USS Pilot (AM-104) was a United States NavyAuk-classminesweeper that saw service in the Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operations during World War II.
She was decommissioned and reentered the Reserve Fleet in October 1954, and struck from the Naval Register in July 1972 before being transferred to Mexico that month. She was retired from service in 2004.
Pilot was the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, drawn from the word "pilot," which is defined as one employed to steer a vessel; a helmsman.
Service history
Pilot was laid down as an ocean-going minesweeper by the Pennsylvania Shipyards Inc., Beaumont, Texas, 27 October 1941; launched 5 July 1942; sponsored by Miss Jacqueline Perry; and commissioned 3 February 1943.
Pilot stood out again the same day en route to Admiralty Harbor, Gibraltar, where she arrived the next day. On 3 May she sailed for Bermuda and on 6 May made two attacks on possible submarines. She arrived Norfolk, Virginia, 20 May.
On 12 June Pilot stood out from New York with Task Force 61 en route to the Mediterranean. When a French naval tanker of the convoy was torpedoed 22 June and sank stern first, Pilot rescued 111 survivors. The following day she transferred the passengers to Merrimack(AO-37).
Pilot arrived off Casablanca harbor 3 July. On the 5th, she got underway for Gibraltar to fuel, and the following day departed, escorting a convoy toward the United States, arriving Norfolk, Virginia 24 July.
Mediterranean operations
On 5 August, Pilot stood out en route to the Mediterranean again. She arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco, 23 August and Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, 29 August where several more vessels joined her convoy. She sailed again on 1 September for Salerno, Italy. On 8 September Pilot was detached from escort duty and assigned mine-sweeping duties with seven other minesweepers, sweeping a channel off the Salerno beachhead. After the beachhead had been established, Pilot patrolled the area. On 18 September her alert gunners shot down a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft.
Pilot continued escort and training duties in the Mediterranean until she sailed up the northwest coast of Italy 21 January 1944, with five other fleet type minesweepers conducting sweep operations under cover of darkness. On 25 January when a mine sank YMS–30, Pilot picked up several survivors and four bodies while other ships also recovered members of the crew. On 26 January when a British LST, carrying the 83rd U.S. Army Chemical Battalion, sank, Pilot again rescued survivors.
On 29 January Pilot swept a new fire support area, despite fire from the beach. On 3 February, Pilot sailed for Bizerte, Tunisia escorting Biscayne. She returned to Palermo on the 17th and sailed on for Naples the same day. The next day Pilot received orders to rendezvous with SSSamuel Ashe and escort her to Anzio, Italy in company with YMS–55. Unfortunately SS Samuel Ashe collided with Pilot and one man was killed. Later, Pilot was towed into port at Naples for repairs.
Return to the US
Pilot sailed 7 March for Palermo, Sicily; and, on 14 April, joined homebound convoy GUS 36 and arrived Norfolk, Virginia 2 May. After repairs and training at Little Creek, Virginia, until September, Pilot served for the remainder of the year as a mine sweeping school ship. Jan. 1st. 1953 while based in Charleston, SC. USS Pilot sailed on another Mediterranean cruise of approximately six months stopping first in Oran then to Italy, France, Grece. then returned to Charleston.
Pacific Ocean operations
Pilot set course for the Panama Canal on 20 June 1945, and proceeded via San Pedro, California, to Pearl Harbor. On 3 September Pilot got underway via Eniwetok, Saipan, and Okinawa, to Sasebo, Kyūshū, Japan arriving on the 17th. On 26 October she set out en route to Kokuzan To, Japan escorting PGM–26. On the next day she was detached from escort duties to sweep an area at Me Shima until arriving at Kiirun, Formosa 25 November. She set out again on the 27th for Takao, Formosa to sweep more mines. On 21 December Pilot sailed for Shanghai, China. In January 1946 Pilot returned to the United States and was placed out of commission in reserve 15 January 1947.
Final commission and sale
On 5 March 1952 she recommissioned for service on the U.S. West Coast. She decommissioned and reentered the Reserve Fleet in October 1954. She was redesignated MSF-104 on 7 February 1955.
Pilot was struck from the Naval Register on 1 July 1972 and transferred to Mexico on 19 July.
On 19 July 1972, the former Pilot was sold to the Mexican Navy as ARM Juan Aldama (C85). Employed as a patrol vessel, her pennant number was later changed to G18, and, in 1993, changed again to P116. By 2004, Juan Aldama had been retired from active service.[1]
USS Broadbill (AM-58), was an Auk-class minesweeper of the United States Navy, named after the broadbill, a hunters' nickname for the greater scaup, a diving duck common in the winter along the Atlantic coast. Broadbill was launched on 21 May 1942 at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, sponsored by Mrs. A. Loring Swasey, wife of Captain Swasey. She was commissioned on 13 October 1942.
USS Chickadee (AM-59) was an Auk-class minesweeper of the United States Navy, named after the Chickadee, a family of small passerine birds which appear in North America and Africa.
USS Nuthatch (AM-60) was an Auk-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.
USS Auk (AM-57) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Swift (AM-122) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Heed (AM-100) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She earned five battle stars for her World War II service. She was recommissioned during the Korean War. She was placed in reserve in 1954 and remained there until struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1967.
USS Pioneer (AM-105) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Velocity (AM-128) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. She was the second warship to bear the name.
USS Staff (AM-114) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Speed (AM-116) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Strive (AM-117) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Steady (AM-118) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Sustain (AM-119) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Sway (AM-120) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Threat (AM-124) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
USS Magpie (AMS-26/YMS-400) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Scurry (AM-304) was a steel-hulled Admirable-class minesweeper constructed for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was crewed by sailors who were trained in minesweeping, and quickly sent to the Pacific Ocean to clear minefields so that Allied forces could invade Japanese-held beaches. For this dangerous work, often under enemy fire, she was awarded four battle stars.
USS Design (AM-219) was a steel-hulled Admirable class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. A crew, trained in minesweeping, boarded the new vessel, and proceeded to the Pacific Ocean to clear minefields so that Allied forces could safely invade Japanese-held beaches. For this dangerous work under combat conditions she was awarded three battle stars.
USS Scuffle (AM-298) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and five battle stars for service in the Pacific during World War II. She was decommissioned in June 1946 and placed in reserve. While remaining in reserve, Scuffle was reclassified as MSF-298 in February 1955, but never reactivated. In October 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-05. In 1994, she was renamed ARM General Felipe Xicoténcatl (C53). She was sunk as an artificial reef and dive attraction off of Cozumel in 1999, and was stricken from the rolls of the Mexican Navy in 2000.
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