USS Catbird (AM-68)
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Built as: | MV Bittern, 1938 |
| Acquired by the U.S. Navy: | 12 August 1940 |
| Renamed: | USS Catbird 14 August 1940 |
| Commissioned: | 27 November 1940 |
| Reclassified: | IX-183, 15 August 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 17 August 1944 |
| Placed Out of Service: | 7 November 1945 |
| Fate: | Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 24 January 1947. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class: | Catbird Class Minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 570 tons |
| Length: | 147'10" |
| Beam: | 28'8" |
| Draft: | 12' |
| Speed: | 12 knots |
| Complement: | Unknown |
| Armament: | One 3"/23 gun mount |
| Propulsion: | One 575shp Fairbanks Morse diesel engine, one shaft. |
USS Catbird (AM-68) was built in 1938 by Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, South Carolina, as MV Bittern; acquired by the U.S. Navy 12 August 1940; and commissioned 27 November 1940; Lieutenant E. Johnson, USNR, in command.
Contents |
[edit] World War II East Coast operations
USS Catbird operated in New England waters through 31 March 1941, engaged in tests and exercises. After overhaul at Brooklyn, New York, she sailed on 5 October for Cristobal where she remained until 29 January 1944, on duty in the 15th Naval District. Returning to the east coast she engaged in local operations at Norfolk, Virginia, until 16 April 1944 when she sailed to Boston, Massachusetts, arriving 19 April.
[edit] Reclassified as IX-183
She was reclassified IX-183, 15 August and was placed out of commission in service 17 August 1944.
USS Catbird provided services out of New York until 23 May 1945, then operated in Cape Cod waters until 3 June under direction of Naval Mine Testing Facilities.
[edit] End of service
Returning to New York 4 June, she was placed out of service and laid up 7 November 1945, and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 24 January 1947.
[edit] References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
