USS Staff (AM-114)

USS "Staff" (AM-114) was an towed her out of Oran, and they joined GUS-18 for the voyage to the United States. She made Norfolk, Virginia, on 6 November and was soon docked again for battle repairs. She remained in the United States until 25 March 1944 when she sailed from New York to Plymouth, England, for temporary duty with the U.S. 12th Fleet. That assignment lasted from 15 April to 1 August.

Renewed Mediterranean operations

Prom there, she moved to the Mediterranean for another temporary duty assignment, this time with the U.S. 6th Fleet. She was at Oran from 6 to 10 August and, by 15 August, was off the Mediterranean coast of France for the invasion there. She supported the invasion until mid-November, then returned to Oran. From there, she headed back to the United States on 24 November. She reached Norfolk, Virginia, on 11 December and did not leave until 15 February 1945, when she sailed south to Panama. "Staff" transited the canal 10 days later and arrived in Pearl Harbor on 19 March. She remained at Pearl Harbor until 9 May, first in overhaul, then conducting exercises with submarines off Oahu.

Pacific Ocean Theatre operations

On 9 May, she got underway in the screen of a westward-bound convoy. The ships reached Eniwetok on 18 May; and, two days later, "Staff" sailed for the Marianas with USS|Tumult|PC-478|2 and "SC-727". They entered Apra Harbor, Guam, on the 22d. Almost a week later, on the 28th, she got underway for Okinawa. The minesweeper escorted a convoy of LST's to Nakagusuku Wan (Buckner Bay), Okinawa, then put into Kerama Retto on 6 June. For the remainder of the month, Staff operated out of the anchorage at Kerama Retto, patrolling and screening around Okinawa. She cleared the area on 30 June and returned to Guam the following day. She remained in the Marianas, visiting both Guam and Saipan, until 2 August. She arrived off Okinawa again on 7 August and took part in Operation Skagway, a minesweeping operation in the East China Sea, from 13 to 25 August.

On the 25th, "Staff" returned to Buckner Bay and, on 1 September, sailed in company with six other mine-craft and four smaller vessels to conduct the initial sweep of the Kyūshū approaches. On the 9th, she departed Japan for Okinawa and reentered Buckner Bay on the 11th. "Staff" stood out again on 21 September and headed for Bungo Suido to conduct further sweeps in the Japanese home islands, this time in the waters between Kyūshū and Shikoku. She continued minesweeping operations through the fall and into winter.

Post-World War II operations

In late December, she visited Shanghai; then headed for the United States. She stopped at Pearl Harbor early in February 1946 and reached San Pedro, California, on the 14th. There, she reported to the 19th Fleet and began inactivation overhaul at Terminal Island, California.

First Decommissioning

"Staff" was retained in commission, in reserve, until 15 January 1947, when she was decommissioned and berthed at San Diego, California.

Reactivation

On 14 January 1952, "Staff" was recommissioned at San Diego, California and sailed-via Acapulco, Mexico, the Panama Canal, and Guantanamo Bay-to Charleston, South Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia. She was assigned to Mine Squadron 6 and operated along the U.S. East Coast until 26 August when she sailed for Scotland. "Staff" visited Holyhead and the Firth of Forth in September and returned to Charleston, South Carolina, on 12 October. She resumed operations along the eastern seaboard during the winter of 1952 and 1953; then, on 21 April 1953, put to sea to join the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. "Staff" cruised with the U.S. 6th Fleet until October, visiting most of the major ports on the Mediterranean. She reentered Charleston on 26 October, and she was moored until the new year.

On 4 January 1954, she embarked on a cruise to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the British West Indies. She returned to Charleston on 2 April and operated from there until September. "Staff" rejoined the 6th Fleet in mid-September and cruised the "middle sea" until January 1955. The minesweeper returned to Charleston on 29 January.

Decommissioning

On 7 February, she was redesignated MSF-114; and, on 28 March, she reported to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for inactivation. She was placed out of commission, in reserve, at Green Cove Springs, Florida, on 15 August 1955. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 1 March 1967 and her hulk sold to Southern Scrap Metals Co. of New Orleans, Louisiana, on 17 November 1967.

Awards

"Staff" was awarded six battle stars during World War II.

References

See also

* List of United States Navy ships

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/am114.htm USS "Staff" (AM-114, later MSF-114), 1942-1967]
* [http://www.multied.com/navy/Minelayer/staff.html USS "Staff"]
* [http://www.informediate.com/USSRichDE695/ActionReports/ActionReports.htm USS "Rich" DE695 Action Reports]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Admin-Hist/148.3-Sicily/148.3-Sicily-5.html HyperWar: Naval Forces, Northwest African Waters and the Eighth ...]