Built as a minesweeper by Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Company, Winslow, Washington for the USA Navy.
12 November 1941 keel laid down.
12 June 1942 launched as the USS PURSUIT (AM-108), christened by Miss Carrie Ann Copp. She was one of the Auk class of which many were built.
Displacement 890 tons standard, 1,250 tons full load. Dim. 67.44 x 9.8 x 3.28m. (draught).
Powered by two 3,118 shp Busch Sulzer 539 diesel electric engines, Westinghouse reduction gear, twin shafts, speed 18 knots.
Armament, 1 – 3 inch, 2 – 40mm, 8 – 20mm guns. Two depth charge tracks, five depth charge projectiles.
Crew 100.
30 June 1960 commissioned under command of Lt. Romer Franklin Good.
.Following shakedown off the west coast PURSUIT escorted round trip convoys between San Francisco and Pearl Harbor before getting underway for the New Hebrides 25 October. PURSUIT was command ship during the invasion of Helen Island, Gilberts before joining TF 52 for the Kwajalein invasion in which she served as an anti-submarine and minesweeping ship. On 21 March 1944 she returned to San Francisco as convoy escort. She steamed again for Pearl Harbor 21 April to escort convoys to the Marshalls through July. On 4 October she got underway from Eniwetok to Manus, Admiralty Islands to stage for the invasion of the Philippines. Arriving in Leyte Gulf 24 October, she conducted minesweeping operations and antisubmarine patrols, and searched for survivors of sunken ships and downed aircraft.
On 6 January 1945 PURSUIT reached Lingayen Gulf among the first ships of the invasion force where she operated until steaming for Leyte Gulf 14 January. Back off Luzon on 28 January she swept off the San Felipe and San Antonio invasion beaches then on the 29th swept in Subic Bay. After completing this operation she proceeded to Guam and Ulithi 4 February to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa.
Arriving at Okinawa 24 March with TG 52.3, she commenced sweeping operations until the 31st, then took her part in an inner anti-submarine screen for the landing forces at Hagushi Beaches. On 6 April PURSUIT shot down one suicide plane and assisted in shooting down several others, sailing 27 May for Portland, Oregon.
After the cessation of hostilities, PURSUIT got underway for the east coast. Arriving Norfolk 5 January 1946, from 28 April to 5 September she served as a target ship for torpedo bombing practice off the Florida coast until ordered to Orange Tex. for inactivation. She arrived Orange 7 November, and decommissioned there 30 April 1947.
Recommissioned 15 February 1950, PURSUIT left Texas and proceeded off Labrador and Greenland as part of Hydro graphic Survey Group 2. For the next three years she spent the winter survey season operating in the Caribbean, and the summer months in the northern latitudes off Labrador and Greenland. Reclassified AGS-17, 18 August 1951, PURSUIT continued that employment schedule until mid-1954 when she set course for Iskendurum, Turkey, 6 October, returning to Norfolk 23 March 1955. On 15 July she was underway for a survey and resupply mission along the Arctic "Dewline." Having sounded previously uncharted waters both above and below the Arctic Circle she returned to the east coast at New York, 10 October.
During 1956, 1957, and 1958 PURSUIT again conducted hydrographic and oceanographic surveys off the coast of Turkey. On her return she resumed surveys in the Caribbean. Reassigned to the Pacific in 1960, PURSUITdeparted New York 15 February for Pearl Harbor, arriving 14 April. She operated in Hawaiian waters until May when she sailed for Long Beach. Mooring there 9 May, she began inactivation and decommissioned 30 June 1960. Her name was struck from the Navy List 1 July 1960. Fate unknown.
PURSUIT earned 8 battle stars for World War II service.
Kiribati 1993 23c sg409, scott611d
From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and some web-sites.