USS Chachalaca

Chachalaca (AMc-41) was an Accentor-class coastal minesweeper built by the Bristol Yacht Building Company, South Bristol, Maine and delivered to the U.S. Navy at the Boston Navy Yard in August 1941.

Chachalaca at her building yard, 28 July 1941.
History
United States
NameChachalaca
NamesakeBird: Chachalaca
BuilderBristol Yacht Building Co., South Bristol, Maine
Laid down27 December 1940
Launched11 June 1941
Sponsored byMiss Joanne Witherell
CommissionedNever commissioned
In service11 September 1941
Out of service4 January 1946
Stricken8 May 1946
FateSold 10 September 1947
General characteristics [1]
Displacement173 tons
Length97 ft 1 in (29.59 m)
Beam21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
Draft9 ft (2.7 m)
Speed10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Complement17
Armamenttwo .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns

Construction

Chachalaca was down on 27 December 1940 by the Bristol Yacht Building Co., South Bristol, Maine, launched on 11 June 1941 and delivered to the Navy at the Boston Navy Yard 25 August 1941. The vessel was placed in service on 11 September 1941 with plans to report to Commandant, Fifth Naval District, for training at the Mine Warfare School at Yorktown, Virginia. Those plans were delayed by materiel conditions despite a request from the Chief of Naval Operations for accelerated readiness. After missing several departure dates the vessel departed Boston 5 January 1942 arriving at Hampton Roads 8 January.[1]

Chachalaca and Caracara moored alongside a pier at Trinidad, 10 August 1942.

Service

After training Chachalaca was assigned to the 10th Naval District sailing in company with Montcalm (AT-39) for San Juan, Puerto Rico on 24 January 1942 arriving 28 January. The minesweeper was assigned to the Naval Operating Base at Trinidad on 1 April 1942 and began daily operations there. Those operations were interrupted with failures of the cable for the magnetic sweep. Local repairs were unsatisfactory with another break the day after repair. Caracara (AMc-40), the other minesweeper assigned to the area, also suffered failures. The Commander Inshore Patrol, Trinidad Sector, on 4 April 1942 requesting Bureau of Ships provide adequate spares noted the two vessels were "the only two vessels available between the British and ourselves that are capable of actually doing a sweeping job in the Gulf of Paria.”[1]

The ship was assigned to the Caribbean Sea Frontier 23 July 1942 through 21 April 1944 when again reporting to Commandant, Tenth Naval District. Chachalaca continued minesweeping operations until the end of the war in the Atlantic and Europe. On 27 June 1945 the vessel was assigned to Commandant, Sixth Naval District based at Charleston, South Carolina. Chachalaca arrived there on 7 September 1945 where the vessel was placed out of service 4 January 1946 and stricken on 8 May. On 10 September 1947 the vessel was sold through the U.S. Maritime Commission to Evald Sooder of Miami, Florida.[1]

References
  1. Naval History And Heritage Command (25 April 2018). "Chachalaca (AMc-41)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 4 May 2020.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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