The third USS ''Curlew'' (AM-69/IX-170) was a in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. ''Curlew'' was built in 1938 by Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, South Carolina, as ''Kittiwake''; purchased by the U.S. Navy on 6 August 1940; and commissioned 7 November 1940.

East Coast assignments

Clearing Boston 10 May 1941, ''Curlew'' swept mines off

Staten Island, New York Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and ...

, until 4 October when she put out for

Cristóbal Cristóbal or Cristobal, the Spanish version of Christopher, is a masculine given name and a surname which may refer to: Given name *Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972), Spanish fashion designer *Cristóbal Cobo (born 1976), Chilean academic *Cri ...

Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terri ...

. While it protected the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

, the ship was commanded by Joe Rollins, later a prominent attorney in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, Texas. She served in the

15th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Comman ...

until 10 February 1944 when she reported to Section Base,

Little Creek, Virginia Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

, for patrol and minesweeping operations until the end of the war. Re-classified Unclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary IX-170 on 1 June 1944, she arrived at

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

14 November 1945.

Decommissioning

''Curlew'' was decommissioned there 5 December 1945, and transferred to the

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

27 September 1946 for disposal. ''Curlew'' was converted into a civilian fishing vessel following her decommissioning, and still serves this role as of 2017, under the name ''Clipper Express''.

References

External links

*
Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 Minecraft
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curlew (AM-69) Catbird-class minesweepers Ships built in Charleston, South Carolina 1938 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States