The ''Accentor''-class minesweeper, sometimes called the ''Accentor''/''Acme''-class minesweeper, was a small
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
used by the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The ''Accentor''-class minesweeper was designed for the sweeping of
mines
Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to:
Extraction or digging
*Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging
*Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine
Grammar
*Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun
Mi ...
in harbors, bays, and other
littoral
The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely i ...
waters.
Design
The ships of the class were wooden-hulled with a
draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
between and . Typically, the ''Accentor''-class minesweepers were armed with a pair of .50 caliber machine guns for protection.
Rather than creating new minesweeping vessels, forty-five wooden-hulled fishing boats were converted into ''Accentor''-class minesweepers. Since these converted fishing boats were not all the same, their specifications varied slightly. The converted fishing boats had a
displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and physics
*Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
from . They had speeds from up to and crews from as small as fifteen up to 50.
Service history
In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the ''Accentor''-class minesweepers were used to sweep mines in harbors, bays, and other
littoral waters, due to their small size.
The minesweepers were used to remove mines placed defensively in harbors and coastal waters by the United States Navy.
After the war
After World War II ended and most postwar minesweeping tasks had been completed, the ''Accentor''-class minesweepers were declared surplus to naval needs. By the end of 1946, all 70 of the ''Accentor'' class were
decommissioned.
They were transferred to the
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission 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, 1950. The co ...
(MARCOM) for disposal. The two .50 caliber machine guns and minesweeping equipment were removed by MARCOM, after which the vessels were sold to various American
marine towing companies and
fisheries
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...
to be used as civilian vessels.
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See also
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APc-1-class small coastal transports
''APc-1''-class small coastal transports were a troopship design used during World War 2 for the United States Navy (USN). These ships were assigned to the Pacific War where they transported supplies, personnel and munitions around the Island ho ...
a modified Accentor-class minesweeper ship
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Wooden boats of World War 2
Splinter fleet or Splinter navy was a nickname given to the United States wooden boats used in World War II. The boats served in many different roles during the war. These boats were built in small boatyards on the West Coast of the United Stat ...
References
External links
Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945 Minecraft
{{Accentor class minesweeper
Mine warfare vessel classes
World War II minesweepers of the United States