Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Simon Newcomb (AGSc 14)
ex-AGS-14
ex-YMS-263



Call sign:
Nan - Dog - King - King
YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweepe/Survey Shipr: Laid down, 21 August 1942 by the South Coast Co., Newport Beach, CA; Launched, 2 November 1942; Completed, 10 August 1943; Commissioned as USS YMS-263, 11 August 1943; Converted to a Survey Ship in January/April 1945 by the Wilmington Boat Works, San Pedro, CA; Reclassified as a Survey Ship and named Simon Newcomb (AGS 14), 20 March 1945; Reclassified as a Coastal Survey Ship,
AGSc-14, 29 July 1946; Decommissioned, 10 November 1949 at Norfolk, VA; Struck from the Navy Register 31 January 1950. Sold for scrap 25 April 1950 to the B. F. M. Industries of Brooklyn, NY.

Specifications: Displacement 340 t.; Length 136'; Beam 23' 4"; Draft 8' 7"; Speed 14.1 kts.; Complement 60; Armament one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two 20mm, two dct, two dcp; Propulsion two 1,000bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts.

Click On Image
For Full Size Image		 Size Image Description Source
USS Simon Newcomb (AGS 14)
AGS-13/14 59k Seen here as USS Simon Newcomb (AGS 14) inboard of USS James M. Gilliss (AGS 13). 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. Gillis (AGS 13). Astern is the "mother ship" Tanner (AGS 15). LST-664 is moored at another pier inboard of an unidentified LST. George W. Desharnais
USS Simon Newcomb (AGSc 14)
Simon Newcomb 95k Seen as AGSc-13 George W. Desharnais
Simon Newcomb 136k Unloading all removable gear and ballast prior to salvage attempt by Hoist (ARS 40) after running aground at Mother Burns Cove, Labrador, 9 August 1949.
U.S. Navy photo		 Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy
Simon Newcomb 68k Aground George W. Desharnais
Simon Newcomb 29k Aground George W. Desharnais
View the YMS-263
DANFS History entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
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 Minesweeper (YMS) 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
Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster
This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan
© 2005 Joseph M. Radigan © 1996 - 2005 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.