USS Albatross (AMS-1)
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USS ''Albatross'' (AMS-1/YMS-80) was an ''YMS-1''-class
auxiliary motor minesweeper Auxiliary motor minesweepers were small wood-hulled minesweepers commissioned by the United States Navy for service during World War II. The vessels were numbered, but unnamed. The auxiliary motor minesweepers were originally designated yard min ...
acquired by the
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
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 ...
for clearing coastal minefields. ''YMS-80'' was laid down on 27 June 1941 at
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
, by the
Stadium Yacht Basin A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
, Inc.; launched on 5 May 1942; and commissioned on 15 July 1942.


World War II service

The
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 ...
sailed for
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, on 16 August, in company with her sistership ''YMS-81'' and the coastal patrol yacht ''Cymophane'' (PYC-26), and, proceeding via
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
and Halifax, the latter part of the voyage with coastal
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
XB-36, reached her destination on 1 September.


Assigned as a school ship

After completing fitting out at the
Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...
on 21 September 1942, ''YMS-80'' then proceeded to her new assignment via
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; assigned to the Mine Warfare School at
Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a town in York County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in Colony of Virginia, colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while ...
, she served as a
school ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old Hulk (ship type), hulks us ...
, training sailors in
minesweeping Minesweeping is the practice of removing explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that purpos ...
, from 13 October 1942. After completing that tour of temporary duty at the Mine Warfare School on 13 March 1943, she proceeded to
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, and reported to
Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Sta ...
, for duty. On 4 July, she commenced minesweeping operations out of
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, for
antisubmarine Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations a ...
warfare training with Task Group 27.1. Detached on 28 August 1943, ''YMS-80'' proceeded thence to
Quonset Point, Rhode Island Quonset Point (), also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Its name is widely known from the Quonset hut, which was first manufactured there. ''Quonset'' is an Algonq ...
, and operated with the Aircraft Antisubmarine Development Detachment, Atlantic Fleet, out of
Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. S ...
, into the autumn of 1944.


Florida operations

On 8 October 1944, ''YMS-80'' arrived at
Port Everglades, Florida Port Everglades is a seaport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, located in Broward County. Port Everglades is one of South Florida's foremost economic engines, as it is the gateway for both international trade and cruise vacations. In 2022, Port Ev ...
, to operate with the Surface Detachment of the Antisubmarine Development unit, Atlantic Fleet on temporary duty. Her duties there varied from retrieving targets to acting as a reference and target vessel—at one point (26–28 December 1944) operating with
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
''R-13'' (SS-90) – and continued into the post-
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 ...
period; a Commander Task Force 69 dispatch alluded to the continued experimental nature of her work referring to her as E-YMS-80.


Redesignated USS Albatross (AMS-1)

On 17 February 1947, she was named ''Albatross'' and redesignated as AMS-1; on 18 August 1947, she was redesignated EAMS-1, and on 7 February 1955, to experimental
coastal minesweeper Coastal minesweeper is a term used by the United States Navy to indicate a minesweeper intended for coastal use as opposed to participating in fleet operations at sea. Because of its small size—usually less than 100 feet in length—and construct ...
(old), EMSC(O)-1, the last designation being followed on 19 February 1955 with her being transferred from
Mine Force, Atlantic The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Sta ...
, to Commander,
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(
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
) for administrative and operational control. She thus spent the remainder of her career based at
Key West, Florida Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Islan ...
, ranging from her home port to
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,
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, and
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;
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, in the
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;
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...
,
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, and
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, Cuba;
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,
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; and occasionally ranging as far north as Charleston, and
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.


Decommissioning

''Albatross'' departed Key West for the final time on 17 March 1958 and arrived at
Green Cove Springs, Florida Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida, United States. Green Cove Springs is a part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,786 at the 2020 census, up from 6,908 at ...
, on 19 March 1958. Decommissioned and placed in reserve, ''Albatross'' was simultaneously struck from the
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on 20 March 1958. Sold on 19 February 1959 to Dorado, Inc., of
Wildwood, New Jersey Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia- Wilmington- Camden, PA-NJ- DE- MD combined ...
, the former minecraft was renamed ''Dorado''. She served as a fishing boat, homeported at
Reedville, Virginia Reedville is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Northumberland County, Virginia, Northumberland County in the Northern Neck region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located at the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 360 (Northumbe ...
, into the 1960s.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Albatross (AMS-1) YMS-1-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Cleveland 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States