USS ''John Blish'' was a Patrol Craft Sweeper (PCS) of the PCS-1376-Class, five of which were converted to small hydrographic survey vessels designated AGS and later coastal survey vessels, AGSc, that conducted hydrographic surveys for the

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 ...

during and immediately after the

Second World War 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 opposin ...

.The other PCS types that became AGS/AGSc vessels were ex ''PCS-1458'' (USC&GS ''Derickson'' 17 May 1944), ex ''PCS-1388'', ex ''PCS-1396'' and ex ''PCS-1404''. The small PCS type vessels assigned to the

United States Navy Hydrographic Office The United States Hydrographic Office prepared and published maps, charts, and nautical books required in navigation. The office was established by an act of 21 June 1866 as part of the Bureau of Navigation, Department of the Navy. It was trans ...

missions conducted pre invasion surveys, sometimes under fire, with the survey crews erecting signals for survey and later navigation, laying buoys and placing lights. Originally, ''PCS-1457'' the survey vessel, conducted surveys supporting the Mariana Islands campaign, the landings at

Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...

the ship was renamed and redesignated ''John Blish'' (AGS-10) before conducting surveys supporting the landings at Okinawa. After the war ''John Blish'' was redesignated at a coastal survey ship, AGSc, conducting surveys off the United States West Coast until decommissioned at New York on 22 August 1949.

Construction and commissioning

''PCS-1457'', planned as ''PC-1457'', was reclassified PCS in April 1943 and laid down by Ballard Marine Railway Company, Seattle, Washington on 23 May 1943. The vessel was launched on 6 September 1943 sponsored by Miss Patricia McQuire and on 26 February 1944 commissioned as USS ''PCS-1457'' sailing for the Pacific war zone after shakedown and training. The mission of the small survey vessels involved pre invasion surveys, sometimes under fire, with the survey crews erecting signals for survey and later erecting navigation, laying buoys and placing lights for further operations as well as conducting routine surveys of islands in fleet operating areas.

Pacific wartime operations

''PCS-1457'' supported the recapture of the

Marianas The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...

, specifically

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

and

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of th ...

landings with surveys before and after the invasion. After the Marianas operations the ship conducted general surveys in the Pacific until February 1945 when she conducted pre invasion surveys at

followed by surveys as the island was being secured. Charts resulting from surveys were printed on board with a survey team from that ship erecting a reference navigational signal atop

Mount Suribachi is a -high mountain on the southwest end of Iwo Jima in the northwest Pacific Ocean under the administration of Ogasawara Subprefecture, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The mountain's name derives from its shape, resembling a '' suribachi'' or grind ...

. On 20 March 1945, ''PCS-1457'' was reclassified as a Hydrographic Survey Ship (AGS-10) and four days later was renamed ''John Blish''. The survey vessel continued more routine survey work until the

invasion of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

where she again supported landings with hydrographic work. The ship earned 4

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 service.

Post war

''John Blish'' was reclassified as a Coastal Surveying Ship (AGSC-10) on 27 July 1946 and conducted coastal surveys on the West Coast of the United States until sailing for New York and decommissioning on 22 August 1949. On 10 February 1950 she was sold to Boston Metals Company of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

for scrap.

Ship namesake

The survey vessel was named for Commander John Blish, USN (September 5, 1860 - December 22, 1921) who was appointed Cadet Midshipman 18 September 1875. From 1879–1901 he served the Navy both on the high seas and on various shore duty. On 5 October 1901 he was commissioned Lieutenant Commander then served until he retired 6 July 1905. Blish was appointed Commander on the retired list 13 April 1911. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served in the

1st 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 ...

as assistant to the Commandant, and commanded the Naval Air Station at Squantum, Mass. Comdr. Blish was detached 29 October 1919. In addition to his naval career, he invented the "Blish sounding tube" and the

Blish lock The Blish lock is a breech locking mechanism designed by John Bell Blish based upon his assumption that under extreme pressures, certain dissimilar metals would resist movement with a force greater than friction laws would predict. In modern eng ...

, used in the

Thompson submachine gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", “Trench Sweeper” or "Trench Broom") is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun, invented by United Stat ...

. John Blish died on 22 December 1921.

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

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External links

''Derickson'' (AGS-6) Class: Photographs
(Copy of old Naval History And Heritage Command photo page)

{{DEFAULTSORT:John Blish 1943 ships Ships built in Seattle PCS-1376-class minesweepers Survey ships of the United States Navy World War II auxiliary ships of the United States