''T-111'' was a

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

of the Soviet Navy during

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 ...

and the Cold War. She had originally been built as USS ''Advocate'' (AM-138), an , 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

, but never saw active service in the U.S. Navy. Upon completion she was transferred to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

under Lend-Lease as ''T-111''; she was never returned to the United States. The Soviets later scuttled the ship in the

Barents Sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territo ...

in 1956. Because of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy was unaware of this fate and the vessel remained on the American

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

until she was struck on 1 January 1983.

Career

''Advocate'' was laid down on 8 April 1942 at

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 1 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. A. K. Brown; and completed on 25 June 1943. She was transferred to the Soviet Navy that same day as ''T-111''. She was never returned to U.S. custody. ''T-111'' was scuttled by the Soviet Navy in the

in 1956. Due to the ongoing Cold War, the U.S. Navy was unaware of this fate. They had reclassified the vessel as ''MSF-138'' on 7 February 1955, and kept her on the American

until she was struck on 1 January 1983.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:T-111 Admirable-class minesweepers Ships built in Tampa, Florida 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Admirable-class minesweepers of the Soviet Navy World War II minesweepers of the Soviet Union Cold War minesweepers of the Soviet Union Shipwrecks in the Barents Sea