USS Owl (AM-2)
1918 Lapwing-class minesweeper
USS Owl (AM-2) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.
The first Owl to be so named by the Navy, AM-2 was laid down 25 October 1917 by the Todd Shipbuilding Corp., Brooklyn, New York; launched 4 March 1918; sponsored by Miss Ruth R. Dodd; and commissioned 11 July 1918.
World War I Atlantic operations
Following a New York to Charleston, South Carolina towing assignment, Owl reported to the 5th Naval District at Norfolk, Virginia, 22 August 1918. Employed as a minesweeper for the remaining months of World War I, she then served as a light ship in the inner approach to Chesapeake Bay until 10 July 1919. From that time until 1936, she was primarily engaged in providing towing services along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean. Between June 1936 and January 1941, she operated with units of the Aircraft Division, Base Force, providing planeguard, seaplane tender, and target and mooring buoy planting services from New England to the Caribbean.
Then, temporarily attached to Train, Patrol Force at Culebra, Puerto Rico, she steamed to Bermuda in May for towing and servicing duties with MinDiv 14. Redesignated as Ocean Tug AT–137 on 1 June 1942, she was based at Bermuda until June 1943. During that time, towing and escort duties frequently took her to the east coast, while numerous salvage and rescue missions, including aid to the submarine USS R-1 and torpedoed Argentine tanker Victoria, kept her busy at Bermuda and in nearby convoy lanes.
Preparing for the invasion of France
Detached from Bermudan duty in June, Owl spent the last six months of 1943 with DesRon 30 operating out of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
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