USS Phoebe (MSC-199)

Bluebird-class minesweeper
History
Name:	Phoebe
Namesake:	Phoebe
Builder:	Harbor Boat Building Company, Terminal Island, California
Laid down:	26 February 1953
Launched:	21 August 1954
Commissioned:	29 April 1955
Decommissioned:	14 December 1970
Reclassified:	Coastal Minesweeper, 7 February 1955
Stricken:	1 July 1975
Identification:	Hull symbol: AMS-199 Hull symbol: MSC-199
Fate:	sold for scrap, 1 September 1976
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:	Bluebird-class minesweeper
Displacement:	362 long tons (368 t)
Length:	144 ft 3 in (43.97 m)
Beam:	27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
Draft:	12 ft (3.7 m)
Installed power:	4 × Packard 600 hp (450 kW) diesel engines 2,400 hp (1,800 kW)
Propulsion:	2 × screws
Speed:	13.6 kn (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph)
Complement:	40
Armament:	1 × twin 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft (AA) mounts

USS Phoebe (AMS/MSC-199) was a Bluebird-class minesweeper in the United States Navy for clearing coastal minefields..

Construction

The second Phoebe to be named by the Navy was laid down 26 February 1953, as AMS-199, by the Harbor Boat Building Company, Terminal Island, California; launched 21 August 1954; sponsored by Mrs. Anne Elizabeth Gotch; as a coastal minesweeper MSC-199, on 7 February 1955; and commissioned 29 April 1955, Lieutenant George D. Ferguson in command.^[2]

Service as training ship

After training out of Long Beach, California, and San Diego, California, Phoebe served as a schoolship for the prospective crew of Whippoorwill in early summer and in September, of Widgeon.^[2]

Operations in the Far East

Phoebe became flagship of Mine Division 31, Mine Squadron 3, on 6 January 1956. She departed Long Beach 4 March, for the Far East, touched the Hawaiian Islands, and arrived Yokosuka, Japan, 4 April. Six days later she shifted to Sasebo, her permanent base of operations. A unit of Mine Squadron 3, Phoebe spent the next eight years in a rigorous schedule of minehunting and warfare tactics with the US 7th Fleet. Much of her time was taken for maneuvers with minesweeping units of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, the Chinese Nationalist Navy, the Republic of Korea Navy, and the Republic of the Philippines Navy. This duty took her to the principal ports of Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Okinawa, and the Philippines.^[2]

Early 1964, was spent operating out of Japan and Okinawa In July, Phoebe sailed for Subic Bay, the South China Sea, and Vietnam, returning to Subic Bay in August. A U.S.-Korean mine exercise was held in October, and a US-Japanese mine exercise in December.^[2]

Supporting Operation Market Time

Phoebe spent five months of 1965, on "Operation Market Time" in Vietnam. She spent the beginning, middle, and end of the year in Japan. During the year she steamed 24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi), reaching as far from her homeport as Bangkok.^[2]

In March 1967, Phoebe resumed "Market Time" operations in Vietnam waters. Most of the rest of the year she operated out of Sasebo, with a combined US-Republic of China mine exercise in September, and more "Market Time" service in November.^[2]

Boarding junks and other operations

In February 1968, Phoebe took part in a combined US-Japanese mine exercise. Most of the rest of the year she operated out of Sasebo, with a "Market Time" patrol in September and October, during which she boarded 201 junks and a US-Korean mine exercise in November. As of late 1969, Phoebe still operated out of Sasebo, Japan.^[2]

Decommissioning

Phoebe was decommissioned, 14 December 1970, struck from the Naval Vessel Register, 1 July 1975, and was disposed of through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for scrap, 1 September 1976.^[1]

See also

• List of United States Navy ships
• Minesweeper

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
• Photo gallery of USS Phoebe (AMS/MSC-199) at NavSource Naval History