USS Murrelet (AM-372)

USS Murrelet (AM-372) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy to remove mines from minefields laid to prevent ships from passing. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the murrelet, a small sea bird found chiefly on islands in the northern Pacific Ocean.

History
United States
Name:	USS Murrelet
Builder:	Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia
Laid down:	24 August 1944
Launched:	29 December 1944
Commissioned:	21 August 1945
Decommissioned:	20 June 1946
Recommissioned:	28 October 1950
Decommissioned:	14 March 1957
Reclassified:	MSF-372, 7 February 1955
Stricken:	1 December 1964
Honours and awards:	5 battle stars (Korea)
Fate:	Transferred to the Philippines, June 1965
Philippines
Name:	BRP Rizal (PCE-69)
Acquired:	June 1965
Status:	Decommissioned
General characteristics
Class and type:	Auk-class minesweeper
Displacement:	890 long tons (904 t)
Length:	221 ft 3 in (67.44 m)
Beam:	32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft:	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Speed:	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:	100 officers and enlisted
Armament:	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun 2 × 40 mm guns 2 × 20 mm guns 2 × Depth charge tracks

Murrelet was laid down 29 August 1944 by the Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia; launched 29 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. W. L. Mingledorff; and commissioned 21 August 1945, Lt. Comdr. John E. ("Jack") Wagstaff in command.

Service history

Post-World War II operations

Following shakedown off Virginia, Murrelet departed Little Creek, Virginia, and steamed for Japan, arriving Sasebo on 14 January 1946. She engaged in sweeping operations in Japanese and Korean waters until 22 April, when she steamed for the west coast. Murrelet was decommissioned on 20 June 1946, and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego.

Korean War

After hostilities broke out in Korea, Murrelet recommissioned 28 October 1950. She reported to COMINRON 5 for extensive minesweeping training at Long Beach, California, 6 March 1951. She arrived Yokosuka, Japan, in August 1951 to aid United Nations forces meeting the challenge of Communist aggression. Departing Yokosuka on 21 August, she sailed to Korea, participating in operations north of Wonsan, in the Hungnam, Songjin, and Chongjin areas. She resumed shelling and sweeping operations at Songjin on 27 November 1951, after returning from a period of yard duty at Yokosuka. She continued sweeping and patrol duties off Korea in 1952, capturing and destroying enemy sampans, until July, when she returned to the west coast.

Murrelet started a second tour of duty off Korea in April 1953, returning to Long Beach, California, in December. Redesignated MSF-372, 7 February 1955, she continued to operate off the west coast of the United States, except for a third WestPac deployment that year.

She decommissioned 14 March 1957, and was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, at Columbia City, Oregon. Struck from the Naval Register on 1 December 1964, she was transferred in June 1965 to the Philippine Navy under the Foreign Military Assistance Program, and served as BRP Rizal (PS-74).

Awards

Murrelet received five battle stars for Korean service.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Web site dedicated to the memory of the USS Murrelet (AM-372)
• Photo gallery of USS Murrelet at NavSource Naval History
• Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945 AM-372 USS Murrelet
• USS Murrelet MSF-372
• AWON Washington Post page
• The Navy MSO Association