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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MINE WARFARE SHIPS
"BIRD" minesweepers (LAPWING) (1918 - 1920)


Photo



Tern

Ships


No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
AM1, 1.1936- AVP1 Lapwing   Todd SB, Brooklyn 10.1917 14.3.1918 6/1918 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 1946
AM2 Owl   Todd SB, Brooklyn 10/1917 4.3.1918 7.1918 tug AT137 6.1942
AM3 Robin   Todd SB, Brooklyn 3/1918 17.6.1918 8.1918 tug AT140 6.1942
AM4 Swallow   Todd SB, Brooklyn 3/1917 4.7.1918 10.1918 wrecked 19.2.1938
AM5 Tanager   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 9/1917 2.3.1918 6.1918 sunk 4.5.1942
AM6 Cardinal   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 10.1917 29.3.1918 8.1918 wrecked 6.6.1923
AM7 Oriole   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 3.1918 3.7.1918 11.1918 tug AT136 6.1942
AM8 Curlew   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 4.1918 29.8.1918 1.1919 wrecked 15.12.1925
AM9 Finch   Standard SB, Shooters Is 8/1917 30.3.1918 9.1918 sunk 6.5.1942, captured by Japanese (第103号哨戒艇 [103-go])
AM10, 1.1936- AVP2 Heron   Standard SB, Shooters Is 8/1917 18.3.1918 10.1918 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 12.1946
AM11 Condor   Standard SB, Shooters Is --- --- --- cancelled 12.1918
AM12 Plover   Standard SB, Shooters Is --- --- --- cancelled 12.1918
AM13 Turkey   Chester SB 8/1917 30.4.1918 12.1918 tug AT143 6.1942
AM14 Woodcock   Chester SB 10/1917 12.5.1918 2.1919 tug AT145 6.1942
AM15 Quail   Chester SB 5/1918 6.10.1918 4.1919 sunk 6.5.1942
AM16 Partridge   Chester SB 5/1918 15.10.1918 6.1919 tug AT138 6.1942
AM17 Eider   Pusey & Jones, Wilmington 9.1917 26.5.1918 1.1919 gate vessel YNG20 10.1940
AM18, 1.1936- AVP3 Thrush   Pusey & Jones, Wilmington 5.1918 15.9.1918 4.1919 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 1.1946
AM19, 1.1936- AVP4 Avocet   Baltimore SB 9/1917 9.3.1918 9.1919 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 1946
AM20 Bobolink   Baltimore SB 10.1917 15.6.1918 1.1919 tug AT131 6.1942
AM21 Lark   Baltimore SB 3.1918 6.8.1918 4.1919 tug AT168 3.1944
AM22 Widgeon   Sun SB, Chester 10/1917 5.5.1918 7.1918 submarine rescue vessel ASR1 9.1929
AM23, 1.1936- AVP5 Teal   Sun SB, Chester 10/1917 25.5.1918 8.1918 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 12.1946
AM24 Brant   Sun SB, Chester 12/1917 30.5.1918 9.1918 tug AT132 6.1942
AM25 Kingfisher   Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton 12.1917 30.3.1918 5.1918 tug AT135 6.1942
AM26 Rail   Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton 12/1917 25.4.1918 6.1918 tug AT139 6.1942
AM27, 1.1936- AVP6 Pelican   Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights 11/1917 12.6.1918 10.1918 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 12.1945
AM28 Falcon   Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights 11/1917 7.9.1918 11.1918 submarine rescue vessel ASR2 9.1929
AM29 Osprey   Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights 11/1917 14.11.1918 1.1919 survey vessel Pioneer 4.1922
AM30 Seagull   Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights 6/1918 24.12.1918 3.1919 tug AT141 6.1942
AM31 Tern   Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights 9/1918 22.3.1919 5.1919 tug AT142 6.1942
AM32 Flamingo   New Jersey DD & T Co, Gloucester City 10.1917 24.8.1918 2.1919 survey vessel Guide 1.1923
AM33 Penguin   New Jersey DD & T Co, Gloucester City 11/1918 12.6.1919 11.1919 sunk 8.12.1941
AM34, 1.1936- AVP7 Swan   Alabama SB & DD Co, Mobile 12/1917 4.7.1918 1.1919 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 1.1946
AM35 Whippoorwill   Alabama SB & DD Co, Mobile 12/1917 4.7.1919 4.1919 tug AT169 3.1944
AM36 Bittern   Alabama SB & DD Co, Mobile 12.1917 15.2.1919 5.1919 sunk 10.12.1941
AM37 Sanderling   Todd SB, Brooklyn 5/1918 2.9.1918 12.1918 wrecked 26.6.1937
AM38 Auk   Todd SB, Brooklyn 6/1918 28.9.1918 1.1919 survey vessel 4.1922
AM39 Chewink   Todd SB, Brooklyn 7.1918 21.12.1918 4.1919 submarine rescue vessel ASR3 9.1929
AM40 Cormorant   Todd SB, Brooklyn 9.1918 5.2.1919 5.1919 tug AT133 6.1942
AM41, 1.1936- AVP8 Gannet   Todd SB, Brooklyn 10/1918 19.3.1919 7.1919 seaplane tender 1.1936, sunk 7.6.1942
AM42 Goshawk   Todd SB, Brooklyn --- --- --- cancelled 12.1918
AM43 Grebe   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 5.1918 17.12.1918 5.1919 tug AT134 6.1942
AM44 Mallard   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 5/1918 17.12.1918 6.1919 submarine rescue vessel ASR4 9.1929
AM45 Ortolan   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 7/1918 30.1.1919 9.1919 submarine rescue vessel ASR5 9.1929
AM46 Peacock   Staten Is SB, Port Richmond 8/1918 8.4.1919 12.1919 collision 24.8.1940
AM47 Pigeon   Baltimore SB 6/1918 29//1919 7.1919 submarine rescue vessel ASR6 9.1929
AM48 Redwing   Baltimore SB 8/1918 7.6.1919 10.1919 Coast Guard tug WAT48 5.1924
AM49 Raven   Baltimore SB 1918 --- --- cancelled 12.1918
AM50 Shrike   Baltimore SB --- --- --- cancelled 12.1918
AM51, 1.1936- AVP9 Sandpiper   Philadelphia N Yd 11/1918 28.4.1919 10.1919 seaplane tender 1.1936, stricken 4.1946
AM52 Vireo   Philadelphia N Yd 11/1918 26.5.1919 10.1919 tug AT144 6.1942
AM53 Warbler   Philadelphia N Yd 4.1919 30.7.1919 12.1919 rescue vessel ARS11 9.1941
AM54 Willet   Philadelphia N Yd 5.1919 11.9.1919 1.1920 rescue vessel ARS12 9.1941


