USS Bluebird (AM-72)
Encyclopedia
USS Bluebird (AM-72) was an Albatross-class
minesweeper
acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
for clearing minefields during fleet operations.
M/V Maine--a steel-hulled fishing trawler constructed in 1931 at Bath, Maine
, by Bath Iron Works
--was purchased by the Navy on 13 August 1940 from the Booth Fisheries Co., Boston, Massachusetts; renamed Bluebird and designated a minesweeper, AM-72, on 14 August 1940; converted to naval service
at Boston, Massachusetts, by the General Ship & Engineering Works; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
on 22 November 1940, Lt. James T. Baldwin, USNR, in command.
. In the spring of 1941, the minesweeper moved south to Bermuda
, where a naval operating base (NOB) had been established to support the newly established Neutrality Patrol. She served at Bermuda until late in June, returning to the United States
at Norfolk, Virginia
, on 27 June. Bluebird operated along the U.S. East Coast as a unit of MinRon
7 until the spring of 1942. On 2 April 1942, she received orders assigning her to the 5th Naval District on a temporary basis. On 23 July, the minesweeper resumed duty with the Atlantic Fleet. By the first part of 1943, the warship
was part of the Greenland
Patrol, operating in the waters between Greenland and Iceland
.
on 19 January 1945. On 15 November 1945, she was transferred to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration
for disposal.
Albatross class minesweeper
The Albatross class was a class of minesweepers acquired by the United States Navy during World War II.- References :*...
minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for clearing minefields during fleet operations.
M/V Maine--a steel-hulled fishing trawler constructed in 1931 at Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
--was purchased by the Navy on 13 August 1940 from the Booth Fisheries Co., Boston, Massachusetts; renamed Bluebird and designated a minesweeper, AM-72, on 14 August 1940; converted to naval service
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
at Boston, Massachusetts, by the General Ship & Engineering Works; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
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. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 22 November 1940, Lt. James T. Baldwin, USNR, in command.
World War II service
Bluebird was assigned to Mine Squadron (MinRon) 7, Train, Atlantic FleetUnited States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
. In the spring of 1941, the minesweeper moved south to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, where a naval operating base (NOB) had been established to support the newly established Neutrality Patrol. She served at Bermuda until late in June, returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on 27 June. Bluebird operated along the U.S. East Coast as a unit of MinRon
MinRon
MinRon is a standard U.S. Navy abbreviation for "Minesweeper Squadron."The Commander of a Minesweeper Squadron is known, in official Navy communications, as COMMINRON , such as COMMINRON FOUR.-Mine Groups:...
7 until the spring of 1942. On 2 April 1942, she received orders assigning her to the 5th Naval District on a temporary basis. On 23 July, the minesweeper resumed duty with the Atlantic Fleet. By the first part of 1943, the warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
was part of the Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
Patrol, operating in the waters between Greenland and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Redesignated IX-172
Bluebird patrolled the northern Atlantic until the fall of 1944. During that time, on 1 June 1944, she was redesignated IX-172. On 31 October 1944, she arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, and reported to the Commandant, 1st Naval District, preparatory to being laid up.Decommissioning
Bluebird was decommissioned on 12 January 1945, and her name was struck from the Navy listNavy List
A 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 country....
on 19 January 1945. On 15 November 1945, she was transferred to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
for disposal.