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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

YMS-24



Call sign:
Nan - Baker - Fox - Sugar

Sunk 16 August 1944
YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper:

  • Laid down 6 November 1941 by the Greenport Basin and Construction Co., Long Island, NY
  • Launched 10 January 1942
  • Completed 25 May 1942
  • Struck a mine 16 August 1944 off St. Tropez, France and sank at 43°25' N, 06°43' E
  • Struck from the Navy list 16 September 1944
  • Movie star John Howard, (Bulldog Drummond mysteries), (4 April 1913 - 19 February 1995), born John R. Cox, Jr., served as Executive Officer of the minesweeper. The mine blast had killed her captain
    and Cox took over command and fought valiantly to save his ship and crew, even jumping into the sea to save a wounded sailor. For his gallantry he was awarded the Navy Cross and the French
    Croix de Guerre.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 270 t.
  • Length 136'
  • Beam 24' 6"
  • Draft 8'
  • Speed 15 kts.
  • Complement 32
  • Armament: One 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two 20mm mounts, 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
    YMS-24 109k Running trials
    Photo from the October 1942 edition of Motor Boating magazine    		 David Wright
    SC-532 296k 9 September 1943
    Gulf of Salerno
    YMS-24 is in the right background
    U.S. Army Signal Corps photo from the National Archives    		 Dave Kerr
    SC-532 501k Allied warships in the Northern Assault Force area of the British X Corps, Gulf of Salerno, 9 September 1943. Shown is a close-up view of the sub-chaser USS SC-532 in foreground, the minesweeper USS YMS-24, center, and the light cruiser HMS Delhi [D 47], with a unidentified LST at left
    Photo courtesy of the United States Army Military Institute. Image scanned from Images of War: Salerno To The Gustav Line 1943-1944 by Jon Diamond, Published by Pen and Sword Books Ltd., 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. ISBN 978-1-52670-734-5    		 Robert Hurst
    Photo added 26 November 2019
    YMS-23 & 24 92k Moored inboard of YMS-23
    From the collection of crewmember Leo Azous    		 Leo Azous' children: Milton Azous, Jacqueline Azous and Rhonda Azous
    YMS-24 126k Crew photo prior to the invasion of Southern France
    From the collection of crewmember Leo Azous
    Commanding Officers
    01LTJG Samuel R. Pruitt, USNR25 May 1942 - 16 August 1944
    Courtesy of Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS History currently available for YMS-24
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    This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory) & David Wright
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