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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSPledge |
| Builder | Gulf Shipbuilding Co. |
| Laid down | 1 July 1943 |
| Launched | 23 December 1943 |
| Commissioned | 29 July 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 6 November 1946 |
| Recommissioned | 28 November 1947 |
| Decommissioned | 16 April 1948 |
| Recommissioned | 10 January 1950 |
| Fate | Mined offWonsan,North Korea, 10 October 1950 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Admirable-classminesweeper |
| Displacement | 625 tons |
| Length | 184 ft 6 in (56.24 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 15 knots (27.8 km/h) |
| Complement | 104 |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
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USSPledge (AM-277) was anAdmirable-classminesweeper built for theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters, and served the Navy in theAtlantic Ocean and then was transferred to the NorthPacific Ocean. She survived the world war and was awarded onebattle star, but, during theKorean War, she struck a mine and was sunk. She received thePresidential Unit Citation for her Korean service.
Pledge, a steel-hulled minesweeper, was laid down 1 July 1943 by theGulf Shipbuilding Corp.,Chickasaw, Alabama; launched 23 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. C. A. Bender; and commissioned 29 July 1944.
Aftershakedown,Pledge reported to the Atlantic Fleet 30 September 1944. Following patrol off the coast ofMaine until 7 November, she trained offNorfolk, Virginia, 9 to 29 November and atMiami, Florida, 2 December 1944 to 10 March 1945.
To prepare for Pacific duty,Pledge underwent overhaul atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 13 March to 1 April.
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She then sailed via thePanama Canal andSan Diego, California, toPearl Harbor where she arrived 7 May. Following local exercises, she departedHawaiian waters 20 May 1945, and steamed viaEniwetok,Guam, andSaipan toKerama Retto,Ryukyu Islands, where she arrived 24 June. She anchored atBuckner Bay,Okinawa, 7 July and atGuam 12 August.Pledge remained atGuam conducting exercises until departure 11 January 1946.
Following arrival at Pearl Harbor 25 January she accompanied a convoy toSan Pedro, Los Angeles, 4 to 15 February. To prepare for inactivation, she returned to Pearl Harbor 31 July, and arrived atBremerton, Washington, 30 September. She decommissioned 6 November 1946.
Pledge re-entered service 28 November 1947. Upon completion of training she steamed viaPearl Harbor toYokosuka, Japan, where she arrived 28 March 1948. She entered reserve status 16 April. Granted a reduced commission 10 January 1950, she trained, and, upon the outbreak of war in Korea, she accompanied aconvoy of merchantmen toPusan, Korea, 11 July 1950. She continued minesweeping duties off Pusan until she reported for duty as a harbor control vessel atSasebo, Japan, 7 August. She departed Sasebo 12 September, and, on the 15th, she swept the area to be used for the invasion ofInchon, Korea. On patrol off Inchon 30 September she captured 44 prisoners from a largesampan.
Pledge commenced minesweeping operations offWonsan Harbor 10 October. She accompanied minesweeperUSS Pirate (AM-275) to deployment off Wonsan, Korea.Pirate struck a mine. Enemy shore batteries onSin-do directed heavy fire uponPirate, which sank shortly thereafter, and then uponPledge. AsPledge attempted to maneuver, she too struck a mine and was severely damaged. After fruitless attempts to save herPledge sank. Her survivors were picked up byUSS Endicott (DMS-35).
Pledge received onebattle star forWorld War II service and aPresidential Unit Citation for service in Korea.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1950 | |
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