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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

James M. Gilliss (MHC 13)
ex-AMCU-13



AMCU-13 call sign:
November - Delta - Juliet - Uniform

ex-AGSC-13
ex-AGS-13
ex-YMS-262

YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper/Harkness Class Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator):

  • Laid down 6 September 1942 by the South Coast Shipbuilding Co., Newport Beach, CA
  • Launched 24 December 1942
  • Completed 11 August 1943 and commissioned USS YMS-262 the same day
  • Decommissioned 9 September 1944
  • Converted to a Survey Ship and named James M. Gilliss (AGS 13), 23 March 1945 at the California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA
  • Reclassified as a Coastal Survey Ship, AGSC-13, 29 July 1946
  • Decommissioned 22 September 1950
  • Converted to a Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator), AMCU-13, 18 August 1951 at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, NY
  • Recommissioned 5 September 1951
  • Reclassified as a Coastal Minehunter, MHC-13, 1 February 1955
  • Decommissioned 6 August 1958 at Green Cove Springs, FL
  • Struck from the Navy Register 1 January 1960
  • Sold in 1960 to the Southern Towing & Transportation Co., Inc. of Miami, FL for use as a tugboat and renamed Southeastern No. 5
  • Sold for scrap 17 June 1960 to the Marlene Blouse Corp. of New York
  • Sold in 1961 to Andersen's Marine, Inc of Jacksonville, FL.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 340 t.
  • Length 136'
  • Beam 23' 4"
  • Draft 8' 7"
  • Speed 14.5 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 1,000bhp 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 James M. Gilliss (AGS 13)
    James M. Gilliss 167k James Melville Gilliss, born 6 September 1811 in Georgetown, D.C., entered the Navy as Midshipman at the age of 15. From the beginning of his service, he was active in scientific work and in improving the quality of navigation in the Navy. He was placed in charge of the Depot of Charts and Instruments at Washington, D.C., in 1837, and in the 1840's was instrumental in establishing the famed Naval Observatory there. In 1846 he published Astronomical Observations, a pioneer work in the field; and, from 1849 to 1852, he led an astronomical observation expedition to South America where he established an observatory at Santiago, Chile. Continuing his important astronomical and meteorological work, Captain Gilliss replaced Matthew Fontaine Maury as head of the Naval Observatory at the beginning of the Civil War. During the war he equipped Naval vessels with charts and instruments and directed important scientific work at the observatory. Captain Gilliss died 8 February 1865
    Photo courtesy of the James M. Gilliss Library    		 Bill Gonyo
    AGS-13/14 59k Seen here as USS James M. Gilliss (AGS 13) outboard of USS Simon Newcomb (AGS 14) Steve Remer
    YMS-242/262/263 107k In forground at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is Simon Newcomb (AGS 14), Harkness (AGS 12), and James M. Gilliss. Astern is the "mother ship" Tanner (AGS 15). LST-664 is moored at another pier with an unidentified LST outboard George W. Desharnais
    USS James M. Gilliss (AGSC 13)
    James M. Gilliss 141k c. 1948/1950
    Sea trial in New York before heading up to Newfoundland, Canada for a survey run    		 Walt Parfenuk
    James M. Gilliss 106k Seen here off the coast of Labrador, c. 1949. On her fantail is the helicopter from Tanner being taken to Goose Bay for repairs
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Thomas W. Burns, USNR11 August 1943
    02LTJG Kermit G. Kruse, USNRApril 1945
    03LTJG Kenneth E. Carter, USN5 September 1951
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    View the YMS-262
    DANFS History entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Website
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Naval Minewarfare Association
    Association of Minemen
    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 Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) - (AMCU) Photo Index Back to the Coastal Minehunter (MHC) 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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    This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan
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