USS Bobolink (AT-131) Class

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USS Owl (AT-137) on 1 January 1943
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        BOBOLINK (AT-131)
Design:        Navy AM-1
Displacement (tons):        889 light, 1,350 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        187.8' oa, 180.0' wl x 35.5' x 13.1' lim.
Original Armament:        2-3"/50
Later armaments:        1-3"/23 (until 1943: AT-133);
2-3"/50 2<6-20mm (1942-44);
1-3"/50 6>2-20mm (1944-46: ATO-131, 133, 137, 141, 144, 145);
1-40mmS 4-20mm (1945: ATO-136); 2-40mm S 6-20mm (1946: ATO-139)
Complement        --
Speed (kts.):        12
Propulsion (HP):        1,400
Machinery:        1 screw, vertical triple expansion.

Construction:

AT	Name	Reclas.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
131	BOBOLINK	1 Jun 42	Baltimore DD & SB	29 Oct 17	15 Jun 18	28 Jan 19
133	CORMORANT	1 Jun 42	Todd SYs, N.Y. (Tebo)	4 Sep 18	5 Feb 19	15 May 19
134	GREBE	1 Jun 42	Staten Island SB	25 May 18	17 Dec 18	1 May 19
135	KINGFISHER	1 Jun 42	NYd Puget Sound	15 Dec 17	30 Mar 18	27 May 18
136	ORIOLE	1 Jun 42	Staten Island SB	6 Mar 18	3 Jul 18	5 Nov 18
137	OWL	1 Jun 42	Todd SYs, N.Y. (Tebo)	25 Oct 17	4 Mar 18	11 Jul 18
138	PARTRIDGE	1 Jun 42	Chester SB	14 May 18	15 Oct 18	17 Jun 19
139	RAIL	1 Jun 42	NYd Puget Sound	15 Dec 17	25 Apr 18	5 Jun 18
140	ROBIN	1 Jun 42	Todd SYs, N.Y. (Tebo)	4 Mar 18	17 Jun 18	29 Aug 18
141	SEAGULL	1 Jun 42	Gas Engine & Power	15 Jun 18	24 Dec 18	6 Mar 19
142	TERN	1 Jun 42	Gas Engine & Power	7 Sep 18	22 Mar 19	17 May 19
143	TURKEY	1 Jun 42	Chester SB	19 Oct 17	30 Apr 18	13 Dec 18
144	VIREO	1 Jun 42	NYd Philadelphia	20 Nov 18	26 May 19	16 Oct 19
145	WOODCOCK	1 Jun 42	Chester SB	19 Oct 17	12 May 18	19 Feb 19
168	LARK	1 Mar 44	Baltimore DD & SB	11 Mar 18	6 Aug 18	12 Apr 19
169	WHIPPOORWILL	1 Mar 44	Alabama DD & SB	12 Dec 17	28 Jan 19	1 Apr 19

Disposition:

AT	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
131	BOBOLINK	20 Feb 46	12 Mar 46	5 Oct 46	MC	2 Oct 46
133	CORMORANT	27 Mar 46	19 Jun 46	8 Jan 47	Sold	--
134	GREBE	--	28 Jul 43	2 Jan 43	Lost	--
135	KINGFISHER	6 Feb 46	26 Feb 46	3 Jun 47	MC	3 Jun 47
136	ORIOLE	6 Feb 46	12 Mar 46	6 Jan 47	MC	6 Jan 47
137	OWL	26 Jul 46	7 Feb 47`	27 Jun 47	MC	27 Jun 47
138	PARTRIDGE	--	29 Jul 44	11 Jun 44	Lost	--
139	RAIL	29 Apr 46	15 Aug 46	23 Dec 46	MC	23 Dec 46
140	ROBIN	9 Nov 45	28 Nov 45	27 Feb 48	MC	27 Feb 48
141	SEAGULL	5 Sep 46	15 Oct 46	3 Apr 47	MC	7 Mar 47
142	TERN	23 Nov 45	5 Dec 45	3 Jun 47	MC	3 Jun 47
143	TURKEY	6 Nov 45	28 Nov 45	30 Dec 46	Sold	--
144	VIREO	18 Apr 46	8 May 46	4 Feb 47	MC	15 Nov 46
145	WOODCOCK	30 Sep 46	23 Apr 47	6 Jan 48	MC	19 Dec 47
168	LARK	3 Apr 46	3 Jul 46	15 Jan 47	MC	23 Dec 46
169	WHIPPOORWILL	17 Apr 46	19 Jun 46	6 Nov 46	MC	6 Nov 46

