USS Toucan (AM-387)

USS "Toucan" (AM-387) 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. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the toucan, a brightly colored and easily tamed bird of the American tropics, characterized by its large but thin beak.

History

"Toucan" was laid down on 16 February 1944 at Cleveland, Ohio, by theAmerican Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 15 September 1944; sponsored by Miss Rose B. Jackiewicz; and commissioned on 25 November 1944, Lt. Comdr. S. H. Squibb, USNR, in command.

The minesweeper departed Cleveland on 28 November and proceeded via the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to Boston where she arrived on 15 December. "Toucan" spent the next four months preparing for duty in the western Pacific.

"Toucan" departed Charleston, South Carolina, on 20 April, transited the Panama Canal, and arrived at San Diego, California, on 6 May. Three days later, the minesweeper sailed for Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 15th.

Getting underway again on the 27th, the ship served in the screens of various convoys as she proceeded to the Ryukyus via Eniwetok, Guam, and Ulithi.

Reaching Okinawa as American forces pushed ever closer to Japan's home islands, "Toucan" swept the waters surrounding the Ryukyus and then performed escort duty and sweeping operations with the U.S. 3rd Fleet as it hammered away at Japanese ports, cities, and airfields through the end of July.

With the collapse of Japan, the task of clearing the offensive and defensive minefields in Pacific seas began in earnest. From 14 to 24 August, "Toucan" took part in the "Skagway" sweep in the East China Sea and Ryukyus area. A call at Shanghai, China, punctuated two further sweeping operations—from 7 September to 2 October and from 25 to 30 October. The latter was conducted in the Kyūshū-Korea area. All told, she steamed over 40,000 miles and swept 134 mines in the East China Sea, the lower Yangtze River, and in the Chusan Archipelago. On 6 February 1946, "Toucan" left Japanese waters and headed for the west coast, arriving at San Francisco, California, on 23 March 1946.

Moving to San Diego on 24 April, she began preparations for inactivation and was placed out of commission, in reserve, there on 1 July 1946.

The outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950 increased the Navy's need for minecraft. Accordingly, "Toucan" was recommissioned on 27 October and operated on the west coast for more than a year.

On 4 January 1952, "Toucan" sailed for Sasebo and called at Pearl Harbor and Midway Islands before reaching Sasebo on 2 February. She commenced Korean War operations in the Hungnam and Wonsan areas on 21 February, streaming her sweeping gear and hunting for the dangerous North Korean mines. With periodic repairs at Sasebo, "Toucan" operated primarily off Wonsan. From February through August 1952, the ship fired more than 8,000 rounds of ammunition at communist shore targets — trading fire with the enemy on many occasions and dodging everything from 76 millimeter shells to small arms fire.

Her duties included the disruption of the North Korean fishing trade. The ship took 13 prisoners while destroying three sampans and damaging 22 more. The plucky minesweeper also scored hits on enemy bunkers, box cars, and railroad trestles before departing Korean waters on 1 August to head for Long Beach, California.

The minesweeper returned to the Korean fighting zone the following year and continued her sweeping and interdiction operations in the vicinity of the Cho-Do, Paengyoung-Do, and Cheju-Do island areas from June to September 1953. The ship sailed for California and operated along the west coast from the time of her arrival at Long Beach on 3 December 1953 through 17 July 1954.

"Toucan" returned to the Far East in the summer of 1954 and reached Incheon, Korea, on 14 August. Two days later, she got underway for the west coast of Korea and operated primarily in the Taeyongyong-Do and Tojang Po vicinity. She departed Sasebo on 11 January 1955 and proceeded to Hong Kong only to return to Japanese waters a fortnight later. Her stay at Sasebo was brief. Four days later, she weighed anchor for Keelung, Formosa, and thence moved to the Tachen Islands. On 7 February, the minesweeper took part in the evacuation of Chinese Nationalists from the Tachen group and disembarked the evacuees at Sasebo a week later.

During this mission, "Toucan" was redesignated MSF-387 on 7 February 1955.

Departing Sasebo only two days after her arrival from the Tachens, "Toucan" headed home and arrived at Long Beach, California, on 11 March. She operated on the west coast as a unit of Mine Division 71 until August 1956 when she began another deployment to the Far East. She called at Yokosuka, Kobe, Sasebo, Fukuoka, Beppu, and Kagoshima, Japan, as well as Keelung, Formosa, before returning to Long Beach on 21 December.

On 1 May 1957, "Toucan" was inactivated and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, berthing at the Columbia River, Oregon, Group. Upon disestablishment of this group, the minesweeper was transferred to Bremerton, Washington, where she remained until 27 May 1964. On that day, she was withdrawn from the reserve fleet for conversion and transfer to the Republic of China, effective on 22 December 1964.

Awards and honors

"Toucan" received three battle stars for World War II and two battle stars for the Korean War.

References

*

See also

* List of United States Navy ships
* Commander Mine Squadron SEVEN

External links

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* [http://www.multied.com/NAVY/Minelayer/toucan.html Toucan AM-387]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-387_Toucan.html Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-387 USS Toucan]