USS Threat
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Threat (AM-124) |
| Builder | Savannah Machine and Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia |
| Laid down | 15 December 1941 |
| Launched | 15 August 1942 |
| Commissioned | 14 March 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 31 May 1946 |
| Reclassified | MSF-124, 7 February 1955 |
| Stricken | 1 July 1972 |
| Honours and awards | 3 battle stars (World War II) |
| Fate | Sold to Mexico, 1973 |
 Mexico | |
| Name | ARM Francisco Zarco (C81) |
| Namesake | Francisco Zarco |
| Acquired | 1973 |
| Reclassified | |
| Stricken | shakedown cruisein active service, as of 2007[update][1] |
| 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 | 105 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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USS Threat (AM-124) 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.
Threat was laid down on 15 December 1941 at Savannah, Georgia, by the Savannah Machine and Foundry Co.; launched on 15 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Allan M. Robinson; and commissioned on 14 March 1943.
Convoy operations to North Africa
In March and April 1943 Threat completed
European operations
Early in 1944, Threat helped to protect a convoy as it steamed via the Azores to the British Isles. After this mission, Threat remained in the Falmouth area for repairs. In April and May, she operated out of Batten Bay and conducted exercises with ships of the British Royal Navy in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy.
Operation Overlord
On 2 June 1944, the ship was sealed and briefing commenced. On 5 June 1944, Threat departed
A shore battery fired on Threat as she was running acoustic and magnetic sweeps off
Throughout June 1944, Threat continued to sweep waters off the French coast, occasionally drawing fire from German guns but escaping unscathed. While she swept channels for fire support ships in preparation for the bombardment of Cherbourg, she came under heavy fire from enemy emplacements. In July, Threat conducted daily sweeps of the Baie de la Seine, necessitated by the delayed action and time-release settings of mines left by the German forces.
Supporting the invasion of southern France
After replenishment at
In September, Threat continued sweeps, patrols, and mine-watching missions off the coast of
Throughout November, Threat operated off France's southern coast. She cleared fire support channels and patrolled for floating mines in the area between Cannes and Sanremo, before departing Cannes on 27 November 1944 for provisioning and ammunition replenishment at Bizerte.
The sweeper continued operations in the western
Stateside overhaul
Threat remained on the east coast for major overhaul and the installation of SA-2
Pacific Ocean operations
After her arrival at
Decommissioning
Threat was decommissioned on 31 May 1946. Although she was reclassified as a steel-hulled fleet minesweeper (MSF-124) on 7 February 1955, Threat never resumed active service in the
Awards
Threat received three
Notes
- ^ OCLC 140283156.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-124 USS Threat
- Photo gallery of USS Threat (AM-124/MSF-124) at NavSource Naval History
- uboat.net - USS Threat (AM 124)
- Threat (AM-124) and Pheasant (AM-61) tried to aid Tide, but the ship was beyond saving
