USS Defense
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|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Name: | HMS Amity (BAM-4) |
| Builder: | General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, Alameda, California |
| Laid down: | 2 October 1942 |
| Launched: | 18 February 1943 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. A. Duncanfield |
| Commissioned: | 10 January 1944 |
| Recommissioned: | 16 February 1952 at Long Beach, California |
| Decommissioned: |
|
| Renamed: | USS Defense (AM-317), 23 January 1943 |
| Reclassified: | MSF-317, 7 February 1955 |
| Struck: | c. 1972 |
| Homeport: | Long Beach, California |
| Honors and awards: |
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| Fate: | Sold to Mexico, 3 January 1973 |
 Mexico
|
|
| Name: | ARM Manuel Doblado (C73) |
| Namesake: | Manuel Doblado |
| Acquired: | 3 January 1973 |
| Reclassified: |
|
| Status: | in active service, as of 2007[update] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Auk-class minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 890 long tons (904 t) |
| Length: | 221 ft 2 in (67.41 m) |
| Beam: | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Draft: | 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 18.1 knots (33.5 km/h; 20.8 mph) |
| Complement: | 105 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: |
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USS Defense (AM-317) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
Defense was launched on 18 February 1943 at General Engineering and Dry Dock Company in Alameda, California, sponsored by Mrs. A. Duncanfield, and commissioned on 10 January 1944, with Lieutenant Commander G. Abbott, USNR, in command. She was reclassified MSF-317 on 7 February 1955.
Sailing from San Francisco, California, on 24 March 1944, Defense escorted a convoy to Majuro, then swept mines and had escort duty off Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, from 9 to 19 April. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 30 April, and between 8 May and 9 July escorted two convoys, one to Majuro and one to Eniwetok. After conducting experimental minesweeping exercises at Pearl Harbor until 22 July, she got underway for San Francisco, arriving there on 30 July.
From August through December 1944, Defense provided a variety of services for ships in shakedown off San Diego, California, and joined in exercises in the Hawaiian Islands.
Sailing from Pearl Harbor on 27 January 1945, Defense arrived off Iwo Jima on 16 February as the pre-invasion bombardment of the island began. She patrolled in the antisubmarine screen until late on 19 February, day of the landings, when she cleared to escort unladen transports to Saipan. From 1 to 7 March, she again patrolled off Iwo Jima, and on 10 March arrived at Ulithi, staging point for the invasion of Okinawa. Nine days later, she was underway for minesweeping operations out of Kerama Retto in preparation for the invasion landings on Okinawa scheduled for 1 April.
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Wikipedia