USS Parrot (MSC-197)

USS Parrot (AMS/MSC-197) was a Bluebird-class minesweeper in the United States Navy for clearing coastal minefields.

This article is about the U.S. Navy minesweeper. For the U.S. Navy destroyer, see USS Parrott (DD-218).
USS Parrot (MSC-197)
History
Name: Parrot
Namesake: Parrot
Builder: Broward Marine, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Laid down: 23 December 1953
Launched: 27 November 1954
Commissioned: 28 June 1955
Decommissioned: 26 September 1968
In service: 26 September 1968
Out of service: 20 July 1972
Reclassified: Coastal Minesweeper, 7 February 1955
Stricken: 1 August 1972
Identification:
Fate: Sold for scrap, 1 December 1976
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Bluebird-class minesweeper
Displacement: 362 long tons (368 t)
Length: 144 ft 3 in (43.97 m)
Beam: 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
Draft: 12 ft (3.7 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2 × screws
Speed: 13.6 kn (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph)
Complement: 39
Armament:

Construction

Parrot was laid down 23 December 1953, as AMS–197, by Broward Marine, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida; launched on 27 November 1954; sponsored by Mrs. S. Heuer; reclassified MSC–197 on 7 February 1955; and commissioned on 28 June 1955, Lieutenant (jg) Richard K. Fontaine in command.[2]

North Atlantic operations

After fitting out and training, Parrot, along with four other minesweepers, participated in cold weather minesweeping exercises in the North Atlantic. Parrot then moved to Charleston, South Carolina, her base for exercises and training operations in the Caribbean and the Gulf Stream. She remained there until January 1958, when she sailed north to participate in her first NATO exercise.[2] In February 1958, Parrot was dispatched to the waters off Savannah, Georgia, to participate in a search for a nuclear weapon jettisoned by a bomber. Upon completion, she returned to the Caribbean area where she remained into 1961, conducting training exercises and serving as training ship for the Mine Warfare School. In March 1961, she assisted in helping to evaluate the new helicopter method of minesweeping. After completion of this duty, she returned to her training and patrol duties.[2]

On 22 October 1962, Parrot was ordered to get underway, with no destination being specified. She was later directed to assist in the Cuban Quarantine operation. After this duty, she returned to Charleston. Once again she resumed her training and patrolling duties. On 1 March 1963, she left Charleston with orders to search for the overdue SS Marine Sulphur Queen. Finding nothing, Parrot returned to port on 18 March. Resuming patrol duties and training exercises, Parrot also made annual deployments to the Caribbean until August 1968.[2]

Decommissioning and reassignment

Decommissioned and placed in service on 26 September 1968, Parrot became a Naval Reserve Training Ship at Atlantic City.[2] Placed out of service on 20 July 1972, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1972, Parrot was sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for scrapping on 1 December 1976.[1]

See also

Notes
    Citations
    1. Navsource.
    2. DANFS 2015.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Parrot I (MSC-197)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "USS Parrot (MSC-197)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 18 March 2017.



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