Auk-class minesweeper

USS Chief (AM-315) underway in 1952
Class overview
Name	Auk class
Builders	(10 builders in 9 states)
Operators	United States Navy  Royal Navy (under Lend-Lease) Post WWII  Hellenic Navy  Philippine Navy  Republic of Korea Navy  Turkish Naval Forces  Mexican Navy  Republic of China Navy
Preceded by	Raven class
Succeeded by	USS Eagle
General characteristics
Type	Minesweeper
Displacement	890 long tons (900 t) 1,100 long tons (1,100 t) (full load)
Length	221 ft 2 in (67.41 m)
Beam	32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
Draft	11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)
Installed power	3,500 shp (2,600 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Diesel–electric drives 2 × screws
Speed	9–12 kn (17–22 km/h; 10–14 mph) (cruising) 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) (maximum)
Complement	105
Armament	Varied 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber gun (aft gun removed in AM-314 and up) 2 × 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns (added in place of aft gun in AM-314 and up) 8 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons (varied from 4 in early ships to 8 in later ships) 2 × depth charge tracks 5 × k-guns AM-371 and up 4 × k-guns 1 × Hedegehog

The Auk class were a class of minesweepers serving with the United States Navy and the Royal Navy during World War II. In total, there were 93 Auks built.

Prior to the United States entering World War II, they had produced two ships of the Raven-class minesweeper for testing and evaluation. From these two examples it was decided that the use of diesel-electric engines to power the ship and the minesweeping equipment, rather than separate geared diesel engines to propel the ship and diesel generators to energize the minesweeping equipment, would work better. The Royal Navy placed an order for 32 of these minesweepers from the United States, BAM-1 - BAM-32. Because of the additional equipment, the displacement was raised from 810 long tons (820 t) on the Ravens, to 890 long tons (900 t) on what would come to be known as the Auk class in the USN, and the Catherine class in the RN.^[1]

The Auk class displaced 890 long tons, with a length of 221 ft 1 in (67.39 m), a beam of 32 ft 2 in (9.80 m), and a draft of 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m). They had a maximum speed of 18.1 kn (33.5 km/h; 20.8 mph). The Auks armament varied. All were equipped with a single 3-inch (76 mm) gun on the bow, but many had their aft 3-inch gun removed or replaced by two 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns. Originally designed with four 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons, some ships mounted as many as eight.^[2]

Five manufacturers provided the diesel-electric engines used in the class. These included the Cleveland Diesel Engine Division of General Motors, Cooper Bessemer, Baldwin Locomotive Works, the American Locomotive Company (ALCO), and Busch-Sulzer.^[3]

Twenty of the original 32 ships ordered by the Royal Navy were delivered, with an additional two coming from the USN program. They were given "J" pennant number prefixes. Of these twenty-two, three were sunk in action and 19 were returned to the US after the war.^[4]

Eleven minesweepers of the Auk class were lost in World War II, six to direct enemy action including USS Skill, torpedoed by U-593.^[4]

The ships were constructed in 11 different shipyards, by 10 different companies, in 9 different states.^[5]

• American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
• American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, Ohio
• Associated Shipbuilders, Puget Sound, Washington
• Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Bay City, Michigan
• General Engineering & Dry Dock Company, Alameda, California
• Gulf Shipbuilding, Madisonville, Louisiana
• John H. Mathis & Company, Camden, New Jersey
• Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia
• Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Texas
• Savannah Machine & Foundry, Savannah, Georgia
• Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Company, Puget Sound, Washington

• Admirable-class minesweeper
• Agile-class minesweeper
• Classes of U.S. Navy minesweepers

• Lenton, H.T. (1974). American Gunboats and Minesweepers. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0356080641.
• Chesneau, Roger (2001). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0851771467.
• "Ocean Minesweepers (AM) Built or Acquired through WWII". 18 April 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
• "NavSource photo archive: index of mineSweepers". NavSource.

• "Allied Warships Minesweepers Auk class". Uboat.net.

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