| Career (USA) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Murrelet |
| Builder: | Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia |
| Laid down: | 24 August 1944 |
| Launched: | 29 December 1944 |
| Commissioned: | August 21, 1945 |
| Decommissioned: | June 20, 1946 |
| Recommissioned: | October 28, 1950 |
| Decommissioned: | March 14, 1957 |
| Reclassified: | MSF-372, February 7, 1955 |
| Struck: | December 1, 1964 |
| Honours and awards: |
5 battle stars (Korea) |
| Fate: | Transferred to the Philippines, June 1965 |
| Career (Philippines) | |
| Name: | BRP Rizal (PCE-69) |
| Acquired: | June 1965 |
| Fate: | Active In-Service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Auk-class minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 890 long tons (904 t) |
| Length: | 221 ft 3 in (67.44 m) |
| Beam: | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Draft: | 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement: | 100 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: | • 1 × 3"/50 caliber gun • 2 × 40 mm guns • 2 × 20 mm guns • 2 × depth charge tracks |
USS Murrelet (AM-372) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy to removed mines from minefields laid to prevent ships from passing. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the murrelet, a small sea bird found chiefly on islands in the northern Pacific Ocean.
Murrelet was laid down August 29, 1944 by the Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia; launched December 29 1944; sponsored by Mrs. W. L. Mingledorff; and commissioned August 21, 1945, Lt. Comdr. J. W. Wagstaff in command.
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Following shakedown off Virginia, Murrelet departed Little Creek, Virginia, and steamed for Japan, arriving Sasebo on January 14, 1946. She engaged in sweeping operations in Japanese and Korean waters until April 22, when she steamed for the west coast. Murrelet was decommissioned on June 20, 1946, and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego, California.
After hostilities broke out in Korea, Murrelet recommissioned October 28, 1950. She reported to COMINRON 5 for extensive minesweeping training at Long Beach, California, March 6, 1951. She arrived Yokosuka, Japan, in August 1951 to aid United Nations forces meeting the challenge of Communist aggression. Departing Yokosuka on August 21, she sailed to Korea, participating in operations north of Wonsan, in the Hungnam, Songjin, and Chongjin areas. She resumed shelling and sweeping operations at Songjin on November 27, 1951, after returning from a period of yard duty at Yokosuka. She continued sweeping and patrol duties off Korea in 1952, capturing and destroying enemy sampans, until July, when she returned to the west coast.
Murrelet started a second tour of duty off Korea in April, 1953, returning to Long Beach, California, in December. Redesignated MSF-372, February 7, 1955, she continued to operate off the west coast of the United States, except for a third WestPac deployment that year.
She decommissioned March 14, 1957, and was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, at Columbia, Oregon. Struck from the Naval Register on December 1, 1964, she was transferred in June 1965 to the Philippine Navy under the Foreign Military Assistance Program, and served as BRP Rizal (PS-74).
Murrelet received five battle stars for Korean service.