USS PCS-1376 was the lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...

 of her class of patrol minesweepers

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 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...

. Later in her career, she was named Winder after Winder, Georgia

Winder, Georgia

Winder is a city in Barrow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,201 at the 2000 census. Census Estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,451...

, becoming the only U.S. Navy ship of that name.

History

PCS-1376 was laid down on 13 October 1942 at the Wheeler Shipbuilding Corporation in Whitestone, New York; launched on 3 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Flipse; and commissioned on 9 July 1943, with Lieutenant (j.g.)

Lieutenant, Junior Grade

Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...

 Jack Pierpont Morgan, III, USNR, son of the American financier J. P. Morgan, Jr.

J. P. Morgan, Jr.

John Pierpont "Jack" Morgan, Jr. was an American banker and philanthropist.-Biography:He was born on September 7, 1867 in Irvington, New York to John Pierpont Morgan, Sr. and Frances Louisa Tracy. He graduated from Harvard in 1886, where he was a member of the Delphic Club, formerly known as the...

, in command.

Following several days of trials, PCS-1376 departed Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

 for shakedown

Shakedown (testing)

A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...

 training in the vicinity of Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

. At the conclusion of the cruise in August, she reported for duty as a school ship at the Submarine Chaser School located at Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida

Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

. The warship did double duty until the end of 1943 conducting anti-submarine patrols at night and training submarine chaser nucleus crews in the daytime. On New Year's Day

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...

 1944, she discontinued her nightly anti-submarine patrols and concentrated on preparing crews to man new submarine chasers. On 1 October 1944, she also gave up training duty but continued to support the schools mission by acting as an escort for larger ships conducting the actual at-sea training. That type of duty lasted until the cessation of hostilities 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...

 in August 1945, at which time she resumed actual onboard training.

That assignment, however, endured for only two months. On 8 October 1945, she received orders to report for duty with the Atlantic Fleet

United States Fleet Forces Command

The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...

 Operational Training Command at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

. On 29 October, she began an extended availability, at the conclusion of which on 21 December the ship headed for Norfolk. By March 1946, the submarine chaser was homeported at Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

, engaged in training naval reservists

United States Navy Reserve

The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...

. However, by the beginning of 1947, she had moved back to Norfolk. On 28 February 1947, PCS-1376 was placed out of commission but remained active with the 5th Naval District Naval Reserve training program. On 10 June 1947, the ship was placed in service and continued her Naval Reserve training duties at Norfolk. On 4 January 1950, she was again placed out of service and was berthed at Norfolk. In May 1950, she was reassigned from the Norfolk Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, to the Green Cove Springs, Florida

Green Cove Springs, Florida

Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....

, Group. There, she remained until the middle of 1957.

On 15 February 1956, she received the name Winder. However, she carried that name only 19 months, because the ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

on 5 September 1957. She was sold for scrapping on 15 April 1958 to Mr. Fred Irvine of Miami, Florida.

External links

• Photo gallery at navsource.org