Accentor-class minesweeper

The Accentor-class minesweeper, sometimes called the Accentor/Acme-class minesweeper, was a small minesweeper used by the United States Navy during World War II. The Accentor-class minesweeper was designed for the sweeping of mines in harbors, bays, and other littoral waters.[1]

USS Accentor
Class overview
NameAccentor class
Operators United States Navy
Built1941–1942
In commission1942–1946
Completed70
General characteristics
TypeMinesweeper
Displacement185–205 long tons (188–208 t)
Length97 ft 1 in (29.59 m)–98 ft 5 in (30.00 m)
Beam21 ft (6.4 m)–23 ft 7 in (7.19 m)
Draft8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)–10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
PropulsionDiesel engine, 400 hp (300 kW)
Speed10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement17
Armament2 × .50 cal. M2 Browning machine guns

Design

The ships of the class were wooden-hulled with a draft between 8 feet 11 inches (2.7 m) and 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 m). Typically, the Accentor-class minesweepers were armed with a pair of .50 caliber machine guns for protection.[2] Rather than creating new minesweeping vessels, forty-five wooden-hulled fishing boats were converted into Accentor-class minesweepers.[3] Since these converted fishing boats were not all the same, their specifications varied slightly. The converted fishing boats had a displacement from 165 to 270 long tons (168 to 274 t). They had speeds from 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) up to 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) and crews from as small as fifteen up to 50.

Service history

In World War II, the Accentor-class minesweepers were used to sweep mines in harbors, bays, and other littoral waters, due to their small size.[4][2] The minesweepers were used to remove mines placed defensively in harbors and coastal waters by the United States Navy.

After the war

After World War II ended and most postwar minesweeping tasks had been completed, the Accentor-class minesweepers were declared surplus to naval needs. By the end of 1946, all 70 of the Accentor class were decommissioned.[1] They were transferred to the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) for disposal. The two .50 caliber machine guns and minesweeping equipment were removed by MARCOM, after which the vessels were sold to various American marine towing companies and fisheries to be used as civilian vessels.

Ships of the Accentor class

See also

References
  1. Lenton, H. T. (1974). American Gunboats and Minesweepers. London, UK: Macdonald and Jane's.
  2. Budge, Kent G. "Coastal Minesweepers (AMc)". The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  3. "HyperWar: US Navy Minecraft, 1940-1945". www.ibiblio.org. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  4. Stirling, Yates (October 1941). "Fighting the Submarine Mine". Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation: 102–108. ISSN 0161-7370. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
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