 Chewink (ASR-3) seen on 30 June 1942 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSChewink |
| Builder | Todd Shipyard Corp.,New York City |
| Launched | 21 December 1918 |
| Commissioned | 9 April 1919, as Minesweeper No.39 |
| Decommissioned | 21 August 1933 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Recommissioned | 12 November 1940 |
| Decommissioned | 4 February 1947 |
| Fate | Sunk as a target offNew London, 31 July 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Lapwing-classminesweeper |
| Displacement | 950 long tons (965 t) |
| Length | 187 ft 10 in (57.25 m) |
| Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| Speed | 14knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 78 |
| Armament | 2 ×3 in (76 mm) guns |
The firstUSSChewink (AM-39/ASR-3) was aLapwing-classminesweeper in theUnited States Navy. She was later converted to a submarine rescue ship.
Chewink was launched 21 December 1918 byTodd Shipyard Corp.,New York City; sponsored by Miss M. Sperrin; and commissioned 9 April 1919. She was reclassifiedASR-3 on 12 September 1929.
Chewink sailed fromBoston, Massachusetts, 23 May 1919 forKirkwall,Orkney Islands, arriving 5 July to aid in the vast task of clearing theNorth Sea minefields.
She returned viaLisbon, theAzores, andBermuda toNew York, arriving 19 November, and for the next 11 years operated along the east coast and toCuba andPuerto Rico in a variety of duties, which included salvage, target towing, a school for Naval Engineering, recovering mines, experimental underwaterradio tests, net laying and tending, and tendingsubmarines.
In October 1930 she sailed fromNew London, Connecticut, with Submarine Division 4 forPearl Harbor, to be stationed there assubmarine tender, until 5 January 1931, and then atCoco Solo,Panama Canal Zone until August 1933.Chewink was decommissioned atPearl Harbor 21 August 1933, remaining there until April 1937, when her berth was changed toMare Island Navy Yard.
Chewink recommissioned 12 November 1940, sailed fromSan Diego, California, 3 February 1941, and on 10 May reachedNew London, Connecticut, her base through the remainder of her active service. DuringWorld War II, she aided America's growing ability to make war beneath the sea as she operated training divers, insubmarine search and rescue exercises, as a station ship, and as atarget ship for submarinetorpedoes. Her operations took her toHalifax, Nova Scotia, andArgentia, Newfoundland, and several times toKey West, Florida.
Chewink was decommissioned atBrooklyn, New York 4 February 1947. She was used as a target and sunk offNew London, Connecticut, 31 July 1947.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
