USS Hazard (AM-240)

Infobox_nrhp | name =USS HAZARD (AM-240) National Historic Landmark
nrhp_type = nhl
built =1944
architect= Winslow Marine Railway
architecture= Other
designated= January 14, 1986cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1815&ResourceType=Structure
title= HAZARD (Minesweeper)|accessdate=2008-06-27|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = January 01, 1979
governing_body = Private
refnum=79003712cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

USS "Hazard" (AM-240) was a "Admirable" class minesweeper which served in the United States Navy during World War II.

"Hazard" was launched on 1 October 1944 and was commissioned on 30 December 1944. The vessel was built by the Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Corporation of Winslow, Washington. The "Hazard" was fitted for both wire and acoustic sweeping and could double as an anti-submarine warfare platform. The "Admirable" class of minesweepers were also used for patrol and escort duties.

"Hazard" first served in this capacity, escorting a convoy from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, and then running with convoys to Eniwetok and Ulithi. In March 1945, the sweeper was sent to Okinawa, where she first performed anti-submarine patrols before sweeping the waters off Kerama Retto in keeping with the minesweeper's slogan, "No Sweep, No Invasion."

At the war's end the ship cleared the seas off Korea and Japan for the occupation forces.

Returning to the United States in 1946, "Hazard" was decommissioned and joined the reserve fleet. Stricken from the Navy Register in 1971, "Hazard" was purchased by a group of Omaha businessmen and placed on public display. She is open to the public along with the submarine USS|Marlin|SST-2, landing ship USS "LSM-45", an A-4 Skyhawk, an A-7 Corsair II, and an HH-52A Seaguard Coast Guard helicopter at Freedom Park on the waterfront in East Omaha.

"Hazard" earned three battle stars for her World War II service.

"Hazard" is a National Historic Landmark, the only "Admirable" class minesweeper left in the United States. Her sister ship, the USS|Inaugural|AM-242 was a museum ship in St. Louis until she was destroyed in the Great Flood of 1993.

ee also

*List of Admirable class minesweepers

External links

* [http://www.freedomparknavy.org/ Freedom Park homepage]

References