USS ''Bulwark'' (AMc-68) was an ''Accentor''-class

coastal minesweeper Coastal minesweeper is a term used by the United States Navy to indicate a minesweeper intended for coastal use as opposed to participating in fleet operations at sea. Because of its small size—usually less than 100 feet in length—and construct ...

acquired by the

U.S. 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 ...

for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. ''Bulwark'' was laid down on 15 April 1941 at East

Boothbay, Maine Boothbay is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,003 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Back Narrows, Dover, East Boothbay, Linekin, Oak Hill, Ocean Point, Spruce Shores, and Trevett. The Boothbay regi ...

, by Hodgden Bros. & Goudy & Stevens; launched on 6 October 1941; sponsored by Miss Barbara Small; and placed in service at Boston, Massachusetts, on 5 February 1942.

World War II service

Assigned to the section base at Boston, ''Bulwark'' spent her entire Navy career patrolling the waters of 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 ...

. She searched for

submarines A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely o ...

in coastal waters and for enemy offensive mines in those same areas. The

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...

also served as a training platform for minesweeping students based at

Provincetown, Massachusetts Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Provincet ...

Post-war inactivation

''Bulwark'' was placed out of service at the

Boston Naval Shipyard 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. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

on 18 June 1946. 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 ...

on 3 July 1946, and she was sold to the city of Boston on 12 September 1946.

References

External links

NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Bulwark (AMc 68) - ex-Combat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulwark Accentor-class minesweepers Ships built in Boothbay, Maine 1941 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States