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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive
Courtesy of Al Grazevich

Reedbird (MSC[O] 51)
ex-Reedbird (AMS 51)
ex-YMS-291



Call sign:
November - Golf - Tango - Zulu
YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper:

  • The second Reedbird was laid down 29 January 1943 as YMS-291 by Associated Shipbuilders, Seattle, WA
  • Launched 20 April 1943
  • Completed, delivered and commissioned USS YMS-291, 9 August 1943
  • Decommissioned and placed in service 1 November 1946 at Chicago, IL
    Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 lists plan for placing in service as a Naval Reserve training ship in the 9th Naval District (Great Lakes) as September 1947
  • Named Reedbird and reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper, AMS-51, 1 September 1947
  • Placed out of service in December 1949 at Orange, TX
  • Recommissioned 15 February 1951
  • Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper (Old), MSC(O)-51, 7 February 1955
  • Decommissioned 18 December 1957 at San Diego, CA and placed in service as a Reserve training ship in California, then Portsmouth, NH
  • Placed out of service in 1968 and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia Group
  • Struck from the Navy Register 1 October 1968
  • Sold 10 December 1969 to John B. Clayton of Marietta, GA
  • Sold in 1970 to King and Co. of Florida, Inc. of Merritt Island, FL and renamed Dragon Lady
  • Sold in 1975 to Braxton B. Young of Cape Canaveral, FL
  • Sold in 1976 to William J. Gifford of Absecon, NJ and renamed Diane Maria
  • Sold in 1979 to Joseph M. Millen of Clinton NC and renamed Etta M.
  • Out of documentation in 1988
  • Fate unknown.

    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 800bhp 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-291
    YMS-291 29k Historical Collections of the Great Lakes
    YMS-291 63k c. 1945 Domenic Salamida
    via Tim Traver
    YMS-291 109k c. 1945
    Entering San Francisco Bay    		 Paul Bergstedt, Chief Engineer YMS-291
    via Dirk Nansen
    USS Reedbird (AMS 51)
    Reedbird 66k
    Namesake:

    Reedbird - A bobolink

    		 Tommy Trampp
    Photo added 16 December 2021
    Reedbird 222k U.S. Navy photo NH 108305 Naval History and Heritage Command
    Photo added 16 December 2021
    YMS-291 45k c. 1947
    Waves on board with the ships mascot    		 Tommy Trampp
    YMS-291 57k c. 1947
    Visitors on board with the ships mascot
    Reedbird (MSC[O] 51)
    Reedbird 114k c. 1957
    U.S. Navy photo from the April 1962 edition of All Hands magazine    		 Joe Radigan
    Reedbird 246k c. December 1963
    Moored alongside an unidentified submarine with the Pacific Reserve Force, Swan Island, Oregon
    National Archives photo    		 John Chiquoine and Dave Schroeder
    Linnet 273k 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. Linnet (MSC[O] 24 moored between Siskin (MSC[O] 58) and Reedbird with Lorikeet (MSC[O] 49) astern. The stern of the Light Cruiser Portsmouth (CL 102) can be seen between Linnet and Reedbird
    Official U.S. Navy photos 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
    Turkey 355k 20 January 1969
    Berthed at the U. S. Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. and Reedbird are pictured in a nest with six sister MSC(O)’s. Lorikeet (MSC[O] 49) is astern and to the right of Reedbird
    Official U.S. Navy photos taken by the shipyard for use in the sales catalog found on board old headquarters ship Chandeleur (AV 10) in early 1971 at NISMF
    YMS-291 355k 20 January 1969
    Stern view of Reedbird berthed at the U. S. Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia Naval Shipyard pictured in a nest with six sister MSC(O)’s
    Official U.S. Navy photos taken by the shipyard for use in the sales catalog found on board old headquarters ship Chandeleur (AV 10) in early 1971 at NISMF
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Robert S. Helm, USNR9 August 1943
    02LT Norman B. Herkenham, USNR1944 - 1945
    03LT William Sexter Willis, USNR1950 - May 1951
    04LTJG Harry R. Lawson, USNRMay 1951 - June 1951 (Acting)
    05LT James Albert Hooper, Jr., USNJune 1951 - September 1952
    06LT George G. Ryan, USNSeptember 1952 - 1953
    07LT Robert Rawson Monroe, USN - USNA Class of 1950
    Awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Combat V, Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V - Retired as Vice Admiral    		1954 - 1956
    Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joe Radigan
    View the Reedbird (MSC[O] 51)
    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 Motor Minesweeper (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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