USS Kite (AMS-22)
USS YMS-374 in San Francisco Bay, late 1945 or early 1946. She was later renamed Kite (AMS-22)
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| History | |
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 United States
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| Name: | USS YMS-374 |
| Builder: | |
| Laid down: | 31 January 1943 |
| Launched: | 17 February 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 31 May 1944 |
| Renamed: | USS Kite (AMS-22), 18 February 1947 |
| Namesake: | the kite bird |
| Decommissioned: | 18 February 1947 |
| Reclassified: | MSC(O)-22, 7 February 1955 |
| Decommissioned: | 6 January 1956 |
| Honors and awards: |
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| Fate: | Transferred to the Republic of Korea, 6 January 1956 |
 South Korea
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| Name: | ROKS Kim Po (MSC-520) |
| Acquired: | 6 January 1956 |
| Fate: | Unknown |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | YMS-135 subclass of YMS-1-class minesweepers |
| Displacement: | 270 t |
| Length: | 136 ft (41 m) |
| Beam: | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) |
| Draft: | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 32 |
| Armament: |
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USS Kite (MSC(O)-22/AMS-22/YMS-374) was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
Kite was laid down as YMS-374 on 31 January 1943 by the Weaver Shipyards in Orange, Texas, and launched 17 February 1944. She was completed and commissioned on 31 May 1944 with Lt. (j.g.) Robert A. Harris in command.
After shakedown out of Little Creek, Virginia, and minesweeping operations in Massachusetts Bay, YMS-374 cleared Boston, Massachusetts, 30 September and steamed toward the Pacific war zone. The minesweeper arrived Pearl Harbor 18 November and following formation sweeping maneuvers, sailed 22 January 1945 escorting LST Flotilla 21 to Saipan.
YMS-374 participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima, arriving off the island 17 February. She cleared lanes for landings scheduled 2 days later. Following the invasion, YMS-374 made antisubmarine patrols, escorted support ships, and laid smoke screens before retiring to the Philippines and arriving Leyte 8 March.
The minesweeper steamed into Saipan 28 March and for nearly 5 months she operated in the Marianas on ASW patrols, convoy escort, submarine training exercises, and plane guard duty for crews of downed B-29 bombers. After the fighting stopped YMS-374 sailed for Kakyoto Island on the southwestern coast of Korea to clear approaches to Jinsen for the landing of occupation troops. She swept Korean waters until she sailed 7 September for minesweeping operations in the Nagasaki – Sasebo area.
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Wikipedia