Class Notes:
FY 1918 (as minesweepers). AM 1-36 were authorized as minesweepers by the Naval Emergency Fund act of 4 Mar 17 while AM 37-54 were authorized by the additional act of the same name dated 6 Oct 17. All were in nearly continuous commission since their completion except for ORIOLE and TURKEY (both out of commission 1922-38) and had seen hard service in many different roles, including towing. The first fifteen listed below were reclassified to Ocean-Going Tugs (AT) from minesweepers by a CNO letter dated 11 Apr 42 that became effective on 1 Jun 42. Two years later these plus two sisters that had been classified AT effective 1 Mar 44 were reclassified to Ocean Tugs, Old (ATO) by a CNO letter dated 13 Apr 44 that became effective on 15 May 44.

Ship Notes:

AT	Name	Notes
131	BOBOLINK	Ex AM-20 1 Jun 42, to ATO-131 15 May 44.
133	CORMORANT	Ex AM-40 1 Jun 42, to ATO-133 15 May 44. In bad condition, sold by Navy. To buyer 8 Jan 47.
134	GREBE	Ex AM-43 1 Jun 42. Grounded at Fiji 6 Dec 42 trying to salvage the Liberty ship THOMAS A. EDISON, both ships destroyed by a typhoon 2 Jan 43.
135	KINGFISHER	Ex AM-25 1 Jun 42, to ATO-135 15 May 44. To buyer 3 Jun 47.
136	ORIOLE	Ex AM-7 1 Jun 42, to ATO-136 15 May 44. Withdrawn from sale by MA and returned to USN as scrap 2 Jul 46 but later sold to M. E. Baker and registered under the Panamanian flag. Delivery to buyer delayed to 8 Jan 47.
137	OWL	Ex AM-2 1 Jun 42, to ATO-137 15 May 44. To buyer 27 Jun 47.
138	PARTRIDGE	Ex AM-16 1 Jun 42, to ATO-138 15 May 44. Torpedoed by a German E-boat 10 miles off Normandy.
139	RAIL	Ex AM-26 1 Jun 42, to ATO-139 15 May 44. To buyer 23 Dec 46.
140	ROBIN	Ex AM-3 1 Jun 42, to ATO-140 15 May 44. To buyer 27 Feb 48.
141	SEAGULL	Ex AM-30 1 Jun 42, to ATO-141 15 May 44. To buyer 3 Apr 47.
142	TERN	Ex AM-31 1 Jun 42, to ATO-142 15 May 44. To buyer 3 Jun 47.
143	TURKEY	Ex AM-13 1 Jun 42, to ATO-143 15 May 44. To buyer 30 Dec 46.
144	VIREO	Ex AM-52 1 Jun 42, to ATO-144 15 May 44. Sale probably awarded 15 Nov 46, to buyer 4 Feb 47.
145	WOODCOCK	Ex AM-14 1 Jun 42, to ATO-145 15 May 44. Sale probably awarded 19 Dec 47, to buyer 6 Jan 48.
168	LARK	Ex AM-21 1 Mar 44, to ATO-168 15 May 44. Sale probably awarded 23 Dec 46, to buyer 15 Jan 47.
169	WHIPPOORWILL	Ex AM-35 1 Mar 44, to ATO-169 15 May 44. Probably to buyer 6 Nov 46.