Ship caption=A YMS-1-class minesweeper USS ''Curlew'' (MSC(O)-8/AMS-8/YMS-218) was a built for 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 ...

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

curlew The curlews () are a group of nine species of birds in the genus ''Numenius'', characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been infl ...

History

Laid down, 18 July 1942 by the J. N. Martinac Shipbuilding Co. of

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

; Launched, 23 December 1942; Completed and commissioned USS YMS-218, 23 June 1943. She served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during

, and took part in occupation activities in late 1945 and early 1946. In early 1947, after returning to the

U.S. West Coast The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast and the Western Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S. states of Cali ...

, she was placed out of commission. ''YMS-218'' was reclassified as a Motor

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 ...

, ''AMS-8'' and named ''USS Curlew'', 18 February 1947. ''Curlew'' recommissioned in June 1949. ''Curlew'' was sent to the Western

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

a year later to support

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

operations. During most of that conflict, she was active in the combat zone, performing mine clearance and blockade missions. ''Curlew'' remained in the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

area after the war ended in mid-1953. She was redesignated a Coastal Minesweeper (Old), MSC(O)-8, 7 February 1955. ''Curlew'' was transferred to

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

on 6 January 1956 as ROKS ''Geumhwa'' (MSC 519). Returned from South Korea, the veteran minesweeper was struck from the

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

on 15 November 1974, and was disposed of about 1977.

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Curlew (AMS-8) YMS-1-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Tacoma, Washington 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Korean War minesweepers of the United States Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Republic of Korea Navy