The second USS ''Scoter'' (AM-381) was an acquired by the
United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. ''Scoter'' was named after the word "
Scoter," which is a mercantile name retained during service in the United States Navy.
Construction and US career
''Scoter'' was the second United States Navy vessel to have that name, and was laid down on 4 April 1944 by the
Gulf Shipbuilding Corp.,
Chickasaw, Alabama
Chickasaw is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 6,457, up from 6,106 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area.
History
Company town
In the early 20th century bef ...
; launched on 26 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Reuben E. Clarson; and commissioned on 17 March 1945.
After
shakedown
Shakedown may refer to:
* Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation
* Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational
* Extortion, ...
, ''Scoter'' sailed from the
U.S. East Coast
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard ...
on 22 May for the
Pacific; arrived at
San Diego, California on 13 June; and proceeded to
Terminal Island, California
Terminal Island, historically known as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, is a largely artificial island located in Los Angeles County, California, between the neighborhoods of Wilmington, Los Angeles, Wilmington and San Pedro, Los Angeles, San Pedro in t ...
for four additional weeks of training, which began upon arrival on 18 June. The ship underwent repairs in
San Pedro, California, from 11 July to 12 August and sailed for
Okinawa on 17 August, two days after the
Japanese surrender.
After a month in
Buckner Bay,
Okinawa, ''Scoter'' sailed on 20 October for
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 ...
, arriving two days later. In company with 14 minesweepers and other craft, ''Scoter'' departed Sasebo for a sweeping operation in the
East China Sea
The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
on 26 October. However, after one day's sweeping, she was withdrawn from the
task group and returned to Sasebo to prepare for minesweeping support missions elsewhere in Japan. On 3 November, she proceeded to
Iki Shima with , but was unable to enter the harbor there and returned to Sasebo on 9 November. She sailed two days later for
Fukuoka, Japan
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...
, where she served as logistics ship for sweeping operations. On 28 January 1946, she sailed for
Kure, Japan, to serve as logistics vessel for Minesweeping Craft Three. The minesweeper departed Kure on 24 February and arrived at
San Francisco, California, on 18 April 1946 for overhaul.
''Scoter'' departed
San Diego on 16 November 1946 with five
YMSs, and, for the next five months, supported these vessels as they cleared minefields at
Johnston Island,
Eniwetok,
Guam, and
Woleai
Woleai, also known as Oleai, is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the western Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in the Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-n ...
. She then joined five larger minesweepers in sweeps at
Truk before returning, via
Pearl Harbor, to
Seal Beach, California
Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 census.
Seal Beach is located in the westernmost corner of Orange County. To the northwest ...
, on 14 April.
''Scoter'' arrived at San Diego for inactivation the next day, and was decommissioned and placed in reserve there on 16 April 1947. ''Scoter'' was reclassified MSF-381 on 7 February 1955. ''Scoter'' was sold to
Mexico on 19 September 1972.
Awards
''Scoter'' received one
battle star for her
World War II participation.
Mexican Navy service
On 19 September 1972, the former ''Scoter'' was sold to the
Mexican Navy and renamed ARM ''Gutiérrez Zamora'' (C84). At dates unspecified in
s, her pennant number was changed to G16, and her name was changed to ''Melchor Ocampo''. In 1993, both her name and pennant number were changed again, this time to ''Felipe Xicoténcatl'' (P115), which would remain her name through the end of her Mexican Navy service. ''Felipe Xicoténcatl'' had been retired from active service by 2004.
Notes
References
External links
*
Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-381 USS ''Scoter''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scoter (AM-381)
Auk-class minesweepers of the United States Navy
Ships built in Chickasaw, Alabama
1944 ships
World War II minesweepers of the United States
Valle-class patrol vessels