- USS Pigeon (AM-374)
USS "Pigeon" (AM-374) was an "Auk"-class minesweeper acquired by the
U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing."Pigeon" was laid down
10 November 1944 by theSavannah Machine and Foundry Co.,Savannah, Georgia ; launched28 March 1945 ; sponsored by Miss Jean Ross; and commissioned at Savannah30 October 1945 , Lt. Comdr. Robert S. Cathcart in command.Decommissioned and reactivated
After fitting out at the
Charleston Navy Yard and operations out of the Naval Mine Warfare School,Yorktown, Virginia , "Pigeon" decommissioned10 July 1946 . Following Communist aggression inKorea , she recommissioned atOrange, Texas ,30 November 1950 , Lt. Theodore Sawick in command.North Atlantic operations
"Pigeon" departed
Orange, Texas ,2 January 1951 to joinMine Squadron 8 atCharleston, South Carolina . Tactics and Atlantic Fleet exercises took her toNorfolk, Virginia , and toCuba ,Puerto Rico , and theVirgin Islands .On
25 August 1952 she departedCharleston, South Carolina , withMine Division 82 for theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization combined fleet exerciseOperation Mainbrace . She arrived atRosyth, Scotland 11 September 1952 and put to sea the 19th to participate in “Mainbrace” minesweeping operations offDenmark . "Pigeon" returned toFalmouth, England 27 September 1952 and sailed the 29th with the same amphibious attack force forNATO Operation Longstep in theMediterranean . These and other operations with the powerfulU.S. 6th Fleet took her from ports ofMorocco to ports inItaly ,Turkey ,Greece ,France , andSpain . The minesweeper returned toCharleston, South Carolina ,7 February 1953 . Overhauled in theCharleston Naval Shipyard , "Pigeon" resumed readiness and training operations along the eastern seaboard as far north asQuebec, Canada . She departedCharleston, South Carolina ,6 January 1954 and joined theU.S. 6th Fleet atLisbon, Portugal ,19 January 1954 . After serving in fleet andNATO combined operations throughout theMediterranean , she returned to Charleston29 May 1954 .Decommissioning
"Pigeon" departed Charleston
15 November to prepare for inactivation atGreen Cove Springs, Florida . She decommissioned there14 January 1955 and was placed in reserve. On7 February 1955 , she was reclassified a fleet minesweeper and redesignated MSF-374. She remained in reserve until her name was struck from theNavy List 1 December 1966 . She was sold for scrapping.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II
*Minelayer
* minesweeper
* MinesweepingExternal links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-374_Pigeon.html Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-374 USS Pigeon]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02374.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Pigeon (MSF 374) - ex-AM-374]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5385.html uboat.net - Allied Warships - Minesweeper USS Pigeon of the Auk class]
* [http://www.korean-war.com/USNavy/USNavyShips.html U.S. NAVY SHIPS IN THE KOREAN WAR]
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