Lapwing-class minesweeper

The Lapwing-class minesweeper, often called the Bird class, was an early "AM-type" oceangoing minesweeper of the United States Navy. Seven ships of the class were commissioned during World War I, and served well into the 1950s. A number were refitted to serve as ocean-going tugs, salvage vessels, seaplane tenders, or submarine rescue ships.

USS Lapwing (AM-1) and other ships of the squadron anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City
Class overview
Operators:  United States Navy
Succeeded by: Raven-class minesweeper
Built: 1917–1919
In commission: 1918–1953
Planned: 51
Completed: 49
Cancelled: 2
Lost: 16
Retired: 35
Preserved: 0
Notes: Although technically not "preserved", USS Auk has been abandoned in Venezuela since 1962 and is still there in its original configuration albeit partially sunk.
General characteristics
Type: Minesweeper
Displacement: 840 long tons (853 t)
Length: 187 ft 10 in (57.25 m)
Beam: 35 ft 5 in (10.80 m)
Draft: 15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion: Reciprocating engine
Speed: 14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement: 75
Armament:

2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber guns and/or

2 × .30cal machine guns

Ships
Ship name Hull number Commissioned Decommissioned Fate
Lapwing AM-1 12 June 1918 29 November 1945 Sold, 19 August 1946; fate unknown
Owl AM-2 11 July 1918 26 July 1946 Sold for scrap, 27 June 1947
Robin AM-3 29 August 1918 9 November 1945 Sold for scrap, 1945
Swallow AM-4 8 October 1918 n/a Ran aground, 19 February 1938; later sank
Tanager AM-5 28 June 1918 n/a Sank, 4 May 1942
Cardinal AM-6 23 August 1918 n/a Ran aground, 6 June 1923; later sank
Oriole AM-7 5 November 1918 6 February 1946 Sold 1947
Curlew AM-8 7 January 1919 n/a Ran aground, 15 December 1925; later sank
Finch AM-9 10 September 1918 n/a Sank, 10 April 1942
Heron AM-10 30 October 1918 12 February 1946 Sold for scrap, 25 July 1947
Condor AM-11 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918
Plover AM-12 never never Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918
Turkey AM-13 13 December 1918 6 November 1945 Sold for scrap, 30 December 1946
Woodcock AM-14 19 February 1919 30 September 1946 Sold for scrap, 19 December 1947
Quail AM-15 29 April 1919 n/a Scuttled to prevent capture, 5 May 1942
Partridge AM-16 17 June 1919 n/a Sank, 11 June 1944
Eider AM-17 23 January 1919 28 November 1945 Fate unknown
Thrush AM-18 25 April 1919 13 December 1945 Sold to a commercial interest, 21 August 1946; Sank, 10 March 1951
Avocet AM-19 17 September 1918 10 December 1945 Sold for scrap, 12 December 1946
Bobolink AM-20 28 January 1919 22 February 1946 Fate unknown
Lark AM-21 12 April 1919 7 February 1946 Fate unknown
Widgeon AM-22 27 July 1918 5 February 1947 Sold for scrap, 5 March 1948
Teal AM-23 20 August 1918 23 November 1945 Fate unknown
Brant AM-24 5 September 1918 19 December 1945 Fate unknown
Kingfisher AM-25 27 May 1918 6 February 1946 Fate unknown
Rail AM-26 5 June 1918 29 April 1946 Fate unknown
Pelican AM-27 10 October 1918 30 November 1945 Sold for scrap, November 1946
Falcon AM-28 12 November 1918 18 June 1946 Fate unknown
Osprey AM-29 7 January 1919 13 February 1947 Sold for scrap, 1952
Seagull AM-30 7 March 1919 5 September 1946 Fate unknown
Tern AM-31 17 May 1919 23 November 1945 Fate unknown
Flamingo AM-32 12 February 1919 17 March 1953 Sold for scrap, 22 July 1953
Penguin AM-33 21 November 1918 n/a Scuttled to prevent capture, 8 December 1941
Swan AM-34 31 January 1919 13 December 1945 Fate unknown
Whipporwill AM-35 1 April 1919 17 April 1946 Fate unknown
Bittern AM-36 28 May 1919 n/a Scuttled following incapacitating damage, 10 December 1941
Sanderling AM-37 4 December 1918 2 May 1922 Accidentally sank while under tow, 26 June 1937
Auk AM-38 31 January 1919 28 January 1947 Transferred to Venezuela, 9 June 1947; decommissioned in 1962 and abandoned as of 2019
Chewink AM-39 9 April 1919 4 February 1947 Sunk as a target, 31 July 1947
Cormorant AM-40 15 May 1919 29 March 1946 Fate unknown
Gannet AM-41 10 July 1919 n/a Sunk, 7 June 1942
Grebe AM-43 1 May 1919 n/a Ran aground, 6 December 1942; destroyed by hurricane, 1–2 January 1943
Mallard AM-44 25 June 1919 10 December 1946 Sunk as a target, 22 May 1947
Ortolan AM-45 17 September 1919 18 March 1947 Fate unknown
Peacock AM-46 27 December 1919 n/a Sunk, 24 August 1940
Pigeon AM-47 15 July 1919 n/a Sunk, 4 May 1942
Redwig AM-48 17 October 1919 n/a Sunk, 29 June 1943
Sandpiper AM-51 9 October 1919 10 December 1945 Fate unknown
Vireo AM-52 16 October 1919 18 April 1946 Fate unknown
Warbler AM-53 22 December 1919 29 March 1946 Fate unknown
Willet AM-54 29 January 1920 1 December 1947 Sold for scrap 2 November 1948
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