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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

YMS-369
Heron (AMS / MSC(O) 18)


Heron served the Navies of the United States and Japan.

YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper: Laid down, 13 January 1943 by the Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, NY; Launched, 24 July 1943; Coompleted and commissioned USS YMS-369, 9 October 1943; Decommissioned, 2 March 1946; Reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper and named Heron (AMS 18), 17 February 1947; Recommissioned, 15 July 1949; Reclassified as a Minesweeper, Coastal (Old) MSC(O)-18, 7 February 1955; Decommissioned, 21 March 1955 and turned over to the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force; Renamed Nuwajima (MCS 657); Returned to U. S. Navy costody, 31 March 1967 and struck from the Naval Register; Sunk as a target by the Japanese Maritime Staff Office.

Specifications: Displacement 207 t.; Length 136'; Beam 24' 6"; Draft 6'; Speed 13 kts; Complement 50; Armament one single 3"/50 gun mount, two 20mm, two dcp; Propulsion, two General Motors diesels, 1,000 bhp, two shafts
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Size Image Description Source
Heron 93k Off Yang-do Islands, Korea. c. September 1952. Wayne Schafer
Heron 41k In dry dock, Sasebo, Japan. c. November 1952. Wayne Schafer
Heron 19k In dry dock with APL-30, Sasebo, Japan. c. November 1952. Wayne Schafer
Officers 83k Officers of the Heron, (left to right)
LTJG George Thompson, Executive/Operations Officer, later CO (It pays to wear a white hat)
LT Jack Ross, Commanding
LTJG Wayne Schafer, Engineering Officer, and
LTJG Steve Watson, Minesweeping Officer. c. December 1952.
Wayne Schafer
LTJG 62k LTJG Schafer standing OOD during sweep operations. Songjin area. c. January 1953. Wayne Schafer
AMS-8 75k Curlew (AMS 8), Mockingbird (AMS 27), Heron (AMS 18), and Gull (AMS 16) nested at Sasebo, Japan. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 54k Yokosuka, Japan. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 43k Anchored at Songjin, Korea. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 18k Mine exploding that had fouled in sweep gear off Hungnam, Korea.
c. 1953.
Wayne Schafer
Heron 117k Sweep operations, Korea. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 27k Relaxed sweep operations, Korea. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 41k Quarterdeck on Heron. Yokosuka, Japan. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 47k At Yokosuka, Japan. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 75k At Yokosuka, Japan for overhaul. March 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 72k At Yokosuka, Japan for overhaul. March 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 78k At Yokosuka, Japan for overhaul. March 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 62k At Yokosuka, Japan for overhaul. March 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 48k Heron and Firecrest (AMS 10) in dry dock at Yokosuka, Japan.
March 1953.
Wayne Schafer
Heron 23k Mine detonated by small arms fire off Wonson, Korea. c. 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 134k Officers of the Heron and Curlew at the South Korean Naval Base at Chinhae, 27 July 1953. The occasion was a courtesy visit by the Heron and the Curlew. The date was significant because it was the date of the signing of the armistice agreement at Panmunjom ending the Korean War. The South Koreans present were not pleased that the conflict was ending without a definitive result. Wayne Schafer
Heron 129k Chinhae, 27 July 1953. Wayne Schafer
Heron 128k Chinhae, 27 July 1953. Wayne Schafer

View the YMS-369 / Heron (AMS 18)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway web site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Naval Minewarfare Association
Association of Minemen
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