Minesweepers: Auk Class

[Brian James]

Auk Class Minesweeper USS Threat pictured in 1945...After her arrival at Buckner Bay on July 6th 1945, Threat joined sweeping operations in the East China Sea. She continued these duties after V-J Day in August and, in September, took part in the clearing of heavily mined Tsugaru Strait in preparation for the occupation of Ominato. Through October and November, Threat continued sweeps in the East China Sea operating out of Honshū and Sasebo. In December, she plied the waters off Shanghai before setting course for San Diego and inactivation. She was decommissioned on May 31st 1946. Although she was reclassified as a steel-hulled fleet Minesweeper (MSF-124) on February 7th 1955, Threat never resumed active service in the U.S.N, and was ultimately struck from the Naval Vessel Register on July 1st 1972. Transferred to the government of Mexico along with several sister-ships during 1973, she was renamed ARM Francisco Zarco (C81). Her pennant number was later changed to G13, and changed a final time to P112 in 1993.