USS ''Miantonomah'' (ACM-13/MMA-13) was built as the US Army

Mine Planter Mine planter and the earlier "torpedo planter" was a term used for mine warfare ships into the early days of World War I. In later terminology, particularly in the United States, a mine planter was a ship specifically designed to install controlle ...

USAMP ''Col. Horace F. Spurgin'' (MP-14) for the U.S. Army by Marietta Manufacturing Co., Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in 1943. ''Col. Horace F. Spurgin'' was christened by Mrs. Barbee Rothgeb. ''Col. Horace F. Spurgin'' was transferred from the US Army to the

US 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 of ...

and commissioned as ACM-13 on 25 January 1950. After decommissioning and sale to commercial interests 17 February 1961, the ship remained in the fishing fleet into the 1990s before becoming part of a breakwater in Tacoma, Washington.

Army Service

USAMP ''Col. Horace F. Spurgin'' MP-14 is known to have served in Sausalito, California at Fort Baker's Submarine Mine Depot supporting the San Francisco Bay Coast Artillery defenses with the USAMP ''Gen. Samuel M. Mills.'' The ship became the prototype for correction of a deficiency in engine order telegraphs to extend them to bridge wings. One commercial system was installed on USAMP ''Col. Alfred A. Maybach'' while a second, fabricated and installed by Chief Engineer CWO John B. May, aboard ''Col. Horace F. Spurgin'' became the recommended correction for all M1 type Mine Planters.

Navy Service

Commissioned as ''ACM-13'' at Treasure Island on 25 January 1950 under the command of Lt. Harold G. Gibson. Assigned to the

12th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

, based at US Naval Station, Treasure Island, California, the unnamed auxiliary minelayer operated out of

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...

along the California coast training for harbor defense. In addition she towed sea targets and supported fleet gunnery exercises. The ship was involved with the transition of harbor defense responsibilities from Army to Navy as shown in photographs in the March 1950 issue of ''All Hands'' magazine. The Fort Baker Submarine Mine Depot was in close proximity to the Naval School, Harbor Defense, Fort Winfield Scott, San Francisco, California in which Naval Reserve personnel were trained for duties previously performed by Army Coast Artillery Corps personnel. Both services would man the Harbor Entrance Control Post (HECP). On 7 February 1955 she reclassified to MMA-13, and on 1 May she was named ''Miantonomah''. The newly renamed ship reported to the Long Beach Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, to begin inactivation on 14 May. ''Miantonomah'' decommissioned at

Terminal Island Terminal Island, historically known as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, is a largely artificial island located in Los Angeles County, California, between the neighborhoods of Wilmington and San Pedro in the city of Los Angeles, and the city of Long Be ...

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, 19 July 1955. She entered the

Pacific 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 ...

at Long Beach. Her name was struck from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the 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 author ...

1 July 1960 and she was sold to Hubert P. Sturdivant and Edward Madruga of San Diego, 17 February 1961. She was delivered to her purchaser on 28 February.

Commercial Service

Became tuna fishing vessel ''Nautilus'' owned by Edward Madruga and Manuel Cintas. Sold and operated as ''Aleutian Mist'' and ''New Star'' in northern waters. ''New Star'' became part of the breakwater at Tyee Marina in Tacoma, Washington on 12 August 2009.

References

External links

*
Portuguese Research & Education, Inc.: Photo as 'Nautilus''Shipspotting.com: NEW STAR – IMO 7307392 (photo of ship as breakwater, Tyee Marina in Tacoma, Washington)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miantonomah (Acm-13) Mine planters of the United States Army Ships built in Point Pleasant, West Virginia 1942 ships Camanche-class minelayers World War II mine warfare vessels of the United States Ships sunk as breakwaters