USS Grebe
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Grebe |
| Builder | Staten Island Steam Boat Co., New York |
| Laid down | 25 May 1918 |
| Launched | 17 December 1918 |
| Commissioned | 1 May 1919, as Minesweeper No.43 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Stricken | 28 July 1943 |
| Honours and awards | 1 battle star (World War II) |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Lapwing-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 950 long tons (965 t) |
| Length | 187 ft 10 in (57.25 m) |
| Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 78 |
| Armament | 2 × 3 in (76 mm) guns |
USS Grebe (AM-43) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.
Grebe was built by the Staten Island Steam Boat Co., was launched 17 December 1918; it was sponsored by Miss Emma Youmans and commissioned at the
hurricane
in 1943.
Post-World War I mine clearance
From 9 July 1919 until 1 October, Grebe, based at
minesweeper flotilla clearing the North Sea of mines laid by the Allies during World War I. She returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 28 November 1919 via Devonport, Brest, Lisbon, the Azores, Bermuda, and New York. After extensive repairs, Grebe moved to the Boston Navy Yard 4 November 1920; from there she sailed the coast from Maine to New Jersey calibrating radio compass stations and doing miscellaneous towing and rescue work. On 29 April 1921 she rescued 139 passengers from the Portuguese steamer SS Mormugao, which had run aground off the Massachusetts
coast.
North Atlantic operations
Grebe's next duty took her to
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the Panama Canal Zone which occupied her from 1 December 1921 until 18 March 1922, when she returned to Portsmouth
. There she decommissioned 12 May 1922.
Grebe was recommissioned on 15 November 1922, Chief Boatswain Albert C. Fraenzel commanding. On 16 December she sailed for
coral reefs, and in searches for missing ships. This work was interrupted by a yearly five-week repair period at Charleston, South Carolina
.
Hurricane rescue work
Grebe's finest moment came in 1930 after
hurricane San Zenón laid waste large parts of the Dominican Republic and killed thousands on September 3rd. Carrying trained medical men and emergency supplies from Puerto Rico, Grebe was the first ship to reach devastated Santo Domingo
. She remained there for two weeks, helping unload other ships and clear debris.
17 March 1931 Grebe brought Dr. Paul M. Pearson, Governor-appointee, and his staff from San Juan to St. Thomas; nucleus of the Virgin Island's first civilian government.
Towing the USS Constitution
Grebe then returned to
.Transfer to the Pacific Ocean
On 12 May 1934 Grebe relinquished her duties with Constitution, entering the
minesweeping exercises, training squadron details, and harbor service. Her tour there was interrupted by two voyages, the first to Pearl Harbor
6–31 May 1935 for fleet problems and the second to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Norfolk, Virginia, 26 December to 7 May 1939 for gunnery exercises.
Pearl Harbor assignment
Sailing from
stores runs interrupted her Hawaiian
duty.
Under attack at Pearl Harbor
Grebe was in yard availability at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Her 3-inch guns had been dismantled for the overhaul so she could fight only with rifles and pistols. She was credited with shooting down one of three unidentified planes flying low over the Navy Yard. On 24 January Grebe departed for
Palmyra Island with fuel oil barge YO-43 in tow where she arrived five days later. She returned to Honolulu
on 5 February and continued from there until autumn. Her classification was changed to Fleet Tug AT-134 on 1 June 1941.
On 30 September Grebe joined a
Johnston Island and returned on 9 October. On 9 November 1942 Grebe was underway again with lighter YC-737 and YB-9 in tow and accompanying YO-44, for Canton Island. Calling there on 25 November she proceeded to Pago Pago, Samoa
arriving on 28 November.
Run aground and broken up by a hurricane
On 6 December 1942, Grebe was grounded while attempting to float
Navy List
28 July 1943.
Awards
Grebe earned 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.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Grebe (AM-43/AT 134) at NavSource Naval History
- USS Grebe (AM 43)
- US Ships at Hawaii on December 7, 1941 Archived 1 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Pearl Harbor: This is not a drill Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
 United States Navy(minesweepers) |
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| United States Navy (rescue and salvage ships) | |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1942 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in January 1943 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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