USS Device (AM-220)

Device was launched 21 May 1944 by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Florida; sponsored by Miss P. K. Kennedy; and commissioned 7 July 1944. Device arrived at Pearl Harbor 15 November 1944 after training in the Panama Canal Zone area. Nine days later she got underway to escort a convoy to Eniwetok, then to Kossol Roads, Palau Islands, arriving 24 December. She acted as harbor entrance control vessel and patrolled in the Angaur-Peleliu screen until 9 January 1945 when she escorted convoys between Kossol Roads, Manus, Ulithi, Guam, and Saipan.

Device arrived at Leyte 15 March 1945 and was assigned to escort a group of LSTs and LSMs to Okinawa, arriving the last day of the month. She acted on antisubmarine patrol off the invasion beaches and on 3 April began to sweep mines, taking part in the clearing of Kinmu Wan. When USS Mullany was crashed during the heavy suicide attacks of 6 April Device sped to her side and rescued 16 survivors. The next day she helped YMS-427 extinguish a fire raging on board as a result of the service craft having been struck by shore gunfire. On 8 April PGM-18 and YMS-103 were both struck by mines and Device sent a volunteer whaleboat crew to rescue 21 of the crew of both vessels.

Device continued sweeping mines until 10 April, then patrolled on various antisubmarine stations off Kerama Retto and Ie Shima. From 4 July to 31 July she swept in support of the U.S. 3rd Fleet operation against Japan, then sailed to San Pedro Bay for brief overhaul. Returning to Okinawa 1 September 1945 Device got underway a week later for minesweeping operations in Japanese waters in support of the occupation. She served in the Far East until 20 November when she sailed from Sasebo for Pearl Harbor, arriving 8 December. She remained there for overhaul until 20 January 1946, then sailed for the United States. She arrived at Orange, Texas, 3 June and was placed out of commission in reserve there 24 August. Device received three battle stars for World War II service.

Recommissioned on 16 March 1950 Device stood in to Charleston, South Carolina on 1 April, under the command of Lt. T. J. O'Connor. Subsequent captains included Lt. Philip Roth and Lt. Cary N. Carpenter. She operated from this port along the eastern seaboard and on training exercises in the Caribbean. One operation took her to Quebec, Canada between 3 August and 29 August. On 16 September she arrived at Jacksonville, Florida, and was placed out of commission in reserve at Orange, Texas, 4 February 1954. She was reclassified MSF-220, 7 February 1955. She was sold to Mexico in 1962.

The former Device was acquired by the Mexican Navy in October 1962 and renamed ARM DM-11. In 1994, she was renamed ARM Cadete Agustín Melgar (C54) after Agustín Melgar. (Some sources spell the name Augustín Melgar.) She was stricken in 2000,[1] and sunk as an artificial reef that year south of Puerto Escondido.[2]

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• Photo gallery of Device at NavSource Naval History