USS Dutton (AGS-8)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Name: | USS PCS-1396 |
| Builder: | |
| Launched: | 7 August 1943 |
| Sponsored by: | Miss Cynthia A. Gaffney |
| Commissioned: | 29 March 1944 |
| Reclassified: | AGS-8, 20 March 1945 |
| Renamed: | Dutton, 24 March 1945 |
| Namesake: | Benjamin Dutton, Jr. |
| Reclassified: | AGSC-8, 29 July 1946 |
| Decommissioned: | 26 August 1949 |
| Struck: | Date unknown |
| Honors and awards: |
3 battle stars, World War II |
| Fate: | Sold, 21 February 1950 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | PCS-1376-class minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 340 t. |
| Length: | 136 ft (41.5 m) |
| Beam: | 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m) |
| Draft: | 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) |
| Speed: | 14 knots (26 km/h) |
| Complement: | 74 |
| Armament: | 1 × 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun mount |
USS Dutton (AGSC-8/AGS-8), originally PCS-1396, was a PCS-1376-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II that was later converted into a survey ship. She was the first US Navy ship to be named in honor of Benjamin Dutton, Jr.
PCS-1396 was launched 7 August 1943 by South Coast Co., Newport Beach, California; sponsored by Miss Cynthia A. Gaffney; and commissioned 29 March 1944, Lieutenant F. E. Sturmer, USNR, in command. She was reclassified AGS-8, 20 March 1945, and assigned the name Dutton 4 days later. She was redesignated AGSC-8 on 29 July 1946.
PCS-1396 sailed from San Pedro, California, 4 May 1944, and arrived off newly assaulted Saipan 17 June to screen the transport areas and give escort service in the Marianas operations. On 29 August she rescued four Marines from the waters off Tinian. She returned to base at Pearl Harbor 15 October for overhaul.
She got underway 22 January 1945 to escort an LST group on its slow trip across the Pacific for the landings on Iwo Jima 19 February. She continued her service in this operation with surveying and patrol duty. On 1 April she took part in the invasion of Okinawa. Remaining off the bitterly contested island, by day she conducted surveys to determine suitable landing beaches for amphibious craft; by night she guarded against suicide boats and swimmers. On 27 May a Japanese plane crashed the ship, carrying away part of the bridge, blowing one of her crew overboard, and holing her, fortunately above the water line. She underwent temporary repairs at Kerama Retto, then sailed to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for permanent repairs.
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