USS Limpkin (AMS-195)

USS Limpkin (AMS-195) was a was a "Falcon"-class motor minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for clearing coastal minefields.

The second ship to be named "Limpkin" by the Navy, "MSC-195" was laid down 17 April 1953 by Broward Marine, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida, launched 22 May 1954; sponsored by Mrs. Edward Applegate; and commissioned 10 April 1955, Lt. T. E. Vines in command.

East Coast operations

After reporting to Mine Division 45 at Charleston, South Carolina, 15 April 1955, the new coastal minesweeper proceeded to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, for shakedown. Returning to Charleston 19 June, "Limpkin" trained with the Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida, 20 July to 3 August, then returned home for operations off South Carolina and a post shake down overhaul.

Transferred to MinDiv 41

Transferred to Mine Division 41 on New Year's Day, during 1956 "Limpkin" worked with the Mine Evaluation Depot, Key West, Florida; spent a gruelling month undergoing refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: and participated in a minesweeping exercise with the Atlantic Fleet.

Shifting home port to Yorktown, Virginia, site of the Navy Mine Warfare School, in January 1957, for the next 2 years the ship trained Navy men in the dangers and intricacies of minesweeping operations.

Participating in NATO exercises

Changing her home port to Little Creek, Virginia, 1 January 1959, "Limpkin" operated with the amphibious forces of the Atlantic Fleet and tested experimental minesweeping gear in the Chesapeake Bay. The ship departed Little Creek 29 September 1960 for the NATO exercise "Sweepclear" off Nova Scotia. Calling briefly at Boston, Massachusetts, "Limpkin" arrived Halifax 6 October and operated with Canadian minesweeps until 19 October.

Returning to Little Creek 26 October, the ship soon deployed to the Caribbean, visiting Cristobal, Panama, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the 3-month cruise and participating in LANTPHIBEX 1-61. For the remainder of 1961, she patrolled Chesapeake Bay, evaluating new equipment and training recruits.

Canadian operations

Following another LANTPHIBEX in the Caribbean during early 1962, "Limpkin" returned to Nova Scotia in October 1962 for a Joint operation "Sweepclear" with Canadian Mine Squadron 1. In 1963, plus operating in the Chesapeake Bay, the ship gained more invaluable training with the Canadians, as "Sweepclear" shifted to Mayport, Florida, thus providing familiarity with the breadth and unity of American-Canadian defense for the eastern coast of North America.

"Limpkin" continued this pattern of service, perfecting the dangerous art of mine warfare in operations along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean until late 1968.

Inactivation and use as a training ship

On 26 September 1968 she decommissioned and was placed in service as a U.S Naval Reserve training ship, based at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. She continued to give reservists first hand training into 1969.

"Limpkin" was transferred to Indonesia in 1971 as "Pulau Anjer" (M 719); struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1976; and disposed of for scrap through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service 1 September 1976.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l6/limpkin-ii.htm

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/05195.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Limpkin (MSC 195) - ex-AMS-195]