 USSArdent (AM 340) off the coast of San Francisco, California on 5 June 1944. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSArdent (AM-340) |
| Builder | General Engineering & Dry Dock Company,Alameda, California |
| Laid down | 20 February 1943 |
| Launched | 22 June 1943 |
| Commissioned | 25 May 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 30 January 1947 |
| Reclassified | MSF-340, 7 February 1955 |
| Stricken | 1 July 1972 |
| Honors & awards | 4battle stars, World War II |
| Fate | Transferred to Mexico, 19 September 1972 |
 Mexico | |
| Name | ARMJuan N. Álvarez (C77) |
| Namesake | Juan N. Álvarez |
| Acquired | 19 September 1972 |
| Reclassified | |
| Status | in active service, as of 2007[update][1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Auk-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 890 tons |
| Length | 221 ft 3 in (67 m) |
| Beam | 32 (10 m) |
| Draft | 10 ft 9 in (3 m) |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement | 100 |
| Armament |
|
The secondUSSArdent (AM-340) was aAuk-classminesweeper in theUnited States Navy.
Ardent was originally laid down asHMS Buffalo (BAM-8), for theRoyal Navy on 20 February 1943 atAlameda, California, by the General Engineering & Drydock Co.; rescheduled for delivery to the United States Navy; renamedArdent and redesignatedAM-340 on 24 May 1943; launched on 22 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Bernadette Armes, the daughter-in-law of George A. Armes, President of the General Engineering & Drydock Co., and commissioned on 25 May 1944.
During the first seven months of her career,Ardent escortedconvoys and ships operating between the west coast of the United States and theHawaiian Islands, though she also ranged as far asEniwetok in theMarshalls andTarawa in theGilberts.
The highlight of her service during this period occurred on 13 November.Ardent and the frigateUSS Rockford (PF-48) were escorting a six-ship convoy midway betweenHonolulu and the United States. At 12:32,Ardent's sonar picked up asubmarine contact.Ardent attacked first at 12:41, firing a 24-charge "Hedgehog" pattern, and again at 12:46 with a second "Hedgehog" pattern.Rockford left her escort station to assist, and fired her first barrage ofrockets from her "Hedgehog" at 13:08; two explosions followed, before an underwater detonation rocked the ship.
Ardent carried out two more attacks and thefrigate dropped 13depth charges to administer the coup de grace. The resulting explosions caused a loss of all contact with the enemy submarine. Wreckage recovered on the scene—deck planks, ground cork covered with diesel oil, a wooden slat from a vegetable crate with Japanese writing and advertisements on it, pieces of varnished mahogany inscribed in Japanese, and a piece of deck planking containing Japanese builders' inscriptions—indicated a definite "kill". Postwar research revealed the sunken submarine to be theJapanese submarine I-12, which had sailed from theInland Sea on 4 October 1944 to disrupt American shipping between the west coast and the Hawaiian Islands. In sinkingI-12,Ardent andRockford unwittingly avenged the atrocity I-12 had perpetrated on 30 October when, after sinking theLiberty shipSS John A. Johnson, the submarine had rammed and sunk thelifeboats and rafts and then machine-gunned the 70 survivors. Among the ten men killed were five enlisted men of the merchantman's Navy armed guard detachment.
On 1 December 1944,Ardent departed San Francisco, California, and headed for Hawaii. She reachedPearl Harbor on the 10th and underwent an intensive training period before sailing for the Marshall Islands on 27 January 1945 withTask Group (TG) 51.11, arriving on 5 February at Eniwetok. Two days later,Ardent sailed forTinian, and reported for duty with TG 52.3 on the 11th. On 13 February, the ship got underway, in company withUSS Champion (AM-314),USS Devastator (AM-318), andUSS Defense (AM-317), to participate in theIwo Jima campaign.
She conducted mine-sweeping operations off that island during the day from 15 to 18 February, and each night, her group retired to screenUSS Estes (AGC-12). During the sweeps, the ships came under intermittent fire from enemy shore batteries, but sustained no damage. On 19 February,Ardent took bomb-damagedUSS Blessman (DE-69) in tow and proceeded to theMarianas as escort for a convoy of damagedLCIs.
