USS Eager (AM-224)

USS Eager (AM-224) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was awarded 1 battle star during service in the Pacific in World War II. She was decommissioned in September 1946 and placed in reserve. While she remained in reserve, Eager was reclassified as MSF-224 in February 1955 but never reactivated. In October 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-06. She was stricken in 1986, but her ultimate fate is not reported in secondary sources.

History
United States
Name	USS Eager
Builder	American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
Laid down	29 December 1943
Launched	10 June 1944
Commissioned	23 November 1944
Decommissioned	27 September 1946
Reclassified	MSF-224, 7 February 1955
Stricken	1 May 1962
Fate	Transferred to Mexican Navy, 2 October 1962
History
Mexico
Name	ARM DM-06
Acquired	2 October 1962
Stricken	1986
Fate	unknown
General characteristics
Class and type	Admirable-class minesweeper
Displacement	650 long tons (660 t)
Length	184 ft 6 in (56.24 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Propulsion	2 × ALCO 539 diesel engines, 1,710 shp (1,280 kW) Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear 2 shafts
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	104
Armament	1 × 3"/50 caliber (76 mm) DP gun 2 × twin Bofors 40 mm guns 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 2 × Depth charge tracks
Service record
Part of:	U.S. Pacific Fleet (1944–1946) Mexican Navy (1962–1986)
Operations:	Battle of Okinawa
Awards:	1 Battle star

U.S. Navy career

Eager was launched 10 June 1944 by American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio, and commissioned 23 November 1944. Under the command of Lt JG F.A. Fitton, Eager sailed through the Saint Lawrence to outfit at Boston, Massachusetts, and train off the Virginia Capes. She arrived at New London, Connecticut, 15 March 1945, to join the Italian submarine Dandolo which she escorted to Guantánamo Bay, then continued to San Diego, California, arriving 7 April. Underway 23 April, Eager called at Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Guam, and Saipan and arrived at Okinawa 10 June escorting a convoy. She escorted ships and patrolled off Okinawa until the war's end, then swept a channel into Jinsen as an avenue for occupation of Korea. She entered Sasebo 10 September for sweeping operations, which included the novel role of supervising Japanese minesweepers.

Eager departed for the United States on 28 December 1945, arriving at San Pedro, California, on 8 February, and went out of commission into reserve 27 September 1946. Eager received one battle star for World War II service.

While she remained in reserve, Eager was reclassified MSF-224 on 7 February 1955. Eager was stricken 1 May 1962 and, on 2 October that year, transferred to Mexico.

Mexican Navy career

The former Eager was acquired by the Mexican Navy in October 1962 and renamed ARM DM-06. She was stricken in 1986, but her ultimate fate is not reported in secondary sources.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of Eager at NavSource Naval History