Lapwing-class minesweeper

The Lapwing-class minesweeper, often called the Bird class, was an early "AM-type" oceangoing minesweeper of the United States Navy. Seven ships of the class were commissioned during World War I, and served well into the 1950s. A number were refitted to serve as ocean-going tugs, salvage vessels, seaplane tenders, or submarine rescue ships.

The propulsion system consisted of 2 Babcock & Wilcox 200psi boilers and a 1,400shp Harlan and Hollingsworth triple expansion reciprocating steam engine.

Ships

The table makes no distinction between classification as "Minesweeper No. X" and "AM-X". This change affected all boats equally ca. 1920.

All boats reclassified as Fleet Tugs (AT) where later again reclassified as Fleet Tug, Old (ATO) (ca. 1944). The table treats them the same. Brant and Grebe were never reclassified as ATO.

Ship nameHull numberBuilderCommissionedDecommissionedFate Lapwing AM-1 Todd Brooklyn 12 Jun 1918 11 Apr 1922 Sold, 19 August 1946; fate unknown AVP-1 1 Sep 1932 29 Nov 1945 Owl AM-2 11 Jul 1918

Sold for scrap, 27 June 1947 AT-137 1 Jun 1942 26 Jul 1946 Robin AM-3 29 Aug 1918 Sold for scrap, 1945 AT-140 1 Jun 1942 9 Nov 1945 Swallow AM-4 8 Oct 1918 n/a Ran aground, 19 February 1938; later sank Tanager AM-5 Staten Island Shipbuilding Company 28 Jun 1918 n/a Sank, 4 May 1942 Cardinal AM-6 23 Aug 1918 n/a Ran aground, 6 June 1923; later sank Oriole AM-7 5 Nov 191815 Aug 1938 3 May 1922 Sold 1947 AT-136 1 Jun 1942 6 Feb 1946 Curlew AM-8 7 Jan 1919 n/a Ran aground, 15 December 1925; later sank Finch AM-9 Standard Shipbuilding Company 10 Sep 1918 n/a Sank, 10 Apr 1942;salvaged later sunk 12 January 1945 Heron AM-10 30 Oct 191818 Sep 1924 6 Apr 1922 Sold for scrap, 25 July 1947 AVP-2 27 Jan 1936 12 Feb 1946 Condor AM-11 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918 Plover AM-12 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918 Turkey AM-13 Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation 13 Dec 1918 12 Apr 1922 Sold for scrap, 30 December 1946 AT-143 1 Jun 1942 6 Nov 1945 Woodcock AM-14 19 Feb 191921 Feb 1924 5 May 1922 Sold for scrap, 19 December 1947 AT-145 1 Jun 1942 30 Sep 1946 Quail AM-15 29 Apr 1919 n/a Scuttled to prevent capture, 5 May 1942 Partridge AM-16 17 Jun 1919 n/a Sank, 11 June 1944 Eider AM-17 Pusey and Jones 23 Jan 1919 18 Apr 1922 Fate unknown YNG-20 7 Oct 1940 28 Nov 1945 Thrush AM-18 25 Apr 1919 3 Apr 1922 Sold to a commercial interest, 21 August 1946; Sank, 10 March 1951 AVP-3 31 Oct 1935 13 Dec 1945 Avocet AM-19 Baltimore Dry Dock and Shipbuilding 17 Sep 19188 Sep 1925 3 Apr 1922 Sold for scrap, 12 December 1946 AVP-4 22 Jan 1936 10 Dec 1945 Bobolink AM-20 28 Jan 1919 Fate unknown AT-131 1 Jun 1942 22 Feb 1946 Lark AM-21 12 Apr 1919

Fate unknown AT-168 1 Mar 1944 7 February 1946 Widgeon AM-22 Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company 27 Jul 1918

