USS Turkey (AM-13)

USS "Turkey" (AM-13) was an snared a mine which exploded in one of her "kites", damaging both kite and ship and forcing her to limp home. USS|Swan |AM-34 closed "Turkey" to obtain more sweep wire to replace her depleted stock, but the capricious sea slammed the two ships together, forcing "USS Swan" out of action and back to port for repairs.

Completion of North Sea mine clearance

By November 1919, the colossal job of sweeping the barrage had been completed. On 25 November, "Turkey" and her 34 sister ships received orders detaching them from duty in the North Sea. Taking on fuel at Brest, France, "Turkey" departed European waters but soon ran into bad weather off the Azores. Bucking heavy seas and high winds, the ship used a large amount of her fuel and exhausted it completely, long before she reached Bermuda. Destroyer tender USS|Panther |AD-6 passed a towline to the minesweeper and eventually brought her to Bermuda.

Assignment to the Pacific Fleet

Following her return to the United States, "Turkey" began operating out of New York in the waters of the 3rd Naval District. On 17 July 1920, the minesweeper was designated AM-13 when the U.S. Navy adopted its modern alphanumeric system of hull numbers. In 1921, the ship shifted to the Pacific Ocean to join the Pacific Fleet Train. Based at Pearl Harbor, she operated as part of Mine Division 4 and Mine Division 6 until decommissioned there on 12 April 1922. After 15 years in reserve, "Turkey" returned to the U.S. West Coast in September 1937 and was fitted out at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California. Recommissioned there on 15 August 1938, "Turkey" subsequently operated out of San Pedro, California, through 1939. As the Fleet shifted to Pearl Harbor in late 1939 and early 1940, "Turkey" followed and operated out of Pearl Harbor into 1941. On 7 December of that year, she lay moored in a nest of her sister ships at the Coal Docks at Pearl Harbor, when Japanese planes launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Pacific Fleet.

Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor

A Naval Reserve ensign, who had experienced only six months of sea duty, led the ship's defense until her commanding officer could return to the ship. The crew tumbled to battle stations at the sound of the general quarters alarm and quickly manned the main battery of two 3-inch guns. In addition, two Lewis guns atop the tall pilot house went into action. A number of riflemen armed with Springfield 1903 bolt-action rifles roamed the decks looking for good vantage points from which to fire at the attacking planes. Twenty minutes after the raid began, "Turkey" backed clear of the next ship to improve her field of fire and continued the fight. When all Japanese planes had departed the area, "Turkey" and her sister ships labored to salvage the critically damaged battleships which were partially sunk in the mud and oily waters off Ford Island. "Turkey" remained engaged in these operations until 1 April 1942, when she departed Pearl Harbor for Samoan waters.

Pacific Theatre operations

Relieving USS|Kingfisher |AM-25 as station ship at Samoa, "Turkey" operated in Samoan waters through the end of the year and into 1943. She conducted minesweeping patrols, provided local escort services, and towed targets for the U.S. Marines shore batteries on Samoa. On 1 June 1942, she was reclassified as an ocean-going tug and given the designation AT-143. She also supported Marine raider landing exercises.

Discovering castaways

On 14 April 1943, "Turkey" visited Bowditch Island on an inspection and discovered two castaways who had been there for nearly a month. The two had been treated well by the local populace and were in good shape. After receiving repairs from 21 April to 30 April, the minesweeper became station ship at Tutuila. She returned to Pearl Harbor in June and thence proceeded to the U.S. West Coast and a major overhaul at Mare Island, California. Following trials off the west coast, she headed for Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 20 October. Operating out of the Fleet's Hawaiian base, "Turkey" towed targets for naval aircraft and recovered practice torpedoes through January 1944. Operating as a unit of Service Squadron 6, she conducted these activities through late February, after which she underwent more repair work at Pearl Harbor from 1 March to 24 April. Following post-repair trials and practice torpedo-recovery operations in Hawaiian waters, she headed for the Marshalls on 10 May 1944—in company with USS|Preserver |ARS-8 and towing barges "YOGL-7" and "YW-68"—and arrived at Majuro on 25 May. Five days later, "Turkey" headed for Kwajalein with "YF-412" and "YF-383" in tow and in company with "ATR-46", making port there on 1 June. Upon delivering her tows, she proceeded back to Majuro. Meanwhile, on 15 May 1944, she had been reclassified as an old ocean tug and redesignated ATO-143.

Providing ammunition for the larger ships

On 4 June, she commenced ammunition replenishment operations at that base for cruisers USS|Santa Fe|CL-60, USS|Biloxi|CL-80, and USS|Mobile|CL-63. For the remainder of the summer, "Turkey" operated in the Marshalls, towing small barges between Majuro, Kwajalein, and Eniwetok, undergoing a brief overhaul alongside USS|Ajax |AR-6 at Majuro from 29 August to 2 September and conducting harbor operations. Then, on 5 October, she headed for Ulithi. After harbor duty there, she sailed for Ngulu Atoll on 17 October to assist in salvage operations for USS|Montgomery |DD-121, which had been damaged by a mine explosion earlier that day. She returned to Ulithi on the 23d and, four days later, assisted the torpedo-damaged USS|Houston|CL-81 into the harbor after the cruiser had been struck off Formosa by a Japanese aircraft-launched torpedo.

Sinking of the "Mississinewa"

While "Turkey" was towing "YOG-21" alongside USS|Essex|CV-9, the minesweeper's foremast caught in one of the carrier's flight deck radio antenna braces and was broken in three places. On 21 November, "Turkey" went to the assistance of the tanker USS|Mississinewa|AO-59 which had been struck by a Japanese manned torpedo. The minesweeper closed to help put out the fires. Despite valiant firefighting efforts, the oiler rolled over and sank some three hours later, the war's first victim of Japan's Kaiten. Following a short overhaul period at Ulithi in December 1944, "Turkey" commenced assisting in fueling operations of Fleet carriers there early in January 1945; and, but for a brief drydock period from 9 to 13 January, she continued the task through the end of the month.

Iwo Jima operations

In early February, she assisted in preparations for the Iwo Jima landings before proceeding, via Kossol Roads in the Palaus, to San Pedro Bay, off Leyte. "Turkey" then continued operations as part of the Service Squadron, South Pacific Forces, in harbor activities at Ulithi in March through May 1945. After getting underway again for Leyte on 7 May, she served as a retriever for a tow convoy, keeping a lookout for barges and other craft which might slip their tows en route. Arriving in San Pedro Bay on 13 May, she commenced harbor operations and continued them until 7 June, when she began 10 days of upkeep alongside USS|Prometheus|AR-3.

End-of-war activity

She operated between Leyte and Ulithi through the end of hostilities in mid-August before stopping at Kwajalein on the 24th. On 30 August, she got underway for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on 11 September. From there, she proceeded to San Francisco, California.

Decommissioning

"Turkey" was decommissioned on 6 November 1945; struck from the Navy list on 28 November 1945; and sold and delivered to the Hawley Forge and Manufacturing Co., of San Francisco on 30 December 1946.

Awards

"Turkey" received one battle star for her World War II service.

References

See also

* List of United States Navy ships
* Minesweeping

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t9/turkey-i.htm Turkey]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/pearl/ph119.htm USS Turkey, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02013.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Turkey (AT [O] 143) - ex-AT-143 - ex-AM-13]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5170.html USS Turkey (AM 13)]