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

950
Displacement full, t

1400
Length, m

57.6
Breadth, m

10.8
Draught, m

3.80
No of shafts1
Machinery

1 VTE, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.1400
Max speed, kts

13.5
Fuel, tcoal
Endurance, nm(kts)6850 (8)
Armament

2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk III/V/VI, 2 x 1 - 7.6/90, mechanical minesweeping gear, mines
Complement

85


Standard scale images


<i>Thrush</i> 1943
Thrush 1943
<i>Lapwing</i> 1918
Lapwing 1918


Graphics


<i>Tern</i>
Tern
AVP3 <i>Thrush</i>
AVP3 Thrush


Project history

Universal minesweepers/tugs of Bird class were designed in 1916.

Modernizations

1936, Lapwing, Heron, Thrush, Avocet, Teal, Pelican, Swan, Gannet and Sandpiper were converted to seaplane tenders: minesweeping equipment was removed, ships were can supply and repair seaplanes.

1942 - 1943, all survived: + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, SO or SU radar

1942 - 1943, all survived seaplane tenders: + 2 DCR

1/1946, AVP: 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 3.5.6, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 DCR, SO or SU radar

Naval service

Warbler and Willet served as rescue tugs from 1920. Cardinal grounded on a reef off Chirikof Island (Dutch Harbor) 6.6.1923. Curlew grounded on the rocks at Point Mosquito, Panama, 15.12.1925. Sanderling sank accidentally 26.6.1937. Swallow ran aground at Kanaga Island (Aleutian) 19.2.1938. Peacock collided with Norwegian s/s Hindonger 24.8.1940. Penguin 8.12.1941 foundered in harbour of Guam being damaged by Japanese aircraft. Bittern 10.12.1941 was badly damaged by Japanese aircraft and 8.4.1942 scuttled off Corregidor. Tanager 4.5.1942 was scuttled at Manila. Finch 6.5.1942 was sunk at Corregidor (under other data, 10.4.1942 she was lost at coast of Philippines), salvaged by Japanese, repaired and commissioned in April, 1943 as patrol ship no103; she was sunk 12.1.1945 by American aircraft. Quail 6.5.1942 was scuttled at Corregidor. Gannet 7.6.1942 near Bermuda was sunk by German submarine U653.