13 COASTAL MINESWEEPERS (MSC)
"BLUEBIRD" CLASS
|
Name |
No. | Launched | Commissioned |
|
BLUEBIRD |
MSC 121 |
11 May 1953 |
24 July 1953 |
|
CORMORANT |
MSC 122 |
8 June 1953 |
14 Aug 1953 |
| PARROT | MSC 197 | 27 Nov 1954 | 28 June 1955 |
| PEACOCK | MSC 198 | 19 June 1954 | 7 Feb 1955 |
| PHOEBE | MSC 199 | 21 Aug 1954 | 29 Apr 1955 |
| SHRIKE | MSC 201 | 21 July 1954 | 21 Mar 1955 |
| THRASHER | MSC 203 | 6 Oct 1954 | 16 Aug 1955 |
| THRUSH | MSC 204 | 5 Jan 1955 | 8 Nov 1955 |
| VIREO | MSC 205 | 30 Apr 1954 | 7 June 1955 |
| WARBLER | MSC 206 | 18 June 1954 | 18 July 1955 |
| WHIPPOORWILL | MSC 207 | 13 Aug 1954 | 20 Oct 1955 |
| WIDGEON | MSC 208 | 15 Oct 1954 | 28 Nov 1955 |
| WOODPECKER |
MSC 209 |
7 Jan 1955 |
3 Feb 1956 |
Constructed throughout of wood and other materials with the lowest possible magnetic attraction to attain the greatest possible safety factor when sweeping for magnetic mines. Fitted with UQS-1 sonar. Range is 2500 miles at ten knots.
Only named vessels AMS 121, 122, 190-209 were commissioned into US Navy with MSC 200 and 202 being transferred to Spain in 1959 (replaced by MSC 298 and 290 in US Navy. An additional 167 coastal minesweepers of this design were built in US private shipyards for NATO and other allied navies.
Bluebird decommissioned in 1971 and Cormorant in 1970 and placed in reserve. The 11 other ships are manned jointly by active and reserve crews and assigned to Naval Reserve training/Naval Reserve Force. Those ships are manned by crews of 1 officer and 11 enlisted active navy personnel plus 3 officer and 11 enlisted reserve personnel Wartime ("mobilization") complement is 5 officers and 33 enlisted men.
Above information was obtained from - Janes Fighting Ship 1973-74, Mine Warfare Ships pg 472.