USS Portent (AM-106)

History
Name: USS Portent
Builder: Pennsylvania Shipyards Inc., Beaumont, Texas
Laid down: 15 November 1941
Launched: 16 August 1942
Sponsored by: Mrs. Arthur L. Kline, Jr.
Commissioned: 3 April 1943
Honors and
awards:		 1 Battle Star (World War II)
Fate: Sunk by a mine off the Italian coast, 22 January 1944
General characteristics
Class and type: Auk-class minesweeper
Displacement: 890 long tons (900 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 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement: 100 officers and enlisted
Armament: 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal dual purpose gun, 2 × 40 mm guns, 2 × 20 mm cannons, 2 × depth charge tracks, 2 × depth charge projectors

USS Portent (AM-106) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

Portent — a metal-hulled minesweeper — was named after the word "portent", something that foreshadows a coming event. In this case, it was an appropriate name since the Portent struck a mine and was sunk not long after her commissioning.

Portent was laid down on 15 November 1941 by the Pennsylvania Shipyard, Inc., Beaumont, Texas, launched on 16 August 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Arthur L. Kline, Jr., and commissioned on 3 April 1943, Lieutenant Howard C. Plummer in command.

North Atlantic World War II operations

Portent sailed via Algiers, Louisiana, and Key West, Florida, to New York City to join a convoy to Casablanca and various North African ports on 14 May 1943. From May–November, she escorted convoys between New York City and Casablanca, Morocco. Assigned to a convoy entering the Mediterranean, she anchored outside Oran, Algeria on 22 November.

Sunk off the Italian coast

Deployed to Italy, she arrived at Naples on 19 December. Assigned to the invasion of Anzio, Italy Portent struck a mine while patrolling near the Italian coast and sank at 41°24′N 12°44′E / 41.400°N 12.733°E / 41.400; 12.733Coordinates: 41°24′N 12°44′E / 41.400°N 12.733°E / 41.400; 12.733 on 22 January 1944. Nearby ships rescued survivors.

Awards

Portent received one battle star for World War II service.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

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