Turkish Marmoris (MMC 6-14, ex LSM) Class

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Turkish Marmoris (LSM 481, later MMC 10).
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Class: Turkish MARMORIS (MMC 6-14, ex LSM)
Design: Navy LSM 1 converted
Displacement (tons): 743 light, 1,100 full
Dimensions (feet): 204' oa, 197' wl x 35' e, 35'/34' wl x 10' max nav
Armament: 4-40mmT, 6-20mmS, 400 mines; (later) 3-40mmT, 5-20mmS, 400 mines
Accommodations: 70
Speed (kts.): 12.5
Propulsion (HP): 2,880
Machinery: Diesels (direct), 2 screws

Construction:

MMC	Name	Reclas	Builder	Keel	Launch	Compl
10	Turkish MARMORIS	(1951)	Brown SB	17 Feb 1945	10 Mar 1945	27 Sep 1952
11	Turkish MORDOGAN	(1951)	Brown SB	17 Feb 1945	10 Mar 1945	19 Sep 1952
12	Turkish MERIÇ	(1951)	Brown SB	3 Mar 1945	24 Mar 1945	12 Sep 1952
13	Norwegian VALE	(1951)	Brown SB	3 Mar 1945	24 Mar 1945	20 Sep 1952
14	Norwegian VIDAR	(1951)	Brown SB	10 Mar 1945	30 Mar 1945	17 Sep 1952
6	Greek AKTION	(1953)	NSY Charleston	18 Oct 1944	19 Nov 1944	20 Nov 1953
7	Greek AMVRAKIA	(1953)	NSY Charleston	8 Oct 1944	14 Nov 1944	20 Nov 1953
8	Danish BESKYTTEREN	(1953)	NSY Charleston	13 Nov 1944	12 Dec 1944	13 May 1954
9	Danish VINDHUNDEN	(1953)	NSY Charleston	28 Nov 1944	17 Dec 1944	8 Jun 1954

Disposition:

MMC	Name	T	US Decomm	US Strike	US Disposal	US Fate	MA Sale
10	Turkish MARMORIS		--	8 Sep 1952	6 Oct 1952	Trf	--
11	Turkish MORDOGAN		--	8 Sep 1952	6 Oct 1952	Trf	--
12	Turkish MERIÇ		--	8 Sep 1952	6 Oct 1952	Trf	--
13	Norwegian VALE		--	8 Sep 1952	6 Oct 1952	Trf	--
14	Norwegian VIDAR		--	8 Sep 1952	6 Oct 1952	Trf	--
6	Greek AKTION		--	22 Dec 1952	1 Dec 1953	Trf	--
7	Greek AMVRAKIA		--	22 Dec 1952	1 Dec 1953	Trf	--
8	Danish BESKYTTEREN		--	Jun 1953	13 May 1954	Trf	--
9	Danish VINDHUNDEN		--	Jun 1953	8 Jun 1954	Trf	--

Class Notes:
Six relatively late LSM's were designated on 10 April 1951 for conversion and transfer under the new Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP): LSM 481, 484, 490, 492, and 493 to Turkey and Norway as coastal minelayers (later called the MMC 6 class) and LSM 500 to Denmark as a Motor Torpedo Boat Tender (listed here as an AGP). LSM 481 began conversion on 2 February 1952 and the other four minelayer LSMs began conversion four days later, all five at different commercial yards. All were initially to be completed on 1 August 1952 and were actually delivered on 6 October 1952. Two minelayer LSMs for Greece were added to the program in early 1953 and two for Norway in mid-1953. The converted LSMs were all stricken by the USN before being transferred, but they remained in the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) as LSM's in MDAP loan status. Following the creation of the coastal minelayer (MMC) category for the Norwegian GOR class minesweeper conversions in 1958 (MMC 1 class) and the Danish FALSTER class new construction ships in 1960 (MMC 4 class), the minelayer LSMs were assigned MMC numbers in place of their original LSM designations as of 1 Oct 1960 while remaining stricken, with the FY 1953 units (MMC 6-9) being numbered before the FY 1951 units (MMC 10-14).

