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USS Harry L. Glucksman (MSS-1)
Encyclopedia
USS Harry L. Glucksman (MSS-1) was a one-of-a-kind "Special Device Minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
" built for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
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The ship was laid down on 18 March 1944 as the Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
SS Harry L. Glucksman (MC type EC2-S-C1) under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull MCE 2445) by the Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. Launched on 29 April 1944 and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 20 May 1944, she was operated under contract by a commercial steamship company for the duration of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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After the war she was returned to the Maritime Commission and laid-up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Service history
The ship was accepted by the Navy in June 1969 after conversion by American Shipbuilding of Lorraine, Ohio, to a "Special Device Minesweeper." The ship's hull was completely gutted and a shock-hardened pilot house was fitted. Intended to sweep influence minesNaval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
by detonating them with pressure wave or magnetic signature generated by her hull. In late summer of 1969, the ship underwent extensive shock testing off Key West, Florida.
Placed in service in June 1969, she was removed from service 15 March 1973 and returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal. The Harry L. Glucksman was scrapped in 1975 at Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
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