USS Thrush (MSC-204) was a Bluebird-class minesweeper in the service of the United States Navy from 1955 to 1975.
 USS Thrush (MSC-204), steaming out of Key West, Florida
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Thrush |
| Namesake | Thrush |
| Builder | Tampa Marine Company, Tampa, Florida |
| Laid down | 7 May 1954 |
| Launched | 5 January 1955 |
| Commissioned | 8 November 1955 |
| Decommissioned | 1 July 1975 |
| Reclassified | Coastal Minesweeper, 7 February 1955 |
| Stricken | 1 August 1977 |
| Homeport |
|
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Virginia |
| United States | |
| Name | Virginia Sea |
| Operator | VIMS |
| Acquired | 1 July 1975 |
| Refit | Ocean Research Vessel |
| Fate | Scrapped 1 August 1982 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | Bluebird-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 320 long tons (330 t) |
| Length | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
| Complement | 39 |
| Armament | 2 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft (AA) mounts |
Construction
editThe second Thrush was laid down 7 May 1954, by Tampa Marine Company, Tampa, Florida; launched on 5 January 1955, as AMS-204; sponsored by Mrs. Edgar S. Russell; reclassified as MSC-204, on 7 February 1955; and commissioned on 8 November 1955.[2]
Assignments
editSoon after her commissioning in November 1955, Thrush arrived in Chesapeake Bay to conduct a successful shakedown cruise. In 1956, she was assigned to the Yorktown, Virginia, Mine Warfare School, followed in August by assignment to Norfolk, Virginia, to participate in Operation Hideaway. In 1957, Thrush moved to her new homeport in Key West, Florida, where she tested and evaluated new mine warfare equipment for the 6th Naval District's Mine Warfare Evaluation Detachment.[2]
In 1974, she assisted in expanding the Osborne Artificial Reef.[3] While serving as a Naval Reservist, LeRoy Collins Jr. was Thrush's commanding officer.[4]
Notes
edit- Citations
- ^ a b DANFS 2015.
- ^ Whoriskey, Peter (2006-10-04). "Undersea Fla. tire reef out of control". The Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan, USA: MediaNews Group. ISSN 1055-2715. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- ^ "LeRoy Collins Jr. dies, was head of state's Dept. of Veterans Affairs". Lehigh Acres Citizen. 2010-08-01. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
Bibliography
editOnline resources
- "Thrush II (MSC-204)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - "Thrush (MSC-204)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
External links
edit- Photo gallery of USS Thrush (AMS/MSC-204) at NavSource Naval History