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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

Commissioned USS YMS-262, 15 September 1943

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 for scrap 17 June 1960 to the Marlene Blouse Corp. of New York.

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)
	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 l865 Photo courtesy of the James M. Gilliss Library	Bill Gonyo
	59k	Seen here as USS John M. Gilliss (AGS 13) outboard of USS Simon Newcomb (AGS 14)	Steve Remer
	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)
	141k	c. 1948/1950 Sea trial in New York before heading up to Newfoundland, Canada for a survey run	Walt Parfenuk
	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