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 ...
for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
''Herald'' was named after the word "
herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
", which means "a bearer of news".
''Herald'' was the second of two U.S. Navy ships named the ''Herald'', was a steel-hulled diesel-powered minesweeper launched by General Engineering & Dry Dock Co.,
Alameda, California
Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for " tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda Island, but also spans Bay Farm Island and Coast Guard Island, as we ...
, on 4 July 1942; and commissioned on 23 March 1943.
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
coast, ''Herald'' got underway on 16 May 1943 for
Dutch Harbor
Dutch Harbor is a harbor on Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska. It was the location of the Battle of Dutch Harbor in June 1942, and was one of the few sites in the United States to be subjected to aerial bombardment by a foreign power during ...
,
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, where she took part in patrols and was present for the unopposed landing on
Kiska
Kiska ( ale, Qisxa, russian: Кыска) is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about long and varies in width from . It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is require ...
Island on 15 August. The ship resumed her patrol and escort duties; but, after suffering severe damage in a storm on 6 November 1943 returned to
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
on 10 December for repairs.
World War II South Pacific operations
The minesweeper returned to duty on 12 February 1944, sailing to
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...
on the 22nd. After two convoy voyages to the
Marshalls
Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, and 61 stores in Canada. M ...
, she got underway on 30 May to join the fleet at
Eniwetok
Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; mh, Ānewetak, , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ja, ブラウン環礁) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with i ...
for one of the most important amphibious operations of the war, the invasion of the Marianas. ''Herald'' arrived off Saipan on D-day, 15 June, and performed minesweeping and escort duties. While the U.S. fleet won a great victory at the
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) was a major naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invas ...
19 to 21 June, the minesweeper protected the transport and fueling areas off Saipan. She sailed to
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
LST's back to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 26 July.
In the months that followed, ''Herald'' performed vital
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 ...
work in the Marshalls and Marianas, including patrol and some minesweeping work. In early 1945 she served as an escort ship for submarines returning to
Ulithi
Ulithi ( yap, Wulthiy, , or ) is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about east of Yap.
Overview
Ulithi consists of 40 islets totaling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the larges ...
from war patrols. ''Herald'' sailed from Pearl Harbor for the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
on 11 May 1945, arriving
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, seven days later.
Post-World War II operations
At San Francisco, California at war's end, the minesweeper sailed on 1 September 1945 to take part in the giant sweeping operations necessary for rapid and safe occupation of the former Japanese islands. Arriving
Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
until departing on 15 January 1946 for the United States.
Arriving
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
, on 17 February after stops at Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor, ''Herald'' was decommissioned on 31 May 1946 and was placed in reserve.
''Herald'' received two
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
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
service.
Second commission
''Herald'' was recommissioned on 5 March 1952 at San Diego, California. ''Herald'' spent the remainder of the year in shakedown training and minesweeping drills on the east coast of the United States. Operating out of Charleston, South Carolina, the ship made two cruises to the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
in the spring of 1953 and the summer of 1954, strengthening the U.S. 6th Fleet in that troubled region. ''Herald'' continued to take part in fleet maneuvers and training off the U.S. East Coast and in the Caribbean until arriving
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, 10 February 1955.
Decommissioning and sale
''Herald'' decommissioned at
Green Cove Springs
Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,908.
The city is named after the porti ...
on 15 April 1955 and entered the
Atlantic Reserve Fleet
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the maintenance activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and s ...
, berthed at
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,324. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Hous ...
. She was reclassified MSF-101, on 7 February 1955.
Struck from the Naval Register on 1 July 1972, the ship was sold to Mexico on 1 February 1973, to serve as ARM ''Mariano Matamoros''. Fate unknown.