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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Simon Newcomb (AGSc 14)
ex-AGS-14
ex-YMS-263



Call sign:
Nan - Dog - King - King

YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper/Survey Ship:

  • Laid down 21 August 1942 by the South Coast Co., Newport Beach, CA
  • Launched 2 November 1942
  • Completed 10 August 1943
  • Commissioned as USS YMS-263, 11 August 1943
  • Converted to a Survey Ship in January/April 1945 by the Wilmington Boat Works, San Pedro, CA
  • Reclassified as a Survey Ship and named Simon Newcomb (AGS 14), 20 March 1945
  • Reclassified as a Coastal Survey Ship, AGSc-14, 29 July 1946
  • Decommissioned 10 November 1949 at Norfolk, VA
  • Struck from the Navy Register 31 January 1950
  • Sold for scrap 25 April 1950 to B. F. M. Industries of Brooklyn, NY.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 340 t.
  • Length 136'
  • Beam 23' 4"
  • Draft 8' 7"
  • Speed 14.1 kts.
  • Complement 60
  • 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
    Simon Newcomb
    Simon Newcomb 79k Simon Newcomb in born in Wallace, Nova Scotia in 1835 - came to the United States in 1853. He soon met Joseph Henry who encouraged him to study mathematics and astronomy. In January 1857, Newcomb became a mathematician in the Nautical Almanac Office at Harvard University. On 21 September 1861, the young man was commissioned Professor of Mathematics in the United States Navy which he served until 1897 when he retired as a Captain. During his service, he won great renown as a mathematician and an astronomer. In 1906, Newcomb was promoted to Rear Admiral. He died in Washington on 11 July l909 Bill Gonyo
    USS Simon Newcomb (AGS 14)
    AGS-13/14 59k Seen here as USS Simon Newcomb (AGS 14) inboard of USS James M. Gilliss (AGS 13) Steve Remer
    YMS-242/262/263 107k In foreground at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is Simon Newcomb (AGS 14), Harkness (AGS 12), and James M. Gilliss (AGS 13). Astern is the "mother ship" Tanner (AGS 15).
    LST-664
    is moored at another pier inboard of an unidentified LST
    George W. Desharnais
    Simon Newcomb 225k Drydocked aboard the Advance Base Section Dock ABSD-6 from 27 June to 1 July 1945. SC-1317 is astern of her
    Life magazine photo by J. R. Eyerman
    John Chiquoine
    USS Simon Newcomb (AGSc 14)
    Simon Newcomb 130k Replacement photo: c. June 1949
    Gravesend Bay, New York
    On Sea trials
    U.S. Navy photo from "Our Navy" magazine
    Original photo: George W. Desharnais
    Replacement photo: Tommy Trampp
    Simon Newcomb 136k 9 August 1949
    Unloading all removable gear and ballast prior to salvage attempt by Hoist (ARS 40) after running aground at Mother Burns Cove, Labrador, Canada
    U.S. Navy photo
    Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy
    Simon Newcomb 68k Aground George W. Desharnais
    Simon Newcomb 29k

    View the YMS-263
    DANFS History entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Website
    Back to the Main Photo Index Back to the Mine Warfare Ship Photo Index Back to the Auxiliary Minesweeper (YMS) Photo Index Back to the Auxiliary Ship Photo Index Back to the Survey Ship (AGS) Photo Index Back to the Coastal Survey Ship (AGSc) Photo Index

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