Lapwing-class minesweeper

The Lapwing-class minesweeper, often called the Bird class, was an early "AM-type" oceangoing minesweeper of the United States Navy. Seven ships of the class were commissioned during World War I, and served well into the 1950s. A number were refitted to serve as ocean-going tugs, salvage vessels, seaplane tenders, or submarine rescue ships.

USS Lapwing (AM-1) and other ships of the squadron anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City
Class overview
Operators United States Navy
Succeeded by Raven-class minesweeper
Built1917–1919
In commission1918–1953
Planned51
Completed49
Cancelled2
Lost16
Retired35
Preserved0
NotesAlthough technically not "preserved", USS Auk has been abandoned in Venezuela since 1962 and is still there in its original configuration albeit partially sunk.
General characteristics
TypeMinesweeper
Displacement840 long tons (853 t)
Length187 ft 10 in (57.25 m)
Beam35 ft 5 in (10.80 m)
Draft15 ft (4.6 m)
PropulsionReciprocating engine
Speed14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement75
Armament2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber guns and/or 2 × .30cal machine guns

Ships
Ship name Hull number Commissioned Decommissioned Fate
Lapwing AM-1 12 June 1918 29 November 1945 Sold, 19 August 1946; fate unknown
Owl AM-2 11 July 1918 26 July 1946 Sold for scrap, 27 June 1947
Robin AM-3 29 August 1918 9 November 1945 Sold for scrap, 1945
Swallow AM-4 8 October 1918 n/a Ran aground, 19 February 1938; later sank
Tanager AM-5 28 June 1918 n/a Sank, 4 May 1942
Cardinal AM-6 23 August 1918 n/a Ran aground, 6 June 1923; later sank
Oriole AM-7 5 November 1918 6 February 1946 Sold 1947
Curlew AM-8 7 January 1919 n/a Ran aground, 15 December 1925; later sank
Finch AM-9 10 September 1918 n/a Sank, 10 April 1942
Heron AM-10 30 October 1918 12 February 1946 Sold for scrap, 25 July 1947
Condor AM-11 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918
Plover AM-12 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918
Turkey AM-13 13 December 1918 6 November 1945 Sold for scrap, 30 December 1946
Woodcock AM-14 19 February 1919 30 September 1946 Sold for scrap, 19 December 1947
Quail AM-15 29 April 1919 n/a Scuttled to prevent capture, 5 May 1942
Partridge AM-16 17 June 1919 n/a Sank, 11 June 1944
Eider AM-17 23 January 1919 28 November 1945 Fate unknown
Thrush AM-18 25 April 1919 13 December 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 21 August 1946; Sank, 10 March 1951
Avocet AM-19 17 September 1918 10 December 1945 Sold for scrap, 12 December 1946
Bobolink AM-20 28 January 1919 22 February 1946 Fate unknown
Lark AM-21 12 April 1919 7 February 1946 Fate unknown
Widgeon AM-22 27 July 1918 5 February 1947 Sold for scrap, 5 March 1948
Teal AM-23 20 August 1918 23 November 1945 Fate unknown
Brant AM-24 5 September 1918 19 December 1945 Fate unknown
Kingfisher AM-25 27 May 1918 6 February 1946 Fate unknown
Rail AM-26 5 June 1918 29 April 1946 Fate unknown
Pelican AM-27 10 October 1918 30 November 1945 Sold for scrap, November 1946
Falcon AM-28 12 November 1918 18 June 1946 Fate unknown
Osprey AM-29 7 January 1919 13 February 1947 Sold for scrap, 1952
Seagull AM-30 7 March 1919 5 September 1946 Fate unknown
Tern AM-31 17 May 1919 23 November 1945 Fate unknown
Flamingo AM-32 12 February 1919 17 March 1953 Sold for scrap, 22 July 1953
Penguin AM-33 21 November 1918 n/a Scuttled to prevent capture, 8 December 1941
Swan AM-34 31 January 1919 13 December 1945 Fate unknown
Whipporwill AM-35 1 April 1919 17 April 1946 Fate unknown
Bittern AM-36 28 May 1919 n/a Scuttled following incapacitating damage, 10 December 1941
Sanderling AM-37 4 December 1918 2 May 1922 Accidentally sank while under tow, 26 June 1937
Auk AM-38 31 January 1919 28 January 1947 Transferred to Venezuela, 9 June 1947; decommissioned in 1962 and abandoned as of 2019
Chewink AM-39 9 April 1919 4 February 1947 Sunk as a target, 31 July 1947
Cormorant AM-40 15 May 1919 29 March 1946 Fate unknown
Gannet AM-41 10 July 1919 n/a Sunk, 7 June 1942
Grebe AM-43 1 May 1919 n/a Ran aground, 6 December 1942; destroyed by hurricane, 1–2 January 1943
Mallard AM-44 25 June 1919 10 December 1946 Sunk as a target, 22 May 1947
Ortolan AM-45 17 September 1919 18 March 1947 Fate unknown
Peacock AM-46 27 December 1919 n/a Sunk, 24 August 1940
Pigeon AM-47 15 July 1919 n/a Sunk, 4 May 1942
Redwing AM-48 17 October 1919 n/a Sunk, 29 June 1943
Sandpiper AM-51 9 October 1919 10 December 1945 Fate unknown
Vireo AM-52 16 October 1919 18 April 1946 Fate unknown
Warbler AM-53 22 December 1919 29 March 1946 Fate unknown
Willet AM-54 29 January 1920 1 December 1947 Sold for scrap 2 November 1948
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.