USS ''Peregrine'' (AM-373) was an built 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 ...
for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. She was named after the
peregrine, a swift and powerful falcon.
''Peregrine'' was laid down by the
Savannah Machine & Foundry Co.,
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
, 24 October 1944; launched 17 February 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Ethel K. Adams; and commissioned 27 September 1945.
East Coast operations
After fitting out at the
Charleston Navy Yard
Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston.
H ...
, Charleston, South Carolina, and shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, ''Peregrine'' became a school ship at the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Naval Mine Warfare School, Yorktown, Virginia.
From 1945 to 1951 she conducted daily Minesweeper, minesweeping operations in Yorktown, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia, and also conducted tests on anti-roll gear, and other tests of an experimental nature.
''Peregrine'' spent most of the years from 1951 to 1955 operating out of Norfolk with cruises as far south as Balboa, Panama, Balboa, Panama Canal Zone and as far north as Naval Station Argentia, Dominion of Newfoundland, Newfoundland. On 7 February 1955 she became MSF-373. On 9 September 1955 she departed Key West, Florida, for Port Lyautey, North Africa. She operated off Casablanca and called at Gibraltar before sailing for Bermuda and Key West, Florida, arriving at that homeport 8 December.
From 1955 to 1960 ''Peregrine'' operated out of Key West, Florida, as far south as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Ciudad Trujillo, Dominican Republic, and as far north as New York City. On 24 June ''Peregrine'' departed for special operations near Saint John, New Brunswick, Saint John's harbor, New Brunswick, Canada.
''Peregrine'' departed the Key West, Florida, area again 31 July 1961 en route to Argentia returning 5 October. During November 1962, while serving under ComServLant, ''Peregrine'' escorted the technical research ship on patrol off Havana, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
During 1963 ''Peregrine'' was involved in a mapping project from Bermuda to Argentia and City of Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, during which time she did not see her homeport for five months.
Reclassification to Type AG
On 25 February 1964 the ship's designation was changed from Experimental Fleet Mine Sweeper (EMSF-373) to general auxiliary (AG-176). Her new designator reflected her operational task of full-time testing and evaluating of experimental equipment prior to incorporation of the equipment into other ships of the fleet.
Arctic operations
In February 1965 ''Peregrine'' departed Key West, Florida, for a South Atlantic Ocean cruise to conduct independent project operations. After a return to Key West, ''Peregrine'' entered Rosyth, Scotland, 20 May. On 27 May ''Peregrine'' gained her "Line-crossing ceremony, Blue Nose" as she crossed the Arctic Circle. For most of the rest of the year ''Peregrine'' participated in classified oceanographic operations in the Norwegian Sea. She visited Bremerhaven, Germany, 21–25 October, returning to Key West, Florida, 10 November.
In early 1966 ''Peregrine'' participated in the testing of an experimental oceanographic survey method in Bermuda operating areas. In late 1966 ''Peregrine'' was deployed to the North Atlantic Ocean on special operations, operating out of Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland.
On 1 March 1967 ''Peregrine'' got underway from Key West, Florida, for the Panama Canal which she transited 5–6 March, reaching her new homeport of San Francisco, California, 16 March. She departed San Francisco 25 March, reaching Pearl Harbor 1 April. She departed 4 April for Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Yokosuka, Japan, where she conducted project operations. September and October were spent conducting operations out of Midway Islands, Midway. After further operations out of Hawaii, the ship returned to San Francisco, California 28 November.
Decommissioning
''Peregrine'' was decommissioned 31 January 1969. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register, Navy List on 1 February 1969.
References
External links
*
uboat.net - USS ''Peregrine'' (AM-373)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peregrine (AM-373)
Auk-class minesweepers of the United States Navy
Ships built in Brunswick, Georgia
1945 ships
World War II minesweepers of the United States