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USS Widgeon (AM-22)
Encyclopedia
USS Widgeon (AM-22/ASR-1) was an acquired by the United States Navy
for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. Later converted to a submarine rescue ship. Widgeon was named by the Navy after the widgeon, a fresh water duck
.
Widgeon (Minesweeper No. 22) was laid down on 8 October 1917 at Chester, Pennsylvania
, by the Sun Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 5 May 1918; sponsored by Ms. Mildred Moyer; and commissioned on 27 July 1918, Lieutenant Commander
John A. Monroe in command.
during the last months of World War I
. After the armistice
, she was assigned to the North Sea
Minesweeping Detachment and departed Boston, Massachusetts, on 28 June 1919, bound for Scotland
. Arriving at Kirkwall
on 10 July, Widgeon operated in the North Sea
between Scotland and Norway
, sweeping up mines sown by the Allies the year before to deter the German
High Seas Fleet
. These duties — often difficult and dangerous — kept the minesweeper
occupied through the summer of 1919. Following the conclusion of the operation, Widgeon headed home — via Brest
, France
; Ponta Delgada
, Azores
; and Hamilton, Bermuda
— and arrived at New York
on 19 November 1919.
through 1921. During this period, on 17 July 1920, she was designated AM-22. Selected for conversion to a salvage vessel
for duty on the Pacific coast
, the minesweeper was decommissioned at Charleston, South Carolina
on 15 April 1922. She underwent conversion at the Charleston Navy Yard and was recommissioned there on 5 March 1923.
Despite her new equipment, the ship retained her minesweeper designation. In a departmental letter of 21 November 1923, the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair
specified that Widgeons equipment be utilized to determine "their exact capabilities in salvage work." Furthermore, "Widgeon should be considered available for salvage or rescue work and the Commander, Submarine Divisions, Pacific, is authorized to send... Widgeon to render such service when needed."
, Territory of Hawaii
, Widgeon served as the primary submarine
rescue vessel for the Hawaii
an area. During this time, she proved her versatility by recovering practice mines or torpedoes and served as a training ship for fleet divers. In late October 1925, she collided with the submarine
; R-8 suffered the loss of her periscope
s, the destruction of her bridge, and damage to her radio antenna supports.
In 1926, Widgeon was extensively altered to increase her capabilities as a submarine rescue vessel (ASR). She finally was reclassified ASR-1 on 22 January 1936, over a decade after she began operating as such.
Widgeon continued her routine operations out of Pearl Harbor
into the late 1930s as the world crisis deepened in Europe
and the Far East
.
at Pearl Harbor, when Japanese
aircraft swept over the Pacific Fleet
's base. When the raid was over later that morning, the Pacific Fleet's battleship
s ceased to exist as a potential retaliatory force to threaten Japan's massive "southern operation" in the Far East
.
Despite keeping up a steady defensive fire with rifles and machine gun
s during the attack, Widgeons crewmen did not claim to have downed any of the attackers. Then, soon after the enemy planes disappeared, smoke still boiled into the Pacific skies as Widgeon got underway from her berth at the submarine base and set her course for Ford Island
to begin salvage operations on the overturned . When she reached "Battleship Row
", she found that burning oil spewing from the shattered tanks on was threatening the ships nested immediately ahead, and the torpedoed . Accordingly, under orders from the Commander, Battle Force, Widgeon assisted and Garbage Lighter in fighting the fires.
Widgeon subsequently took part in salvaging
, , and Oklahoma. Her work on Nevada earned the ship a commendation from Commander, Battle Force, and her divers conducted many a foray into the darkened and treacherous interiors of the sunken battleships. When this work was well in hand and her service in that capacity was no longer required, Widgeon returned to her duties with the submarines of the Pacific Fleet. She towed targets for gunnery exercises and served as a target during torpedo-firing drills. She also recovered practice torpedo
es at the conclusion of the day's training activities.
coast. Arriving at San Diego
on 18 September, the warship
operated off the west coast
as a torpedo recovery and submarine rescue ship into the spring of 1944, when she was relieved by . In May, Widgeon returned to Pearl Harbor and resumed her operations as the Hawaii
an-based submarine rescue vessel. She continued this duty through the end of the war in the Pacific
and into November 1945, after which time she completed another tour at San Diego.
1.2.7, the salvage unit of Joint Task Force 1 — supported "Operation Crossroads
", the atomic bomb
tests at Bikini Atoll
.
, Widgeon was decommissioned on 5 February 1947 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 23 December. Soon thereafter, she was sold to the Basalt Rock Co., of Napa, California
, on 5 March 1948 and scrapped.
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 the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. Later converted to a submarine rescue ship. Widgeon was named by the Navy after the widgeon, a fresh water duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
.
Widgeon (Minesweeper No. 22) was laid down on 8 October 1917 at Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, by the Sun Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 5 May 1918; sponsored by Ms. Mildred Moyer; and commissioned on 27 July 1918, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
John A. Monroe in command.
