 September 1941 and simultaneously redesignated ARS-12. Willet operated in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico through the end of hostilities. She assisted stranded or grounded vessels, fought fires on burning ships, and escorted coastwise convoy runs.
Declared surplus to naval needs on 1 December 1947, Willet was struck from the Navy list on 5 December 1947. Although listed as "disposed of" as of 6 July 1948 subsequent records indicate that the ship lay berthed at the Navy Net Depot at Melville, Rhode Island, into the late fall of 1948. She was berthed in a shallow water anchorage not normally used by active vessels and served as a breakwater protecting other ships of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet berthed at Melville. On 2 November 1948, the erstwhile minesweeper and salvage vessel was delivered to her purchaser, Joseph Demaso, of Miami, Florida, and scrapped soon thereafter.
USS Fearless (AM/MSO-442) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper. She was the third United States Navy ship to carry the name.
USS Wheatear (AM-390) 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 Osprey (AM-29) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War I. She was responsible for removing mines from harbors, and, in her role as rescue and salvage ship, she was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels. After service in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as the survey ship USC&GS Pioneer, she returned to the U.S. Navy in 1941 as the salvage ship USS Crusader (ARS-2), serving as such through the end of World War II.
USS Token (AM-126) 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 Woodcock (AM-14) was an Lapwing-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 Widgeon (AM-22/ASR-1) was an Lapwing-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. Later converted to a submarine rescue ship. Widgeon was named by the Navy after the widgeon, a freshwater duck.
The second USS Swan was a US Navy YMS-1-class minesweeper in commission from 1944 to 1946, and again from 1950 to 1955. She was laid down on 12 August 1943 by the Gibbs Gas Engine Co., at Jacksonville, Florida, as Patrol Craft, Sweeper, PCS-1438; and was redesignated Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper YMS-470, on 27 September 1943. Launched on 5 April 1944; the ship was completed and commissioned on 14 October 1944.
USS Redwing (AM-48) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War I. She was responsible for removing mines from harbors, and, in her role as rescue and salvage ship, she was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels. She was laid down 5 August 1918 by the Baltimore Drydock & Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore, Maryland; launched 7 June 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Fred A. Plagemann, wife of the prospective commanding officer; and commissioned 17 October 1919.
USS Flamingo (AM-32) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy near the end of World War I. After service overseas clearing mines after the Armistice, the ship was laid up until 1922 when she was transferred to the United States Department of Commerce for use by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. Renamed USC&GS Guide, the ship operated as a survey vessel along the West Coast of the United States for 17 years, making significant contributions to navigation, hydrographic surveying, and oceanography. In June 1941, Guide was transferred back to the Navy, converted into a salvage ship, and renamed USS Viking (ARS-1). As Viking, she worked primarily from bases in California until 1953, when she was sold for scrapping.
USS Warbler (AM-53) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper laid down on 24 April 1919 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard; launched on 30 July 1919; sponsored by Miss Alice Kempff, the daughter of Capt. C. S. Kempff, the Captain of the Yard; and commissioned on 22 December 1919.
Rescue and salvage ships are a type of military salvage tug. They are tasked with coming to the aid of stricken vessels. Their general mission capabilities include combat salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of grounded vessels, off-ship firefighting, and manned diving operations. They were common during World War II.
USS Harjurand (ARS-31) was a rescue and salvage ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
USS Albatross (AMS-1/YMS-80) was an YMS-1-class auxiliary motor minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II for clearing coastal minefields.
USS Bobolink (AMS-2/YMS-164) 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 Auk (AM-38) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy after World War I to remove mines that had been placed during the war.
USS Notable (AM-460/MSO-460) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Stalwart (MSO-493) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Venture (AM-496/MSO-496) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Tonawanda (YN-115/AN-89) was a Cohoes-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect U.S. Navy ships and harbors during World War II by deploying and maintaining anti-submarine nets. Her World War II career was short due to the war coming to an end, but, post-war, she was reactivated in 1952 and served the Navy until 1959 when she was put into reserve and eventually transferred to Haiti as Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
USS Waxsaw (YN-120/AN-91) was a Cohoes-class net laying ship which was assigned to protect United States Navy ships and harbors during World War II with her anti-submarine nets. Her World War II career was cut short due to the war coming to an end, but, post-war, she was reactivated and served the Navy until she was put into reserve and eventually transferred to Venezuela as Puerto Miranda.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .