USS Portent

USS Portent (AM-106) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

Portent sinking on 22 January 1944, seen from USS Brooklyn
History
United States
Name	USS Portent
Builder	Pennsylvania Shipyards Inc., Beaumont, Texas
Laid down	15 November 1941
Launched	16 August 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. Arthur L. Kline, Jr.
Commissioned	3 April 1943
Honors & awards	1 Battle Star (World War II)
Fate	Sunk by a mine off the Italian coast, 22 January 1944
General characteristics
Class & type	Auk-class minesweeper
Displacement	890 long tons (904 t)
Length	221 ft 3 in (67.44 m)
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Speed	18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement	100 officers and enlisted
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal dual-purpose gun, 2 × 40 mm guns, 2 × 20 mm cannons, 2 × depth charge tracks, 2 × depth charge projectors

Portent — a metal-hulled minesweeper — was named after the word "portent," something that foreshadows a coming event. In this case, it was an appropriate name since the Portent struck a mine and was sunk not long after her commissioning.

Portent was laid down on 15 November 1941 by the Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Texas, launched on 16 August 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Arthur L. Kline, Jr., and commissioned on 3 April 1943.

North Atlantic World War II operations

Portent sailed via Algiers, Louisiana, and Key West, Florida, to New York City to join a convoy to Casablanca and various North African ports on 14 May 1943. From May–November, she escorted convoys between New York City and Casablanca, Morocco. Assigned to a convoy entering the Mediterranean, she anchored outside Oran, Algeria on 22 November.

Sunk off the Italian coast

Deployed to Italy, she arrived at Naples on 19 December. Assigned to the invasion of Anzio, Italy Portent struck a mine while patrolling near the Italian coast and sank at 41°24′N 12°44′E on 22 January 1944. Nearby ships rescued survivors.

Awards

Portent received one battle star for World War II service.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 AM-106 USS Portent
• uboat.net - Minesweeper USS Portent of the Auk class
• Naval Losses World War II Archived 2014-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
• Photo gallery of USS Portent at NavSource Naval History