Sold for scrap, 5 March 1948 ASR-1 22 Jun 1936 5 Feb 1947 Teal AM-23 20 Aug 1918 Fate unknown AVP-5 22 Jan 1936 23 Nov 1945 Brant AM-24 5 Sep 1918 Fate unknown AT-132 1 Jun 1942 ARS-32 1 Sep 1942 19 Dec 1945 Kingfisher AM-25 Puget Sound Navy Yard 27 May 1918 Fate unknown AT-135 1 Jun 1942 6 Feb 1946 Rail AM-26 5 Jun 1918 Fate unknown AT-139 1 Jun 1942 29 Apr 1946 Pelican AM-27 Gas Engine and Power Company 10 Oct 1918

Sold for scrap, November 1946 AVP-6 22 Jan 1936 30 Nov 1945 Falcon AM-28 12 Nov 1918

Fate unknown ASR-2 12 Sep 1929 18 Jun 1946 Osprey AM-29 7 Jan 1919 12 Dec 1920 Sold for scrap, 1952 ARS-2 17 Sep 1941 13 Feb 1947 Seagull AM-30 7 Mar 1919

Fate unknown AT-141 1 Jun 1942 5 Sep 1946 Tern AM-31 17 May 1919

Fate unknown AT-142 1 Jun 1942 23 Nov 1945 Flamingo AM-32service history not reflected in the table New Jersey Dry Dock and Transportation Company 12 Feb 1919 17 Mar 1953 Sold for scrap, 22 July 1953 Penguin AM-33 21 Nov 1918 n/a Scuttled to prevent capture, 8 December 1941 Swan AM-34 Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company 31 Jan 1919

Fate unknown AVP-7 22 Jan 1936 13 Dec 1945 Whippoorwill AM-35 1 Apr 1919 Fate unknown AT-169 1 Mar 1944 17 Apr 1946 Bittern AM-36 28 May 1919 n/a Scuttled following incapacitating damage, 10 December 1941 Sanderling AM-37 Todd Brooklyn 4 Dec 1918 2 May 1922 Accidentally sank while under tow, 26 June 1937 Auk AM-38 31 Jan 1919 28 Jan 1947 Transferred to Venezuela, 9 June 1947; decommissioned in 1962 and abandoned as of 2019 Chewink AM-39 9 Apr 1919 4 Feb 1947 Sunk as a target, 31 July 1947 ASR-3 9 April 1919 4 February 1947 Cormorant AM-40 15 May 1919 29 March 1946 Fate unknown AT-133 15 May 1919 29 March 1946 Gannet AM-41 10 July 1919 n/a Sunk, 7 June 1942 AVP-8 10 July 1919 n/a Goshawk AM-42 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918 Grebe AM-43 Staten Island Shipbuilding Company 1 May 1919 n/a Ran aground, 6 December 1942; destroyed by hurricane, 1–2 January 1943 AT-134 1 May 1919 n/a Mallard AM-44 25 Jun 1919 10 Dec 1946 Sunk as a target, 22 May 1947 ASR-4 25 Jun 1919 10 Dec 1946 Ortolan AM-45 17 Sep 1919 18 Mar 1947 Fate unknown ASR-5 17 Sep 1919 18 Mar 1947 Peacock AM-46 27 Dec 1919 n/a Sunk, 24 August 1940 Pigeon AM-47 Baltimore Dry Dock and Shipbuilding 15 July 1919 n/a Sunk, 4 May 1942 ASR-6 15 July 1919 n/a Redwing AM-48 17 October 1919 n/a Sunk, 29 June 1943 ARS-4 17 October 1919 n/a Raven AM-49 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918 Shrike AM-50 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918 Sandpiper AM-51 Philadelphia Navy Yard 9 October 1919 10 December 1945 Fate unknown AVP-9 9 October 1919 10 December 1945 Vireo AM-52 16 October 1919 18 April 1946 Fate unknown AT-144 16 October 1919 18 April 1946 Warbler AM-53 22 December 1919 29 March 1946 Fate unknown ARS-11 22 December 1919 29 March 1946 Willet AM-54 29 January 1920 1 December 1947 Sold for scrap 2 November 1948 ARS-12 29 January 1920 1 December 1947

References

External links

USN Ships Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945