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USS Redstart (AM-378)
Encyclopedia
USS Redstart (AM-378/MSF-378) was an commissioned by 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...
for service in 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...
. Her task, as a fleet minesweeper, was to clear mines as the fleet proceeded into battle areas.
Redstart was built in 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...
by the Savannah Machine and Foundry Co., and was laid down on 14 June 1944, launched on 18 October 1944, and finally commissioned on 4 April 1945.
Post-WWII operations
Following a shakedown cruiseShakedown cruise
Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....
off the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
coasts, the ship proceeded through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and berthed at Pipeline Pier in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. For use in her minesweeping operations, the ship carried, on her fantail
Fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous birds of southern Asia and Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the family Rhipiduridae...
, towable finned devices called "pigs" because of their size and shape, plus cables with cutters, plus other devices used for removing and destroying mines, such as acoustical hammer and hedgehog weapons
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
. After the towed equipment cut a mine cable, the mine floated to the surface, where the mine would be exploded by fire from an on-board 20 mm or 40 mm gun.
Redstart steamed to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by way of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
for post-war minesweeping operations. The war had ended suddenly for the Japanese, causing a shutdown of military activities, and a large number of defensive mines were still in place in various harbors and bays. On one of her mine-clearing operations in Japanese waters at Nagoya Bay, the ship struck an underwater object and damaged her shaft, requiring her to be repaired in a drydock in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
the port of Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan. During the remainder of her operations in the Japanese area, where she earned one battle star, she berthed in Sasebo, Japan, or Buckner Bay, Okinawa, between assignments. In April 1946, she completed her operations in the Japanese theatre, and returned to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, and was then towed and placed in the reserve fleet in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
Korean War
Redstart was recommissioned on 1 December 1950. The Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
was in progress, and she proceeded to the Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
operating area where she swept mines and traded artillery fire with shoreside enemy batteries. Beside her minesweeping functions, she served a variety of other purposes, including patrol work, courier duty, escort duty, and establishing a presence offshore at the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
. On 11 August 1951, in company with , and on 10 September 1951 in company with , Redstart received enemy fire off the Korean coast and sustained minor damage. In February 1952, after having won five additional battle stars, she sailed from Japan and returned, via Pearl Harbor, to her berth at Pipeline Pier in Long Beach.
Redstart was assigned to local operations off the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast, including participating in Operation Philbex 1, an amphibious operation off the coast at Oceanside, California
Oceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
. On 1 December 1952, she departed again for the Japanese and Korean theatre and continued her minesweeping activities off the Korean coast, accumulating a total of 81 minesweeping operations, which was a record in the Korean theatre of operations In June 1953, she departed Japan and returned to Long Beach on 3 July 1953.
Post-Korea operations
On 16 January 1954, with the war now over, Redstart was assigned to another Far East tour. Based out of Sasebo she practiced minesweeping operations off the Korean coast, south of the 38th parallel. She showed her colors in various Far East ports before returning to Long Beach 19 August 1954. During the remainder of 1954, Redstart operated off the California coast. On 4 January 1955, she departed Long Beach for cold weather operations off the coast of AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, returning to Long Beach on approximately thirty days later.
Redstart was redesignated MSF-378 on 1 March 1955.
Redstart commenced another tour of the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
on 7 October 1955, stopping at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
and the Midway Islands for food and fuel before arriving at her temporary home port of Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, on 4 November 1955. While in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, the ship continued minesweeping practice at Koje Do and Tojang Po on the Korean coast, and participated in mock atomic warfare off the coast of Okinawa. During this tour-of-duty she made ports-of-call at Yokosuka, Japan and Hong Kong, China. From 21 January to 23 January 1956, she participated at Kaoshiung, Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, in operations with the Formosan navy with some of her personnel stationed as observers aboard the Formosan warships. On 19 March 1956, the ship set sail from Sasebo, for Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, after stopping at Midway Island and at Pearl Harbor for fuel and supplies. She docked again at Pipeline Pier in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
Harbor, in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on 13 April 1956.
Decommissioning and sale
Redstart reported for her deactivation at Astoria, OregonAstoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, on 16 November 1956 and she was deactivated on 15 March 1957. Transferred to the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
Navy on 25 July 1963, where she served as the Wu Sheng (PCE-66), later redesignated PCE-866, she was struck from the Navy List
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 1 April 1965.
Wu Sheng was decommissioned by the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
on 16 February 1998, and stuck from their naval registry on 26 February 1998.
Awards
Redstart earned one battle star for World War IIWorld 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...
service and five battle stars for Korean War service.