USS ''Osprey'' (AMS-28/YMS-422) was a built for 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. She was the third U.S. Navy ship to be named for the

osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

History

''YMS-422'' was laid down 9 October 1943 at the Astoria Marine Construction,

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corn ...

; launched 1 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Charles S. Harper, Jr.; and commissioned 27 September 1944.

World War II service

''YMS-422'' patrolled off the California coast until reporting for duty with the Hawaiian Sea Frontier early in January 1945. Patrol activities interspersed with minesweeping training absorbed her time until mid-summer when she sailed to the western Pacific Ocean. The approaching end of the war would not and did not end the need for vessels of this type. The removal of minefields around the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

home island of

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...

provided the first extensive test of ''YMS-422's'' skill at this hazardous work. Operations commenced at

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most p ...

18 October, continued at

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, w ...

in December, and this craft was still partially engaged with this task at the outbreak of the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

in 1950.

Korean War service

Previously named and designated ''Osprey'' (''AMS-28''), 17 February 1947, this wooden-hulled ship now sailed directly to help confront this latest communist advance. ''Osprey'' made a pre-assault sweep at

Pohang Pohang () is a city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two ...

14 July 1950 to clear the way for the 1st Cavalry Division. 15 September her sweeps prepared a firing base anchorage for the big guns of the battleship at the masterful

Inchon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

landings. The following month, while engaged in clearing

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

Bay,

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

, two sister ships struck mines and sank. One year later, again at Wonsan, and again operating under enemy fire she suffered 3 shell hits, 29 October which necessitated a brief retirement to Japan. Upon return, her continuing aggressive spirit in seeking out and firing on enemy targets ashore and record breaking performance in mine destruction earned medals and promotions for members of the ship's company. Her sterling performance continued until negotiations produced a truce 27 July 1953. ''Osprey'', redesignated ''MSC(O''), 7 February 1955, was destined to conclude her career in the Far East. Loaned to the

Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

, 22 March 1955, she served as ''Yakushima'' (YTE-10) until 1969. Declared surplus to the needs of both the Japanese and United States navies she was struck from the

Navy Directory A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval autho ...

15 June 1969.

Awards and honors

''YMS-422'', received 2

battle stars A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

for post-

operations and, as ''AMS-28'', 10

for Korean War service.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Osprey (AMS-28) YMS-1-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Astoria, Oregon 1944 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Korean War minesweepers of the United States YMS-1-class minesweepers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force