View source for Lapwing-class minesweeper

{{Short description|1918 class of minesweepers of the United States Navy}}
{{more footnotes|date=February 2013}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= [[File:USS Lapwing - NH 44903.jpg|300px|USS Lapwing (AM-1) and other ships of the squadron anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Lapwing'' (AM-1) and other ships of the squadron anchored in the Hudson River, off New York City
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=
|Operators={{navy|United States}}
|Class before=
|Class after={{sclass|Raven|minesweeper|1}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1917–1919
|In service range=
|In commission range=1918–1953
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=51
|Total ships completed=49
|Total ships cancelled=2
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=16
|Total ships retired=35
|Total ships preserved=0
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship notes=Although technically not "preserved", [[USS Auk (AM-38)|USS ''Auk'']] has been abandoned in Venezuela since 1962 and is still there in its original configuration albeit partially sunk. 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Minesweeper]]
|Ship displacement= {{convert|840|LT|t|0|lk=in}} 
|Ship length= {{convert|187|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam= {{convert|35|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship propulsion=Reciprocating engine
|Ship speed= {{convert|14|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range= 
|Ship endurance=
|Ship complement=75
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=2 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on}}/50 caliber guns]] and/or
 2 × .30cal machine guns
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

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 [[tugboat|tugs]], [[Salvage tug|salvage vessels]], [[seaplane tender]]s, or [[submarine rescue ship]]s.

The propulsion system consisted of 2 Babcock & Wilcox 200psi boilers and a 1,400shp [[Harlan and Hollingsworth]] triple expansion reciprocating steam engine.

==Ships==

The table makes no distinction between classification as "Minesweeper No. X" and "AM-X". This change affected all boats equally ca. 1920.

