USS Sentinel (AM-113)
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USS ''Sentinel'' (AM-113) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II; she was the third U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. It was laid down on 28 November 1941 by the
American Ship Building Company The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the World War II, Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio in 1898. It changed ...
,
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
; launched on 23 May 1942; and commissioned on 3 November 1942.


World War II Atlantic Fleet operations

''Sentinel'' reported for duty with the Atlantic Fleet on 15 January 1943. The minesweeper experienced her first enemy contact on 20 February while escorting from Bermuda to
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
when an escorting aircraft dropped a smoke bomb 2,500 yards astern. Picking up suspected
submarine 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 op ...
wake noise with her echo-ranging equipment, ''Sentinel'' attacked on two contacts within a 25-minute period. There was no evidence of damage to the enemy, except for some dark brown or black matter which appeared after the second
starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
exploded. On 8 March, ''Sentinel'', accompanied by , departed Norfolk, Virginia for patrol duty, joined a convoy on the 17th, and anchored at Norfolk the next day. The two minesweepers got underway again on the 19th, and possibly encountered a submarine the next day. They fired depth charges which produced no results, and proceeded to New London, Connecticut. ''Sentinel'' spent the remainder of the month in training in
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
and moored at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.


North African operations

On 5 April, ''Sentinel'' resumed patrol duty and escorted to Bermuda on the 9th, after standing by stranded en route as the latter made repairs. The minesweeper departed Bermuda on the 13th to escort convoy UGL-2 to Europe, arriving at
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
Harbor on the 30th. From 2 to 4 May, the minesweeper escorted the convoy to the Advanced Amphibious Training Base, Ténès, Algeria, where she remained until sailing for
Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
on the 9th. ''Sentinel'' departed Oran on 12 May for
anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
patrol until her return on the 16th. The minesweeper got under way again on the 20th, entered the harbor at Philippeville on the 24th, and reached
Bizerte Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the cap ...
, Tunisia, on the 25th. On 30 May, ''Sentinel'' stood out of Bizerte as an escort for Task Group 81.1. After conducting sound and radar search ahead of the convoy, the minesweeper reached Ghazaouet, Algeria, on 2 June. Departing the harbor on the 3rd, ''Sentinel'' reached Arseu the same day. ''Sentinel'' continued her escort and patrol duty along the North African coast until 8 July, when she stood out of
Bizerte Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the cap ...
and set her course for the invasion of Sicily.


Sinking

On 10 July, ''Sentinel'' was part of Task Group 86.3 tasked with landing in the
Licata Licata (, ; grc, Φιντίας, whence la, Phintias or ''Plintis''), formerly also Alicata (), is a city and ''comune'' located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River (the ancient ''Himera''), about midway between Agr ...
area. At 0430, while serving on antisubmarine patrol, ''Sentinel'' was attacked by German aircraft. At about 0500, a bomb exploded about 200 feet off her
starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...
quarter. Flares inshore of the minesweeper illuminated her for the unobservable enemy aircraft. At approximately 0510, four or five bombs burst nearby. One opened a hole one foot wide and eight feet long in her after engine room. The damage control party and the after engine room crew were seriously weakened by death and injury, and the radio room and all interior communications, except one sound-powered telephone circuit, were wrecked. Between 0510 and 0600, the ship was attacked four times more. She repulsed two attacks without being bombed; but, at 0525, attacking aircraft released bombs despite ''Sentinel's'' heavy
anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
fire and observable 20 millimeter hits. This attack put the forward 3-inch gun out of action and killed or wounded half its crew. Bridge personnel and the port side 20 millimeter crew were also hit. All communications were lost, the forward engine room was holed, and the steering engine was knocked out. At 0530, one bomb hit put the forward engine out of commission. ''Sentinel's'' crew, however, hit two Messerschmitt Me 210 bombers and, at about 0545, effectively used the after 3-inch gun and 20 millimeter guns to repulse one last attack. By 0615, with all power gone, the badly listing ''Sentinel'' contacted , and the "Green" beach-master by portable radio using
dry cell upLine art drawing of a dry cell: 1. brass cap, 2. plastic seal, 3. expansion space, 4. porous cardboard, 5. zinc can, 6. carbon rod, 7. chemical mixture A dry cell is a type of electric battery, commonly used for portable electrical devices. Un ...
s from hand lanterns. This message brought ''SC-530'', ''LCI-33'', and ''PC-550'' to her assistance at the utmost speed. After the more seriously wounded had been evacuated on ''LCI-33'' and ''SC-530'', it became apparent that the ship would not remain afloat. Her list was about 28° and water was on her main deck when the remainder of her crew boarded ''PC-550'', at no small risk to the submarine chaser which then remained by ''Sentinel'' until she capsized at 1030 and went under at 1045. ''Sentinel'' was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 August 1943.


References


External links


Casualties, Navy and Coast Guard Ships, World War II




* ttp://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5227.html U-boat.net -USS ''Sentinel'' (AM 113) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sentinel (AM-113) Auk-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Cleveland 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea Maritime incidents in July 1943 Ships sunk by German aircraft Minesweepers sunk by aircraft