Wreck of USS Crow (AMc-20)

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, shipwreck, United States Navy, minehunter / minesweeper (ship)

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Laid down in 1935 as the purse seiner F/V Jardan and operating in the commercial trades for the first five years of her life, USS Crow was acquired by the US Navy in 1940 as part of a prewar fleet expansion and following conversion work commissioned into service in February 1941 as a member of the US Pacific Fleet.

Designated as a Coastal Minesweeper as her design, wooden hull and net handling apparatus made her an ideal minesweeping platform in the littoral waters of the US West Coast, Crow and her crews operated primarily in the Pacific Northwest for the first year of the Second World War. Reporting to Naval Station Keyport early 1943 as her Minesweeping duties were assumed by newer and purpose-built vessels, Crow began service as a target ship and practice torpedo retrieval vessel for Naval Aviators training for deployment the Pacific Theatre.

So engaged on August 23rd and moored in Port Orchard Bay, Crow came under "attack" by several flights of torpedo bombers who made full-release torpedo runs on the stationary vessel throughout the morning. Shortly after noon the first flight of the afternoon appeared overhead and began its own approach to the Crow, with each of the aircraft successfully executing their low-level run and release, save for one. For reasons unknown but likely owing to crew inexperience aboard the aircraft, the final plane released its torpedo load late and sent their live-running but unarmed torpedo churning towards the Crow. Still anchored and with no chance of evasion once the torpedo was in the water, Crow's Captain sounded collision aboard his ship moments before the torpedo slammed into Crow's wooden hull, punching an enormous hole into the ship and splitting several seams along her length. Rapidly taking a list as seawater poured into her internal spaces, Crow's crew mounted a short but ineffective battle against the flooding which moved quickly through her entire hull before being ordered to abandon their positions as the ship began to heel over onto her side.

With the last of her crew scrambling topside and into the water only seconds to spare, USS Crow capsized and sank at this location on August 23rd, 1943.

www.navsource.org/archives/11/03020.htm