USS Kite (AMS-22)

Career
Laid down:	31 January 1943
Launched:	17 February 1944
Commissioned:	USS YMS-374, 31 May 1944
Battle Stars:	2 battle stars for World War II service and 10 stars for Korean War service
Reclassified:	AMS-22, named Kite and decommissioned, 18 February 1947; MSC(O)-22, 7 February 1955
Decommissioned:	6 January 1956
Struck:	Not known
Fate:	Transferred to the Republic of Korea as Kim Po (MSC-520)
General Characteristics
Class:	YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper
Displacement:	270 t
Length:	136'
Beam:	24' 6"
Draft:	8'
Speed:	15 kts
Complement:	32
Armament:	one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, (replaced by one single 40mm gun mount), two 20mm gun mounts, two dcp
Propulsion:	Two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, two shafts

USS Kite (YMS-374/YMS-374) was a YMS-1-class auxiliary motor minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent ships from passing.

Kite was: Laid down, 31 January 1943 by the Weaver Shipyards, Orange, Texas; Launched, 17 February 1944; Completed and commissioned USS YMS-374, 31 May 1944; Reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper, AMS-22, named Kite and decommissioned, 18 February 1947; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 9 May 1949; Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper (Old), MSC(O)-22, 7 February 1955.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

After shakedown out of Little Creek, Virginia, and minesweeping operations in Massachusetts Bay, YMS-374 cleared Boston, Massachusetts, 30 September and steamed toward the Pacific war zone. The minesweeper arrived Pearl Harbor 18 November and following formation sweeping maneuvers, sailed 22 January 1945 escorting LST Flotilla 21 to Saipan.

Iwo Jima operations

As the struggle on the "road to Japan" was intensified, the minesweeper prepared for conquest of Iwo Jima. Arriving off the volcanic island 17 February, she cleared lanes for landings scheduled 2 days later. Following the invasion YMS-374 made antisubmarine patrols, escorted support ships, and laid smoke screens before retiring to the Philippines and arriving Leyte 8 March.

The minesweeper steamed into Saipan 28 March and for nearly 5 months she operated in the Marianas on ASW patrols, convoy escort, submarine training exercises, and plane guard duty for crews of downed B-29 bombers. After the fighting stopped YMS-374 sailed for Kakyoto Island on the southwestern coast of Korea to clear approaches to Jinsen for the landing of occupation troops. She swept Korean waters until she sailed 7 September for minesweeping operations in the Nagasaki – Sasebo area.

YMS-374 departed Japan 29 December and arrived on the U.S. West Coast in January 1946.

Converted to minesweeper

After a year of operations out of California she was reclassified AMS-22 on 18 February 1947 and assigned the name USS Kite. She decommissioned that same day and was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Kite recommissioned 9 May 1949, Lt. (j.g.) Nicholas Grkovic in command. After repairs in San Diego and Long Beach, California, she sailed for Pearl Harbor 25 July and cleared Hawaii 26 September for operations in the Western Pacific out of Japan.

Korean War operations

Soon after Communist aggressors invaded South Korea, Kite sailed 13 July 1950 for Pusan to aid in the effort to contain the Communist drive. Operating in the Pusan area through most of the summer, Kite sailed 12 September to clear waters approaching Inchon. The American amphibious assault which followed there was among the most successful operations of the war and began a great Allied land offensive. During October, as the drive into North Korea gathered momentum, the minesweeper arrived Wonsan to open the mined harbor to Allied supply ships and then retired to Yokosuka, Japan, for repairs.

Kite returned to the conflict zone 5 January 1951, and for the rest of the conflict she continued mine clearing operations along the Korean coast. Her services allowed Allied supply and fire support ships to complete their missions through heavily mined waters. After the Korean truce 27 June 1953, Kite remained in the Far East continuing minesweeping operations out of Korea and Japan.

Post-Korean War deactivation

Kite was reclassified MSC(O)-22 on 7 February 1955. She was: Decommissioned, 6 January 1956, at Chinhae, South Korea; Transferred to the Republic of Korea as Kim Po (MSC 520). Fate unknown.

Awards

Kite received 2 battle stars for World War II service and 10 stars for Korean War service.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

See also

• List of United States Navy ships
• World War II
• Patrol boat
• Minelayer
• minesweeper
• Minesweeping

External links

• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

• NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Kite (MSC[O 22) - ex-AMS-22 - ex-YMS-374]