Accentor-class minesweeper
{{Short description|1941 class of minesweepers of the United States Navy}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=USS Accentor.jpg |Ship image size=300px |Ship caption=USS Accentor }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name= Accentor class |Builders= |Operators= {{navy|United States}} |Class before= |Class after= |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range=1941–1942 |In service range= |In commission range=1942–1946 |Total ships building= |Total ships planned= |Total ships completed=70 |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired= |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= Minesweeper |Ship displacement= {{convert|185|–|205|LT|t|0}} |Ship length={{convert|97|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}–{{convert|98|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|21|ft|m|abbr=on}}–{{convert|23|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draft={{convert|8|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}–{{convert|10|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=Diesel engine, {{convert|400|hp|abbr=on|lk=in}} |Ship speed={{convert|10|kn|km/h|lk=in}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship complement=17 |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=2 × .50 cal. M2 Browning machine guns |Ship armor= |Ship notes= }} |
The Accentor-class minesweeper, sometimes called the Accentor/Acme-class minesweeper, was a small minesweeper used by the United States Navy during World War II. The Accentor-class minesweeper was designed for the sweeping of mines in harbors, bays, and other littoral waters.
Design
The ships of the class were wooden-hulled with a draft between {{convert|8|ft|11|in|m|1}} and {{convert|10|ft|8|in|m|1}}. Typically, the Accentor-class minesweepers were armed with a pair of .50 caliber machine guns for protection.{{Cite web|url=http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/C/o/Coastal_Minesweepers.htm |title=Coastal Minesweepers (AMc) |last=Budge |first=Kent G. |website=The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia |access-date=13 April 2016}} Rather than creating new minesweeping vessels, forty-five wooden-hulled fishing boats were converted into Accentor-class minesweepers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-dm.html |title=HyperWar: US Navy Minecraft, 1940-1945 |website=www.ibiblio.org |access-date=13 April 2016}} Since these converted fishing boats were not all the same, their specifications varied slightly. The converted fishing boats had a displacement from {{convert|165|to|270|LT|t}}. They had speeds from {{convert|8.5|kn|lk=in}} up to {{convert|14|kn}} and crews from as small as fifteen up to 50.
Service history
In World War II, the Accentor-class minesweepers were used to sweep mines in harbors, bays, and other littoral waters, due to their small size.{{cite journal |title=Fighting the Submarine Mine |first=Yates |last=Stirling |journal=Popular Science |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VCcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA102 |access-date=13 April 2016 |date=October 1941 |publisher=Bonnier Corporation |pages=102–108 |ISSN=0161-7370}} The minesweepers were used to remove mines placed defensively in harbors and coastal waters by the United States Navy.
After the war
After World War II ended and most postwar minesweeping tasks had been completed, the Accentor-class minesweepers were declared surplus to naval needs. By the end of 1946, all 70 of the Accentor class were decommissioned.{{cite book |title=American Gunboats and Minesweepers |last=Lenton |first=H. T. |author-link=H. T. Lenton |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's |year=1974 |location=London, UK }} They were transferred to the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) for disposal. The two .50 caliber machine guns and minesweeping equipment were removed by MARCOM, after which the vessels were sold to various American marine towing companies and fisheries to be used as civilian vessels.
Ships of the ''Accentor'' class
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- {{USS|Accentor|AMc-36}}
- {{USS|Bateleur|AMc-37}}
- {{USS|Barbet|AMc-38}}
- {{USS|Brambling|AMc-39}}
- {{USS|Caracara|AMc-40}}
- {{USS|Chachalaca|AMc-41}}
- {{USS|Chimango|AMc-42}}
- {{USS|Cotinga|AMc-43}}
- {{USS|Courlan|AMc-44}}
- {{USS|Develin|AMc-45}}
- {{USS|Fulmar|AMc-46}}
- {{USS|Jacamar|AMc-47}}
- {{USS|Limpkin|AMc-48}}
- {{USS|Lorikeet|AMc-49}}
- {{USS|Marabout|AMc-50}}
- {{USS|Ostrich|AMc-51}}
- {{USS|Roller|AMc-52}}
- {{USS|Skimmer|AMc-53}}
- {{USS|Tapacola|AMc-54}}
- {{USS|Turaco|AMc-55}}
- (AMc-56 through AMc-60 are not a part of the Accentor-class)
- {{USS|Acme|AMc-61}}
- {{USS|Adamant|AMc-62}}
- {{USS|Advance|AMc-63}}
- {{USS|Aggressor|AMc-64}}
- {{USS|Assertive|AMc-65}}
- {{USS|Avenge|AMc-66}}
- {{USS|Bold|AMc-67}}
- {{USS|Bulwark|AMc-68}}
- {{USS|Combat|AMc-69}}
- {{USS|Conqueror|AMc-70}}
- {{USS|Conquest|AMc-71}}
- {{USS|Courier|AMc-72}}
- {{USS|Defiance|AMc-73}}
- {{USS|Demand|AMc-74}}
- {{USS|Detector|AMc-75}}
- {{USS|Dominant|AMc-76}}
- {{USS|Endurance|AMc-77}}
- {{USS|Energy|AMc-78}}
- {{USS|Exultant|AMc-79}}
- {{USS|Fearless|AMc-80}}
- {{USS|Fortitude|AMc-81}}
- {{USS|Governor|AMc-82}}
- {{USS|Guide|AMc-83}}
- {{USS|Heroic|AMc-84}}
- {{USS|Ideal|AMc-85}}
- {{USS|Industry|AMc-86}}
- {{USS|Liberator|AMc-87}}
- {{USS|Loyalty|AMc-88}}
- {{USS|Memorable|AMc-89}}
- {{USS|Merit|AMc-90}}
- {{USS|Observer|AMc-91}}
- {{USS|Paramount|AMc-92}}
- {{USS|Peerless|AMc-93}}
- {{USS|Pluck|AMc-94}}
- {{USS|Positive|AMc-95}}
- {{USS|Reaper|AMc-96}}
- {{USS|Prestige|AMc-97}}
- {{USS|Progress|AMc-98}}
- {{USS|Radiant|AMc-99}}
- {{USS|Reliable|AMc-100}}
- {{USS|Rocket|AMc-101}}
- {{USS|Royal|AMc-102}}
- {{USS|Security|AMc-103}}
- {{USS|Skipper|AMc-104}}
- {{USS|Stalwart|AMc-105}}
- {{USS|Summit|AMc-106}}
- {{USS|Trident|AMc-107}}
- {{USS|Valor|AMc-108}}
- {{USS|Victor|AMc-109}}
- {{USS|Vigor|AMc-110}}
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See also
- APc-1-class small coastal transports a modified Accentor-class minesweeper ship
- Wooden boats of World War 2
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-dm.html Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945 Minecraft]
{{Accentor class minesweeper}}