- USS Redstart (AM-378)
USS "Redstart" (AM-378/MSF-378) was an "Auk"-class minesweeper commissioned by the
U.S. Navy for service inWorld War II . Her task, as a fleet minesweeper, was to clear mines as the fleet proceeded into battle areas.History
"Redstart" was built in
Savannah, Georgia by theSavannah Machine and Foundry Co., and was laid down on14 June 1944 , launched on18 October 1944 , and finally commissioned on4 April 1945 . Following ashakedown cruise off theVirginia andMaryland coasts, the ship proceeded through thePanama Canal and berthed at Pipeline Pier inLong Beach, California .For use in her minesweeping operations, the ship carried, on her
fantail , towable finned devices called “pigs” because of their size and shape, plus cables with cutters, plus other devices used for removing and destroying mines, such as acoustical hammer and hedgehog weapons. After the towed equipment cut a mine cable, the mine floated to the surface, where the mine would be exploded by fire from an on-board 20mm or 40mm gun."Redstart" steamed to
Japan by way ofPearl Harbor for post-war minesweeping operations. The war had ended suddenly for the Japanese, causing a shutdown of military activities, and a large number of defensive mines were still in place in various harbors and bays. On one of her mine-clearing operations in Japanese waters atNagoya Bay, the ship struck an underwater object and damaged her shaft, requiring her to be repaired in adrydock inKyūshū the port of Sasebo, Japan. During the remainder of her operations in the Japanese area, where she earned onebattle star , she berthed in Sasebo, Japan, orBuckner Bay ,Okinawa , between assignments. In April 1946, she completed her operations in the Japanese theatre, and returned toLong Beach, California , and was then towed and placed in the reserve fleet inSan Diego, California ."Redstart" was recommissioned on
1 December 1950 . TheKorean War was in progress, and she proceeded to theWonsan operating area where she swept mines and traded artillery fire with shoreside enemy batteries. Beside her minesweeping functions, she served a variety of other purposes, including patrol work, courier duty, escort duty, and establishing a presence offshore at the38th parallel . On11 August 1951 , in company with the USS|Dextrous|AM-341|3, and on10 September 1951 in company with the USS|Heron|AMS-18|3, "Redstart" received enemy fire off the Korean coast and sustained minor damage. In February 1952, after having won five additionalbattle stars , she sailed from Japan and returned, via Pearl Harbor, to her berth at Pipeline Pier in Long Beach."Redstart" was assigned to local operations off the
California coast, including participating inOperation Philbex 1 , an amphibious operation off the coast atOceanside, California .On
1 December 1952 , she departed again for the Japanese and Korean theatre and continued her minesweeping activities off the Korean coast, accumulating a total of 81 minesweeping operations, which was a record in the Korean theatre of operations In June 1953, she departed Japan and returned to Long Beach on3 July 1953 .On
16 January 1954 , with theKorean War now over, "Redstart" was assigned to another Far East tour. Based out of Sasebo she practiced minesweeping operations off the Korean coast, south of the 38th parallel. She showed her colors in various Far East ports before returning to Long Beach19 August 1954 .During the remainder of 1954, "Redstart" operated off the California coast. On
4 January 1955 , she departed Long Beach for cold weather operations off the coast ofAlaska , returning to Long Beach on approximately thirty days later."Redstart" was redesignated MSF-378 on
1 March 1955 ."Redstart" commenced another tour of the
Far East on7 October 1955 , stopping atPearl Harbor and theMidway Islands for food and fuel before arriving at her temporary home port of Sasebo,Japan , on4 November 1955 . While in theFar East , the ship continued minesweeping practice atKoje Do andTojang Po on the Korean coast, and participated in mock atomic warfare off the coast ofOkinawa .During this tour-of-duty she made ports-of-call at
Yokosuka, Japan andHong Kong, China . From21 January to23 January 1956 , she participated atKaoshiung , Formosa, in operations with the Formosan navy with some of her personnel stationed as observers aboard the Formosan warships. On19 March 1956 , the ship set sail from Sasebo,Japan , forLong Beach, California , after stopping atMidway Island and atPearl Harbor, Hawaii , for fuel and supplies. She docked again at Pipeline Pier inLong Beach, California Harbor, inCalifornia , on13 April 1956 ."Redstart" reported to for her deactivation at
Astoria, Oregon , on16 November 1956 . She was then deactivated on15 March 1957 and struck from theNavy List on1 April 1965 . She was then transferred to theTaiwan Navy, where she served as the "Wu Sheng", (PCE-66), later redesignated PCE-866. She was decommissioned by theTaiwanese Navy on16 February 1998 , and stuck from their naval registry on26 February 1998 .Awards and honors
"Redstart" earned one
battle star forWorld War II service and fivebattle stars for Korean conflict service.References
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See also
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List of United States Navy ships
*Commander Mine Squadron SEVEN External links
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* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-378_Redstart Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5389.html USS Redstart (AM 378)]
* [http://www.kilroywashere.org/003-Pages/Burl/Burl-ShoreBatteries.html Burl Gilliland The Shore Batteries at Wonsan]
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