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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Plover (MSC[O] 33)
ex-Plover (AMS 33)
ex-YMS-442



Call sign:
November - Charlie - Lima - India
YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper:

  • The second Plover was laid down 12 October 1943 as YMS-442 by the C. Hiltebrant Drydock Co., Kingston, NY
  • Launched 20 April 1944
  • Completed 13 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS YMS-442, 14 October 1944
  • Sank at Okinawa 9 October 1945 during Typhoon Louise
  • Refloated 19 October 1945
  • Reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper, AMS-33, 7 February 1947
  • Named Plover, 18 February 1947
  • Decommissioned 1 March 1947
  • Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper (Old), MSC(O)-33, 7 February 1955
  • Removed from service and struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1968
  • Held back in 1969 as a donation status and offered to Jacques Cousteau gratis as a replacement to the aging Calypso, ex-BYMS-26. Cousteau worried the U.S. Navy would then attempt to influence
    his research, and opinions, and refused the offer, thus Plover became the last YMS in the Navy inventory
  • Sold to David Arthur Hahn of Hales Corners, Wisconsin, who paid the balance of the winning bid of about $14,400 – in cash, nothing bigger that $100 bills and renamed her Caliope
  • Sailed to Honduras for use in a freighting service
  • Out of documentation in 1975
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 270 t.
  • Length 136'
  • Beam 24' 6"
  • Draft 6' 1"
  • Speed 12 kts.
  • Complement 50
  • Armament: One 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two 20mm mounts, two depth charge tracks and two depth charge projectors
  • Propulsion: Two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS YMS-442
    Sprig 128k Nested along with Sprig (AM 384), YMS-419, YMS-220, and YMS-468
    From the collection of Joseph Richard who served in 1945 in Sprig    		 Joe Richard, Jr.
    USS Plover (MSC[O] 33)
    Plover Namesake: Plover - Any of numerous shore-inhabiting birds that differ from the sandpipers in their short, hard tipped bill and usually stouter, more compact build Tommy Trampp
    Photo added 28 April 2020
    Plover 90k Joe Radigan
    Plover (MSC[O] 33)
    Plover 119k Plover awaiting disposal while laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania, 20 January 1969. The minesweeper alongside her is probably USS Lorikeet (MSC[O]-49). Among the ships in the center background are USS Sigourney (DD-643) -- 2nd destroyer from left in the middle distance -- and USS Salamonie (AO-26) -- in the far distance
    Courtesy of David Hahn, 1974
    Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 79480    		 Tony Cowart
    Plover 233k 20 January 1969
    Berthed at the U. S. Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Pictured in a nest with six sister MSC(O)’s. Lorikeet (MSC[O] 49) and Plover. The stern of the Light Cruiser Portsmouth (CL 102) can be seen at right
    Official U.S. Navy photo taken by the shipyard for use in the sales catalog found on board old headquarters ship Chandeleur (AV 10) in early 1971 at NISMF    		 James Swank
    Caliope
    Plover 135k Photographed circa 1970 while operating as a merchant vessel
    Courtesy of David Hahn, Orange, Texas, 1974
    Naval History and Heritage Command photos NH 82713, NH 82714 and NH 82715    		 Mike Green
    Plover 200k
    Plover 239k
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Ira V. Lay, USNR16 October 1944
    02LT Richard Yates Scott, USNDecember 1948 - 15 June 1951
    03LTJG John William Wells, USN - USNA Class of 194715 June 1951 - 25 May 1952
    04LT J. R. Morse, USNR25 May 1952 - June 1952
    05LT John Francis Tarpey, USNJune 1952
    Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joe Radigan
    View the Plover (MSC[O] 33)
    DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website
    Back to the Main Photo Index Back to the Mine Warfare Ship Photo Index Back to The Auxiliary Motor Mine Sweeper (YMS) Photo Index Back to the Motor Minesweeper (AMS) Photo Index Back to the Coastal Minesweeper (MSC) Photo Index
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    This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory) & David Wright
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