USS Ardent (AM-340)

The second USS "Ardent" (AM-340) was a , which had sailed from the Inland Sea on 4 October 1944 to disrupt American shipping between the west coast and the Hawaiian Islands. In sinking "I-12", "Ardent" and USS Rockford unwittingly avenged the atrocity I-12 had perpetrated on 30 October when, after sinking the Liberty ship [http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/sunk.htm SS John A. Johnson] , the submarine had rammed and sunk the lifeboats and rafts and then machine-gunned the 70 survivors. Among the ten men killed were five enlisted men of the merchantman's Navy armed guard detachment.

Second Pacific deployment

On 1 December 1944, "Ardent" departed San Francisco, California, and headed for Hawaii. She reached Pearl Harbor on the 10th and underwent an intensive training period before sailing for the Marshall Islands on 27 January 1945 with Task Group (TG) 51.11, arriving on 5 February at Eniwetok. Two days later, "Ardent" sailed for Tinian, and reported for duty with TG 52.3 on the llth. On 13 February, the ship got underway, in company with USS|Champion|AM-314, USS|Devastator|AM-318, and USS|Defense|AM-317, to participate in the Iwo Jima campaign. She conducted minesweeping operations off that island during the day from 15 to 18 February, and each night, her group retired to screen USS|Estes|AGC-12. During the sweeps, the ships came under intermittent fire from enemy shore batteries, but sustained no damage. On 19 February, "Ardent" took bomb-damaged USS|Blessman|DE-69 in tow and proceeded to the Marianas as escort for a convoy of damaged LCIs.

Ship shoots down Japanese planes

Upon reaching Saipan on the 25th, the minesweeper embarked 20 marines and loaded 149 sacks of mail for delivery at Iwo Jima. She arrived back at that island on 1 March but shaped a course for Ulithi the next day as escort for Task Unit (TU) 51.29.3. A few weeks later, "Ardent" got underway with TG 52.4 to take part in the assault on Okinawa. She began minesweeping operations on the 24th and continued them through the 31st, the unit to which she was attached destroying 17 mines during this time period. During frequent enemy air attacks, the minesweeper took several Japanese planes under fire. On 26 March, an enemy plane under fire from the nearby fast minelayer USS|Adams|DM-27 started a glide for USS "Ardent's" stern. The minesweeper opened fire and splashed the plane convert|300|yd away. On four occasions on 28 March, Japanese aircraft approached "Ardent" and her consorts. An adjacent formation shot down the first, convert|5000|yd from USS "Ardent's" port beam. Combined fire from "Adams" and "Ardent", as well as other ships in the formation, splashed the second, convert|1200|yd on the port beam. "Ardent" opened fire on the third aircraft, and saw it splash, the victim of a barrage put up by a formation of ships on the starboard quarter. USS "Adams" accounted for the fourth enemy aircraft. Later that same day, the minesweeper USS|Skylark|AM-63 struck a mine and sank; "Ardent" rescued 19 survivors.

Okinawa landings

Following the completion of minesweeping operations, "Ardent" assumed station on a patrol screen. On L-day, the day of the landings at Okinawa, 1 April 1945, a suicider crashed the nearby USS|Adams|DM-27, causing extensive damage. During this period, "Ardent" opened fire on several Japanese planes, but scored no hits.

Stateside repair period

Ordered to proceed to Saipan for engine repairs, "Ardent" sailed for her destination on 4 April, and arrived on 10 April. Since parts necessary for the repairs were not available in the forward areas, she was routed via Pearl Harbor, to Seattle, where she arrived on 30 May. "Ardent" underwent engine repairs at Seattle, Washington until 7 August. Six days later, on the 13th, the minesweeper sailed for Pearl Harbor, and was at sea, en route to the Hawaiian Islands, when the war with Japan ended.

Post-World War II operations

Departing Pearl Harbor on 20 August in company with USS|Scoter|AM-381 and USS|Redstart|AM-378, "Ardent" called at Saipan from 13 to 17 September, and arrived at Okinawa on the 21st. Pushing on for Japan, "Ardent" moored at Sasebo, Japan, on 27 September, disembarking passengers, and delivering mail and freight. The ship made a brief trip back to Okinawa, arriving there on 2 October, before she returned to Sasebo on 20 October. During her time at Okinawa, she sortied on 7 October to ride out a typhoon, and conducted sweeps down the island's east coast for survivors of that storm. Joining TU 52.4.1 on 27 October, "Ardent" proceeded to the "Klondike" minefield area, located in the East China Sea convert|100|mi|km southwest of Kyūshū. She conducted daily minesweeping operations until 8 November, when she arrived back at Sasebo. Between that time and the end of the year, "Ardent" operated between Honshū and Kyūshū, escorting ships, transporting minesweeping gear, and observing Japanese minesweeping operations and conducting demolition firing at the mine disposal grounds at Kushikino Ko. She remained thus engaged into March 1946. Routed to Kobe on 4 March 1946, in company with USS|Defense|AM-317, "Ardent" sailed for the Hawaiian Islands two days later, on 6 March. Touching at Saipan, Eniwetok, Johnston Island and Pearl Harbor, the minesweeper continued on to the west coast of the United States; parting company from USS "Defense" on 16 April, "Ardent" dropped anchor in San Francisco Bay on 19 April.

Stateside inactivity

The minesweeper lay in the San Francisco Naval Shipyard until November 1946. Subsequently proceeding to San Diego in company with USS|Vigilance|AM-324, "Ardent" then operated in the vicinity of San Clemente Island, Newport Beach, and Oceanside, California, and on air-sea rescue stations off the coast of southern California. Returning to pier 17, Treasure Island (California), on 15 December 1946, to commence preparations for inactivation, "Ardent" shifted to the San Diego Naval Station on 22 January 1947.

Decommissioning

Placed out of commission, in reserve, on 30 January 1947, "Ardent" was berthed with the San Diego group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. While she was in reserve, the ship's designation was changed to MSF-340 on 7 February 1955. Struck from the Navy List on 1 July 1972, the ship was subsequently sold to the government of Mexico on 19 September 1972. She later served in the Mexican Navy as Ignacio de la Llave (G-08).

Awards

"Ardent" earned four battle stars for her World War II service.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a11/ardent-ii.htm

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.multied.com/navy/Minelayer/Ardent.html USS Ardent AM 340]
* [http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/I12.html IJN Submarine I-12]
* [http://www.uscg.mil/history/WEBCUTTERS/PF48_Rockford.html USS Rockford]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02340.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Ardent (MSF 340) - ex-AM-340 - ex-HMS Buffalo (BAM 8)]
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-12.htm HIJMS Submarine I-12: Tabular Record of Movement]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5252.html uboat.net - Allied Warships - Minesweeper USS Ardent of the Auk class]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a/argus.htm DANFS - USS Argus]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-dm.html Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 Minecraft]