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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Miantonomah (MMA 13)
ex-MMA-13
ex-ACM-13
ex-USAMP Col. Horace F. Spurgin (MP 14)



Miantonomah served both the US Army and Navy
Camanche Class Auxiliary Minelayer:

  • The second Miantonomah was laid down as Col. Horace F. Spurgin (MP 14) for the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps, Mine Planter Service by the Marietta Manufacturing Co., Point Pleasant, WV
  • Launched 24 December 1942
  • Delivered in March 1943
  • Transferred to the Navy and commissioned ACM-13, 25 January 1950
  • Reclassified 7 February 1955 as an Auxiliary Minelayer, MMA-13
  • Named Miantonomah 6 May 1955
  • Decommissioned 10 July 1955 at Terminal Island, Long Beach, CA and placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Long Beach
  • Struck from the Naval Register 1 July 1960
  • Sold for scrap 17 February 1961 to Herbert P. Sturdivant and Edward Madruga of San Diego, CA
  • Vessel not scrapped, but sold in 1963 to Edward Madruga/Manuel Cintas and renamed Nautilus
  • Sold in 1990 and renamed Alutian Mist
  • Sold in 1991 to Arctic Vessel Management, Inc. of Seattle, WA and renamed New Star
  • Used as a breakwater at Tacoma, WA
  • Scrapped in 2013.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 910 t.
  • Length 189'
  • Beam 37'
  • Draft 12'
  • Speed 12 kts.
  • Complement 135
  • Armament: None
  • Propulsion: Two 1,200shp reciprocating steam engines, two shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USAMP Colonel Horace F. Spurgin (MP 14)
    Spurgin 134k
    Namesake:

    Horace Fletcher Spurgin

    6 February 1882 - 30 January 1939

    United States Military Academy Post Cemetery, West Point, New York

    		 Tommy Trampp
    Photo added 25 September 2021
    Spurgin 351k Photo from Lacy B. Hall Jr. Papers, WWII 166, WWII Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC Vincent M. Solinap, Philippines
    Spurgin 152k c. 1943
    Ships bell    		 Tommy Trampp
    Miantonomah 100k 4 September 1944
    Sausalito, CA
    USAMP General Samuel M. Mills MP-4 and Colonel Horace F. Spurgin
    Photo by Captain Wells Oviatt Commanding Mills from Army Ships - The Ghost Fleet    		 Joe Radigan
    Miantonomah 118k Seen here as Col. Horace F. Spurgin (MP 14)
    US Navy photo from the March 1950 edition of All Hands magazine    		 Original photo: Joe Radigan
    Replacement photo: Gary Priolo
    Nautilus
    Miantonomah 13k Photo from http://www.presd.org/projects/boats Robert Hurst
    Miantonomah 80k c. Early 1960s Ted Scafidi
    Miantonomah 117k c. Early 1960s
    Unloading at Starkist Wharf, Terminal Island, CA
    New Star
    Miantonomah 262k Seen laid-up as a part of the breakwater at Tyee Marina in Tacoma, Washington on August 12, 2009
    Photo by Kyle Stubbs at shipspotting.com    		 Ramon Jackson
    Spurgin 39k Ballard Marine Construction, Inc., Washougal, WA was awarded the contract for the deconstruction of the derelict vessel New Star a 180 ft. long, 325 metric ton vessel. This ship was located in the Lake Washington ship canal. Ballard successfully completed dead ship tow and repositioned it at regional dry dock. Hazardous material and debris removal took place pier side and then the vessel was moved into the dock for complete deconstruction. Recycled materials were taken to a local metal recycler via materials barge as they were removed from the vessel. This large, and technically challenging ship breaking effort took place with zero safety and environmental incidents Tommy Trampp
    Photo added 25 September 2021
    Spurgin 285k
    Spurgin 464k
    Spurgin 306k
    Spurgin 325k
    Spurgin 398k
    Commanding Officers
    01Captain G. Beecher, CAC, USA1944
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Harold G. Gibson, USN25 January 1950 - April 1952
    02LT Earl Alonzo Jackson, USNApril 1952
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joe Radigan
    View the Miantonomah (MMA 13)
    DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website
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    This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory) & & David Wright
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