All boats reclassified as Fleet Tugs (AT) where later again reclassified as Fleet Tug, Old (ATO) (ca. 1944). The table treats them the same. Brant and Grebe were never reclassified as ATO.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Ship name
!Hull number
!Builder
!Commissioned
!Decommissioned
!Fate
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Lapwing (AM-1)|''Lapwing'']]
	| AM-1
    | rowspan=7 | [[Todd Brooklyn]]
	| 12 Jun 1918
	| 11 Apr 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold, 19 August 1946; fate unknown
|-
	| AVP-1
	| 1 Sep 1932
	| 29 Nov 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Owl (AM-2)|''Owl'']]
	| AM-2
	| 11 Jul 1918
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 27 June 1947
|-
	| AT-137
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 26 Jul 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Robin (AM-3)|''Robin'']]
	| AM-3
	| 29 Aug 1918
	|
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 1945
|-
	| AT-140
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 9 Nov 1945
|-	
	| [[USS Swallow (AM-4)|''Swallow'']]
	| AM-4	
	| 8 Oct 1918
	| n/a
	| Ran aground, 19 February 1938; later sank
|-	
	| [[USS Tanager (AM-5)|''Tanager'']]
	| AM-5	
    | rowspan=5 | [[Staten Island Shipbuilding Company]]
	| 28 Jun 1918
	| n/a
	| Sank, 4 May 1942 
|-	
	| [[USS Cardinal (AM-6)|''Cardinal'']]
	| AM-6	
	| 23 Aug 1918
	| n/a
	| Ran aground, 6 June 1923; later sank
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Oriole (AM-7)|''Oriole'']]
	| AM-7
	| 5 Nov 1918<br/>15 Aug 1938
	| 3 May 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold 1947
|-
	| AT-136
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 6 Feb 1946
|-	
	| [[USS Curlew (AM-8)|''Curlew'']]
	| AM-8	
	| 7 Jan 1919
	| n/a
	| Ran aground, 15 December 1925; later sank
|-	
	| [[USS Finch (AM-9)|''Finch'']]
	| AM-9	
    | rowspan=3 | [[Standard Shipbuilding Company]]
	| 10 Sep 1918
	| n/a
	| Sank, 10 Apr 1942;salvaged later sunk 12 January 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Heron (AM-10)|''Heron'']]
	| AM-10
	| 30 Oct 1918<br/>18 Sep 1924
	| 6 Apr 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 25 July 1947
|-
	| AVP-2
	| 27 Jan 1936
	| 12 Feb 1946
|-	
	| ''Condor''
	| AM-11	
    | rowspan=2 |
	| never
	| never
	| Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918
|-	
	| ''Plover''
	| AM-12	
	| never
	| never
	| Construction cancelled, 4 December 1918
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Turkey (AM-13)|''Turkey'']]
	| AM-13
    | rowspan=6 | [[Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation]]
	| 13 Dec 1918
	| 12 Apr 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 30 December 1946
|-
	| AT-143
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 6 Nov 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Woodcock (AM-14)|''Woodcock'']]
	| AM-14
	| 19 Feb 1919<br/>21 Feb 1924
	| 5 May 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 19 December 1947
|-
	| AT-145
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 30 Sep 1946
|-	
	| [[USS Quail (AM-15)|''Quail'']]
	| AM-15	
	| 29 Apr 1919
	| n/a
	| Scuttled to prevent capture, 5 May 1942
|-	
	| [[USS Partridge (AM-16)|''Partridge'']]
	| AM-16	
	| 17 Jun 1919
	| n/a
	| Sank, 11 June 1944
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Eider (AM-17)|''Eider'']]
	| AM-17
    | rowspan=4 | [[Pusey and Jones]]
	| 23 Jan 1919
	| 18 Apr 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| YNG-20
	| 7 Oct 1940
	| 28 Nov 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Thrush (AM-18)|''Thrush'']]
	| AM-18
	| 25 Apr 1919
	| 3 Apr 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold to a commercial interest, 21 August 1946; Sank, 10 March 1951
|-
	| AVP-3
	| 31 Oct 1935
	| 13 Dec 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Avocet (AVP-4)|''Avocet'']]
	| AM-19
    | rowspan=6 | [[Baltimore Dry Dock and Shipbuilding]]
	| 17 Sep 1918<br/>8 Sep 1925
	| 3 Apr 1922
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 12 December 1946
|-
	| AVP-4
	| 22 Jan 1936
	| 10 Dec 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Bobolink (AM-20)|''Bobolink'']]
	| AM-20
	| 28 Jan 1919
	|
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-131
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 22 Feb 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Lark (AM-21)|''Lark'']]
	| AM-21
	| 12 Apr 1919
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-168
	| 1 Mar 1944
	| 7 February 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Widgeon (AM-22)|''Widgeon'']]
	| AM-22
    | rowspan=7 | [[Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company]]
	| 27 Jul 1918
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 5 March 1948 
|-
	| ASR-1
	| 22 Jun 1936
	| 5 Feb 1947
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Teal (AM-23)|''Teal'']]
	| AM-23
	| 20 Aug 1918
	|
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AVP-5
	| 22 Jan 1936
	| 23 Nov 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=3 | [[USS Brant (AM-24)|''Brant'']]
	| AM-24
	| 5 Sep 1918
	|
	| rowspan=3 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-132
	| 1 Jun 1942
	|
|-
	| ARS-32
	| 1 Sep 1942
	| 19 Dec 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Kingfisher (AM-25)|''Kingfisher'']]
	| AM-25
    | rowspan=4 | [[Puget Sound Navy Yard]]
	| 27 May 1918
	|
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-135
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 6 Feb 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Rail (AM-26)|''Rail'']]
	| AM-26
	| 5 Jun 1918
	|
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-139
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 29 Apr 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Pelican (AM-27)|''Pelican'']]
