USS ''Oracle'' (AM-103) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was commissioned in May 1943 and decommissioned in May 1946. She was placed in reserve and remained there until struck from the Naval Vessel Register in December 1966. She was sunk as a target in 1967.

Career

''Oracle'' was laid down by the

General Engineering & Dry Dock Company General Engineering & Dry Dock Company was a shipbuilding and ship repair company in Alameda, California that was active from the 1920s through the 1940s. The company built ships for the Southern Pacific Railroad and the United States Coast Gua ...

of Alameda, California, 7 May 1942; launched 30 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Sadie L. Jones; and commissioned 14 May 1943. Getting underway from Alameda, California on 27 June, ''Oracle'' steamed to Adak, Alaska, to spend the next five months in towing, escort, patrol, salvage, and survey operations in the Aleutians area. She furnished minesweeping and antisubmarine screening support for the occupation of Kiska 15 to 22 August. Departing

Adak Adak may refer to: Places *Adak Island, one of the Aleutian Islands ** Adak, Alaska, a town on the above island ** Adak Airport, airport serving the town ***Adak Army Airfield, original name of the airport (1942–c.1943) *** Davis Army Airfield, ...

1 December, ''Oracle'' arrived at Pearl Harbor the 10th. On her first operation in the central Pacific Ocean, the invasion of Majuro Atoll, Marshalls, 31 January to 3 February 1944, she swept landing channels and took soundings for chart preparation. Oracle then proceeded to Kwajalein, arriving the next day for antisubmarine patrol until the 14th. On 15 February ''Oracle'' got underway in convoy for Eniwetok, arriving two days later to mark the channel for the landing craft assault that same day. She again patrolled against enemy

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 ...

until she departed Eniwetok on 12 April for Pearl Harbor. Following training from 20 April until 29 May for the invasion of

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

, ''Oracle'' returned to the Marshalls to join a task group off Eniwetok on 14 June. The minesweeper arrived off Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, the next day for minesweeping and screening before moving on to Magicienne Bay. On 10 July ''Oracle'' rescued two Japanese survivors on a makeshift raft off Saipan. By the 24th the ship was off Tinian for the landings and mop-up operations to 4 August. She spent most of September patrolling off the southern

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 ...

before escorting the tanker to Guam, arriving the 20th. From 1 to 10 October ''Oracle'' was on emergency chemical smoke watch off

Apra Harbor Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwa ...

, Guam, to protect shipping from Japanese air attack. She continued service off Guam and in operations to Ulithi until proceeding to Okinawa. Patrolling there on 6 May she assisted in shooting down three Japanese planes. On 14 May ''Oracle'' departed Guam for the U.S. West Coast, via Pearl Harbor, arriving Seattle, Washington, 6 July. Fighting stopped during overhaul. ''Oracle'' got underway for Pearl Harbor on 29 August, arriving 5 September. Reporting to Sasebo,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, 5 November, she participated in the mine clearance of the

Formosa Straits The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. The Taiwan Strait is itself a s ...

area, until 23 December when she reached Shanghai, China. On 3 January 1946 ''Oracle'' departed Shanghai for Pearl Harbor, via Sasebo, arriving the 31st. The minesweeper ''Oracle'' steamed for home in the spring of 1946, arriving San Diego, California, to be decommissioned on 29 May and enter 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 ...

there. On 7 February 1955 ''Oracle'' was redesignated MSF–103. On 1 December 1966 the ''Oracle'' was struck from the Naval Vessel Register. The fleet minesweeper was stripped and used as a target for the Pacific Fleet in the winter of 1967.

References

External links

*
Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-103 USS ''Oracle''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oracle (AM-103) Auk-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Alameda, California 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Ships sunk as targets Maritime incidents in 1967