USS Kingbird (AMc-56) was a wooden dragger acquired by the U.S. Navy, just prior to World War II, for clearing coastal minefields.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Ordered | as Governor Saltonstall |
| Launched | 1939 |
| Acquired | 26 December 1940 |
| Commissioned | 24 July 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 28 July 1944 |
| Stricken | date unknown |
| Fate | Transferred to the WSA for disposal, 7 June 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 206 tons |
| Length | 96 ft (29 m) |
| Beam | 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) |
| Draft | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Speed | 9 kts |
| Armament | two .30 caliber machine guns |
The first Kingbird (AMC-56), ex-Governor Saltonstall, was built in 1939 by the Quincy Drydock & Yacht Co., Quincy, Massachusetts, acquired by the Navy 26 December 1940, and placed in service as a coastal minesweeper in the 1st Naval District 24 July 1941.
Following assignment to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in January 1942, Kingbird operated in the 1st Naval District as a coastal minesweeper for over 2 years. She was reclassified IX-176 10 July 1944 and placed out of service 28 July 1944 for use in training sound operators for new submarines.
Kingbird was transferred to the War Shipping Administration 7 June 1946 for disposal. Her fate is unknown.
References
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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