World War I mine clearance
Widgeon served with Minesweeping Group 2 of the Atlantic FleetUnited 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...
during the last months of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
, she was assigned to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
Minesweeping Detachment and departed Boston, Massachusetts, on 28 June 1919, bound for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Arriving at Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
on 10 July, Widgeon operated in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
between Scotland and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, sweeping up mines sown by the Allies the year before to deter the German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
. These duties — often difficult and dangerous — kept the 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:...
occupied through the summer of 1919. Following the conclusion of the operation, Widgeon headed home — via Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
, Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
; and Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...
— and arrived at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 19 November 1919.
Stateside activity
Widgeon operated off the east coastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
through 1921. During this period, on 17 July 1920, she was designated AM-22. Selected for conversion to a salvage vessel
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
for duty on the Pacific coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, the minesweeper was decommissioned 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...
on 15 April 1922. She underwent conversion at the Charleston Navy Yard and was recommissioned there on 5 March 1923.
Despite her new equipment, the ship retained her minesweeper designation. In a departmental letter of 21 November 1923, the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair
Bureau of Ships
The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...
specified that Widgeons equipment be utilized to determine "their exact capabilities in salvage work." Furthermore, "Widgeon should be considered available for salvage or rescue work and the Commander, Submarine Divisions, Pacific, is authorized to send... Widgeon to render such service when needed."
Pacific Theatre operations
Operating out of Pearl HarborPearl 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...
, Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
, Widgeon served as the primary submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
rescue vessel for the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an area. During this time, she proved her versatility by recovering practice mines or torpedoes and served as a training ship for fleet divers. In late October 1925, she collided with the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
; R-8 suffered the loss of her periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
s, the destruction of her bridge, and damage to her radio antenna supports.
In 1926, Widgeon was extensively altered to increase her capabilities as a submarine rescue vessel (ASR). She finally was reclassified ASR-1 on 22 January 1936, over a decade after she began operating as such.
Widgeon continued her routine operations out 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...
into the late 1930s as the world crisis deepened in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and 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,...
.
Widgeon under attack at Pearl Harbor
On 7 December 1941, the submarine rescue vessel lay alongside a berth at the submarine baseSubmarine base
A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel.Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue , Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Naval Submarine Base New London, and Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base .The Israeli navy bases its growing submarine...
at Pearl Harbor, when Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
aircraft swept over the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
's base. When the raid was over later that morning, the Pacific Fleet's battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s ceased to exist as a potential retaliatory force to threaten Japan's massive "southern operation" 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,...
.
Despite keeping up a steady defensive fire with rifles and machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s during the attack, Widgeons crewmen did not claim to have downed any of the attackers. Then, soon after the enemy planes disappeared, smoke still boiled into the Pacific skies as Widgeon got underway from her berth at the submarine base and set her course for Ford Island
Ford Island
Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge. Before the bridge was built, Ford Island could only be reached by a ferry boat which ran at hourly intervals for cars and foot passengers. The island houses several naval...
to begin salvage operations on the overturned . When she reached "Battleship Row
Battleship Row
Battleship Row was the grouping of eight US battleships in port at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. These ships bore the brunt of the Japanese assault. They were moored next to Ford Island when the attack commenced. The ships were , , , , , , , and...
", she found that burning oil spewing from the shattered tanks on was threatening the ships nested immediately ahead, and the torpedoed . Accordingly, under orders from the Commander, Battle Force, Widgeon assisted and Garbage Lighter in fighting the fires.
Widgeon subsequently took part in salvaging
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
, , and Oklahoma. Her work on Nevada earned the ship a commendation from Commander, Battle Force, and her divers conducted many a foray into the darkened and treacherous interiors of the sunken battleships. When this work was well in hand and her service in that capacity was no longer required, Widgeon returned to her duties with the submarines of the Pacific Fleet. She towed targets for gunnery exercises and served as a target during torpedo-firing drills. She also recovered practice torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es at the conclusion of the day's training activities.
Post-Pearl Harbor attack operations
Widgeon operated in this capacity from April 1942-7 September 1943, when she got underway for the CaliforniaCalifornia
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. Arriving at San Diego
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...
on 18 September, the warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
operated off the west coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
as a torpedo recovery and submarine rescue ship into the spring of 1944, when she was relieved by . In May, Widgeon returned to Pearl Harbor and resumed her operations as the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an-based submarine rescue vessel. She continued this duty through the end of the war in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and into November 1945, after which time she completed another tour at San Diego.
Supporting Bikini Atoll nuclear testing
In the summer of 1946, Widgeon — as part of Task UnitTask force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
1.2.7, the salvage unit of Joint Task Force 1 — supported "Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
", the atomic bomb
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
tests at Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
.
Decommissioning
Subsequently returning to the west coastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, Widgeon was decommissioned on 5 February 1947 and 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 23 December. Soon thereafter, she was sold to the Basalt Rock Co., of Napa, California
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
, on 5 March 1948 and scrapped.