- USS Swallow (AM-4)
USS "Swallow" (AM-4) was an "Lapwing"-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."Swallow" was laid down at
New York City on18 March 1918 by theTodd Shipyard Corp.; launched on Independence Day1918 ; sponsored by Miss Sara V. Brereton; and commissioned on8 October 1918 , Lt. B. C. Philips in command.North Atlantic operations
Following commissioning, "Swallow" underwent minor adjustments and prepared for foreign service. On
6 April 1919 , she steamed out of Boston Harbor, bound forInverness, Scotland . There she joined theMinesweeping Detachment of the Northern Barrage. For most of the remainder of1919 . "Swallow" swept mines from theNorth Sea Barrage laid by the Allied and Associated Powers duringWorld War I .West Coast operations
The minesweeper returned to the
United States late in1919 and put into the navy yard atCharleston, South Carolina , for overhaul and repairs. Early in1920 , she sailed for theU.S. West Coast and then north toBremerton, Washington . For the next 18 years, "Swallow" operated along the northwestern Pacific coast ofNorth America , spending much of her time inAlaska n waters. In1934 , she became a unit of theAleutian Islands Survey Expedition."Swallow" runs aground
On
19 February 1938 , "Swallow" ran aground atKanaga Island and was stranded there. Salvage efforts soon proved impracticable and her name was struck from theNavy list on5 May 1938 .References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*Lapwing class minesweeper
*World War I
*Minesweeper (ship)
*Minesweeping External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.multied.com/navy/Minelayer/swallow.html USS Swallow]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5160.html USS Swallow (AM 4)]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=225 uboat.net - Allied Warships - Lapwing class Minesweepers]
* [http://www.amnwr.com/ShipwreckList.htm Shipwrecks and Groundings in the Aleutian Islands, Islands off the Alaska Peninsula, and Pribilof Islands]
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