The ships had two minelaying rails on the former LSM vehicle deck and four booms (two forward, two aft) for loading mines onto them. The redesigned topside area was crowded with anti-aircraft guns. A Greek source gives the capacity of the Greek ships as 100-130 mines and a Danish source gives the Danish ships 98 Mk I mines.

Ship Notes:

MMC	Name	MA	Notes
10	Turkish MARMORIS		FY 1951 (MDAP). Ex LSM 481 (comm. 8 Apr 1945, decomm. 20 Jun 1946). Converted by Brewer Drydock Co., Staten Island, NY, 2 Feb 1952 to 27 Sep 1952. Decomm. and struck by Turkey in 1990, hulk cannibalized for spare parts and eventually disposed of.
11	Turkish MORDOGAN		FY 1951 (MDAP). Ex LSM 484 (comm. 15 Apr 1945, decomm. 19 Dec 1946). Converted by Ira S Bushey & Sons, Inc., Brooklyn, NY, 6 Feb 1952 to 19 Sep 1952. Decomm. 16 Jun 1993, struck 1993.
12	Turkish MERIÇ		FY 1951 (MDAP). Ex LSM 490 (comm. 28 Apr 1945, decomm. 23 May 1946). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Hoboken, NJ, 6 Feb 1952 to 12 Sep 1952. Decomm. 27 May 1988 and decomm. 1988, hulk cannibalized and eventually disposed of.
13	Norwegian VALE		FY 1951 (MDAP). Ex LSM 492 (comm. 1 May 1945, decomm. 19 Aug 1946). Converted by Bethlehem, Staten Is. 6 Feb 1952 to 20 Sep 1952. Returned to US Naval custody 1 Nov 1960 and trf to Turkey at Bergen, Norway, as MURSIN. Trf. 8 Aug 1996 to Kocaeli University for use as a training ship, decomm. 23 Nov 1996, fate unknown.
14	Norwegian VIDAR		FY 1951 (MDAP). Ex LSM 493 (comm. 4 May 1945, decomm. 29 Nov 1946). Converted by Marine Basin Co., Brooklyn, NY, 6 Feb 1952 to 17 Sep 1952. Returned to US Naval custody 1 Nov 1960 and trf to Turkey at Bergen, Norway, as MUREFTE. Struck 1993.
6	Greek AKTION		FY 1953 (MDAP). Ex LSM 301 (comm. 1 Jan 1945, decomm. 23 May 1947). Converted by Ira S Bushey & Sons Inc., Brooklyn, NY, 27 Feb 1953 to 20 Nov 1953. Decomm by Greece 27 Feb 2001 and BU.
7	Greek AMVRAKIA		FY 1953 (MDAP). Ex LSM 303 (comm. 6 Jan 1945, decomm. 10 May 1947). Converted by Marine Basin Co., Brooklyn, NY, 27 Feb 1953 to 20 Nov 1953. Decomm. by Greece 2002.
8	Danish BESKYTTEREN		FY 1953 (MDAP). Ex LSM 390 (comm. 31 Jan 1945, decomm. 30 Sep 1946). Converted by Summit Iron Works, Brooklyn, NY 10 Aug 1953 to 13 May 1954. Named by Denmark 26 Nov 1953 and comm. 8 June 1954. Decomm. 12 Oct 1963. Returned to US custody 1965, offered for sale Jan 1965 by the USAFE/UK Redistribution and Marketing Center.
9	Danish VINDHUNDEN		FY 1953 (MDAP). Ex LSM 392 (comm. 8 Feb 1945, decomm. 2 May 1947). Converted by Summit Iron Works, Brooklyn, NY 10 Aug 1953 to 8 Jun 1954 when taken over. Named by Denmark 26 Nov 1953 and comm. 22 Jun 1954. Decomm. 12 Oct 1963. Returned to US Naval custody 1965, offered for sale Jan 1965 by the USAFE/UK Redistribution and Marketing Center.