USS Firecrest (AMS-10/YMS-231) was an 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 ...

for clearing coastal minefields during World War II. ''Firecrest'' was laid down 5 October 1942 by Frank L. Sample, Jr.,

Boothbay Harbor, Maine Boothbay Harbor is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,027 at the 2020 census. It includes the neighborhoods of Mount Pisgah, and Sprucewold, the Bayville and West Boothbay Harbor villages, and the Isle of Sp ...

; launched, 3 April 1943; completed and commissioned ''USS YMS-231'', 6 August 1943. She was decommissioned in February 1947; named ''Firecrest'' and reclassified as a

Motor minesweeper A motor minesweeper is a small minesweeper, powered by an internal combustion engine, very often of wooden construction, designed to locate and destroy mines in coastal waters and harbors. Many navies have used such ships. Motor minesweepers inclu ...

, AMS-10, 18 February 1947. ''Firecrest'' returned to service in the later 1940s. She was sent to

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 ...

in 1950 and operated in the combat zone until the shooting ended in July 1953. ''Firecrest'' continued to serve in the

Far East The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

after the war. She was reclassified as a

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, MSC(O)-10, 7 February 1955. ''Firecrest'' was transferred to

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 ...

, 15 March 1955 as ''Etajima'' (MSC-656). She was returned to U. S. custody in 1967 and struck from the

Naval Register A Navy Directory, 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 authorities of a co ...

, 31 March 1967. ''Firecrest'' was disposed of as a target in August 1969.

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* YMS-1-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Boothbay Harbor, Maine 1943 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 {{US-mil-ship-stub