For other ships of the same name, see USS Curlew.
 Laertes (AR-20) is flanked on her port by five minesweepers and on her starboard by five motor minesweepers at Sasebo, Japan, in 1952. USS Curlew (AMS-8) is the middle ship of the second group. | |
| Career (United States) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS YMS-218 |
| Builder: |
|
| Laid down: | 18 July 1942 |
| Launched: | 23 December 1942 |
| Completed: | 23 June 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 23 June 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | early 1947 |
| Renamed: | USS Curlew (AMS-8), 18 February 1947 |
| Namesake: | the curlew bird |
| Recommissioned: | June 1949 |
| Reclassified: | MSC(O)-8, 7 February 1955 |
| Motto: | Where the fleet goes, we've been! |
| Fate: | Transferred to South Korea, 6 January 1956 |
| Career (South Korea) |  |
| Name: | ROKS Geumhwa (MSC 519) |
| Acquired: | 6 January 1956 |
| Career (United States) |  |
| Name: | USS Curlew (MSC(O)-8) |
| Struck: | 15 November 1974 |
| Fate: | disposed, c. 1977 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | YMS-135 subclass of YMS-1-class minesweepers |
| Displacement: | 270 t. |
| Length: | 136 ft (41 m) |
| Beam: | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) |
| Draft: | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 32 |
| Armament: | |
Ship caption=A YMS-1-class minesweeper
USS Curlew (MSC(O)-8/AMS-8/YMS-218) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth U.S. Navy ship to be named for the curlew.
History[]
Laid down, 18 July 1942 by the J. N. Martinac Shipbuilding Co. of Tacoma, Washington; Launched, 23 December 1942; Completed and commissioned USS YMS-218, 23 June 1943.
She served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II, and took part in occupation activities in late 1945 and early 1946.
In early 1947, after returning to the U.S. West Coast, she was placed out of commission. YMS-218 was reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper, AMS-8 and named USS Curlew, 18 February 1947. Curlew recommissioned in June 1949.
Curlew was sent to the Western Pacific a year later to support Korean War operations. During most of that conflict, she was active in the combat zone, performing mine clearance and blockade missions. Curlew remained in the Japan-Korea area after the war ended in mid-1953. She was redesignated a Coastal Minesweeper (Old), MSC(O)-8, 7 February 1955.
Curlew was transferred to South Korea on 6 January 1956 as ROKS Geumhwa (MSC 519). Returned from South Korea, the veteran minesweeper was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 November 1974, and was disposed of about 1977.
References[]
- Radigan, Joseph M. (2005). "Curlew (MSC[O] 8), ex-AMS-8, ex-YMS-218". NavSource Online. NavSource Naval History. http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/05008.htm.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links[]
- Photo gallery of Curlew at NavSource Naval History
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The original article can be found at USS Curlew (AMS-8) and the edit history here.