	| AM-27
    | rowspan=10 | [[Gas Engine and Power Company]]
	| 10 Oct 1918
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, November 1946
|-
	| AVP-6
	| 22 Jan 1936
	| 30 Nov 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Falcon (AM-28)|''Falcon'']]
	| AM-28
	| 12 Nov 1918
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| ASR-2
	| 12 Sep 1929
	| 18 Jun 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Osprey (AM-29)|''Osprey'']]
	| AM-29
	| 7 Jan 1919
	| 12 Dec 1920
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap, 1952
|-
	| ARS-2
	| 17 Sep 1941
	| 13 Feb 1947
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Seagull (AM-30)|''Seagull'']]
	| AM-30
	| 7 Mar 1919
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-141
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 5 Sep 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Tern (AM-31)|''Tern'']]
	| AM-31
	| 17 May 1919
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-142
	| 1 Jun 1942
	| 23 Nov 1945
|-	
	| [[USS Viking (ARS-1)|''Flamingo'']]
	| AM-32<ref>service history not reflected in the table</ref>
    | rowspan=2 | [[Crescent Shipyard|New Jersey Dry Dock and Transportation Company]]
	| 12 Feb 1919
	| 17 Mar 1953
	| Sold for scrap, 22 July 1953
|-	
	| [[USS Penguin (AM-33)|''Penguin'']]
	| AM-33	
	| 21 Nov 1918
	| n/a
	| Scuttled to prevent capture, 8 December 1941
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Swan (AM-34)|''Swan'']]
	| AM-34
    | rowspan=5 | [[Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company]]
	| 31 Jan 1919
	| 
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AVP-7
	| 22 Jan 1936
	| 13 Dec 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Whippoorwill (AM-35)|''Whipporwill'']]
	| AM-35
	| 1 Apr 1919
	|
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-169
	| 1 Mar 1944
	| 17 Apr 1946
|-	
	| [[USS Bittern (AM-36)|''Bittern'']]
	| AM-36	
	| 28 May 1919
	| n/a
	| Scuttled following incapacitating damage, 10 December 1941 
|-	
	| [[USS Sanderling (AM-37)|''Sanderling'']]
	| AM-37	
    | rowspan=8 | [[Todd Brooklyn]]
	| 4 Dec 1918
	| 2 May 1922
	| Accidentally sank while under tow, 26 June 1937
|-	
	| [[USS Auk (AM-38)|''Auk'']]
	| AM-38	
	| 31 Jan 1919
	| 28 Jan 1947
	| Transferred to [[Venezuela]], 9 June 1947; decommissioned in 1962 and abandoned as of 2019
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Chewink (AM-39)|''Chewink'']]
	| AM-39
	| 9 Apr 1919
	| 4 Feb 1947
	| rowspan=2 | Sunk as a target, 31 July 1947
|-
	| ASR-3
	| 9 April 1919
	| 4 February 1947
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Cormorant (AM-40)|''Cormorant'']]
	| AM-40<br/>AT-133
	| 15 May 1919
	| 29 March 1946
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AM-40<br/>AT-133
	| 15 May 1919
	| 29 March 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Gannet (AM-41)|''Gannet'']]
	| AM-41
	| 10 July 1919
	| n/a
	| rowspan=2 | Sunk, 7 June 1942
|-
	| AVP-8
	| 10 July 1919
	| n/a
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Grebe (AM-43)|''Grebe'']]
	| AM-43
    | rowspan=7 | [[Staten Island Shipbuilding Company]]
	| 1 May 1919
	| n/a
	| rowspan=2 | Ran aground, 6 December 1942; destroyed by hurricane, 1–2 January 1943
|-
	| AT-134
	| 1 May 1919
	| n/a
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Mallard (AM-44)|''Mallard'']]
	| AM-44
	| 25 Jun 1919
	| 10 Dec 1946
	| rowspan=2 | Sunk as a target, 22 May 1947
|-
	| ASR-4
	| 25 Jun 1919
	| 10 Dec 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Ortolan (AM-45)|''Ortolan'']]
	| AM-45
	| 17 Sep 1919
	| 18 Mar 1947
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| ASR-5
	| 17 Sep 1919
	| 18 Mar 1947
|-	
	| [[USS Peacock (AM-46)|''Peacock'']]
	| AM-46	
	| 27 Dec 1919
	| n/a
	| Sunk, 24 August 1940
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Pigeon (ASR-6)|''Pigeon'']]
	| AM-47
    | rowspan=4 | [[Baltimore Dry Dock and Shipbuilding]]
	| 15 July 1919
	| n/a
	| rowspan=2 | Sunk, 4 May 1942
|-
	| ASR-6
	| 15 July 1919
	| n/a
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Redwing (AM-48)|''Redwing'']]
	| AM-48
	| 17 October 1919
	| n/a
	| rowspan=2 | Sunk, 29 June 1943
|-
	| ARS-4
	| 17 October 1919
	| n/a
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Sandpiper (AM-51)|''Sandpiper'']]
	| AM-51
    | rowspan=8 | [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]]
	| 9 October 1919
	| 10 December 1945
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AVP-9
	| 9 October 1919
	| 10 December 1945
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Vireo (AM-52)|''Vireo'']]
	| AM-52
	| 16 October 1919
	| 18 April 1946
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| AT-144
	| 16 October 1919
	| 18 April 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Warbler (AM-53)|''Warbler'']]
	| AM-53
	| 22 December 1919
	| 29 March 1946
	| rowspan=2 | Fate unknown
|-
	| ARS-11
	| 22 December 1919
	| 29 March 1946
|-	
	| rowspan=2 | [[USS Willet (AM-54)|''Willet'']]
	| AM-54
	| 29 January 1920
	| 1 December 1947
	| rowspan=2 | Sold for scrap 2 November 1948
|-
	| ARS-12
	| 29 January 1920
	| 1 December 1947

|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Lapwing class minesweepers}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20000823094020/http://history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-f/am28.htm USN Ships]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-5_Tanager.html Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945]

{{Lapwing class minesweeper}}
{{WWII US ships}}

[[Category:Mine warfare vessel classes]]
[[Category:Lapwing-class minesweepers| ]]
[[Category:World War I minesweepers of the United States| ]]
[[Category:World War II minesweepers of the United States| ]]