Upon reachingSaipan on the 25th, the minesweeper embarked 20 marines and loaded 149 sacks of mail for delivery at Iwo Jima. She arrived back at that island on 1 March but shaped a course forUlithi the next day as escort for Task Unit (TU) 51.29.3. A few weeks later,Ardent got underway with TG 52.4 to take part in the assault onOkinawa. She began mine-sweeping operations on the 24th and continued them through the 31st, the unit to which she was attached destroying 17 mines during this time period. During frequent enemy air attacks, the minesweeper took several Japanese planes under fire. On 26 March, an enemy plane under fire from the nearby fast minelayerUSS Adams (DM-27) started a glide for USSArdent's stern. The minesweeper opened fire and splashed the plane 300 yards (270 m) away.
On four occasions on 28 March, Japanese aircraft approachedArdent and her consorts. An adjacent formation shot down the first, 5,000 yards (4,600 m) from USSArdent's port beam. Combined fire fromAdams andArdent, as well as other ships in the formation, splashed the second, 1,200 yards (1,100 m) on the port beam.Ardent opened fire on the third aircraft, and saw it splash, the victim of a barrage put up by a formation of ships on the starboard quarter. USSAdams accounted for the fourth enemy aircraft. Later that same day, the minesweeperUSS Skylark (AM-63) struck a mine and sank;Ardent rescued 19 survivors.
Following the completion of mine-sweeping operations,Ardent assumed station on a patrol screen. On L-day, the day of the landings at Okinawa, 1 April 1945, a suicider crashed the nearbyUSS Adams (DM-27), causing extensive damage. During this period,Ardent opened fire on several Japanese planes, but scored no hits.
Ordered to proceed to Saipan for engine repairs,Ardent sailed for her destination on 4 April, and arrived on 10 April. Since parts necessary for the repairs were not available in the forward areas, she was routed via Pearl Harbor, toSeattle, where she arrived on 30 May.
Ardent underwent engine repairs atSeattle, Washington until 7 August. Six days later, on the 13th, the minesweeper sailed for Pearl Harbor, and was at sea, en route to the Hawaiian Islands, when the war withJapan ended.
Departing Pearl Harbor on 20 August in company withUSS Scoter (AM-381) andUSS Redstart (AM-378),Ardent called at Saipan from 13 to 17 September, and arrived at Okinawa on the 21st.
Pushing on for Japan,Ardent moored atSasebo, Japan, on 27 September, disembarking passengers, and delivering mail and freight. The ship made a brief trip back to Okinawa, arriving there on 2 October, before she returned to Sasebo on 20 October. During her time at Okinawa, she sortied on 7 October to ride out atyphoon, and conducted sweeps down the island's east coast for survivors of that storm. Joining TU 52.4.1 on 27 October,Ardent proceeded to the "Klondike" minefield area, located in theEast China Sea 100 miles (160 km) southwest ofKyūshū. She conducted daily minesweeping operations until 8 November, when she arrived back at Sasebo. Between that time and the end of the year,Ardent operated betweenHonshū and Kyūshū, escorting ships, transporting minesweeping gear, and observing Japanese minesweeping operations and conducting demolition firing at the mine disposal grounds atKushikino Ko. She remained thus engaged into March 1946.
Routed toKobe on 4 March 1946, in company withUSS Defense (AM-317),Ardent sailed for the Hawaiian Islands two days later, on 6 March. Touching at Saipan, Eniwetok,Johnston Island and Pearl Harbor, the minesweeper continued on to the west coast of the United States; parting company from USSDefense on 16 April,Ardent dropped anchor inSan Francisco Bay on 19 April.
The minesweeper lay in theSan Francisco Naval Shipyard until November 1946. Subsequently, proceeding to San Diego in company withUSS Vigilance (AM-324),Ardent then operated in the vicinity ofSan Clemente Island,Newport Beach, andOceanside, California, and on air-sea rescue stations off the coast ofsouthern California. Returning to pier 17,Treasure Island (California), on 15 December 1946, to commence preparations for inactivation,Ardent shifted to theSan Diego Naval Station on 22 January 1947.
Placed out of commission, in reserve, on 30 January 1947,Ardent was berthed with the San Diego group of thePacific Reserve Fleet. While she was in reserve, the ship's designation was changed toMSF-340 on 7 February 1955. Struck from theNavy List on 1 July 1972, the ship was subsequently sold to the government ofMexico on 19 September 1972.
On 19 September 1972, the formerArdent was sold to theMexican Navy, which renamed her ARMJuan N. Álvarez (C77). Her pennant number was later changed to G09, before being changed a final time to P108 in 1993. As of 2007[update],Juan N. Álvarez was still in active service for the Mexican Navy.[1]
Ardent earned fourbattle stars for her World War II service.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
