Hazard AM-240

Hazard

(AM-240: dp. 530, 1. 184'6", b. 33', dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 3", 2 40mm., 6 20mm., 2 dct., 3 dcp. (h.h.); cl. Admirable)

Hazard (AM-240) was launched 21 May 1944 by the Winslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding Co., Winslow, Wash.; sponsored by Miss Joanne R. EIeddens; and commissioned 31 October 1944, It. Curtis B. Tibbals, USNR, in command.

After shakedown out of San Pedro Bay, Hazard departed San Francisco 5 January 1945 screening a convoy to Pearl Harbor. Arriving Pearl 13 January she began a series of escort voyages between Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok. Hazard next screened a convoy to Ulithi Atoll and Kossol Roads, ultimately reaching San Pedro Bay, Leyte Island for supplies.

Hazard sortied from Leyte 19 March 1945 as part of Admiral Rilland's Western Islands Attack Group for the invasion and occupation of Okinawa (14 March-30 June 1945). Arriving off Kerama Retto Hazard reported to the Transport Screen and took up screening station as antisubmarine patrol, then spent the next two days recovering radar reflector bongs. Hazard began her very important task of clearing the mine fields around Kerama Retto 31 March, a task which lasted until 30 June. For as a minesweeper's slogan says "no sweep, no invasion." No amphibious assault can begin without extensive preliminary sweeps, nor can it continue without constant resweeping.

Okinawa now secured, Hazard sortied outside the southern entrance to Kerama Retto to sweep the area northeast from Okinawa in the East China Sea. Making sweeps until 14 July Hazard retired to Buckner Bay where she spent the remainder of the month as standby ship. She sortied with a sweeping unit 13 August for an area in the East China Sea.

With hostilities over, Hazard broke off operations and returned to Buckner Bay to join a group of minesweepers for the Yellow Sea and Jinsen. Korea. clearing the way for occupation ships. She next worked to clear Sasebo. Then, on 26 October 1945, Hazard returned to the East China Sea to finish the job she had started in August. Clearing that area 9 November she returned to Sasebo. Departing Sasebo 20 November 1945 Hazard sailed via Entwetok and Pearl Harbor arriving San Diego 19 December.

Hazard departed San Diego 31 January 1946 and transited the Panama Canal to arrive Galveston 17 February. She decommissioned there 27 July 1946 and joined the Reserve Fleet. Hazard was reclassified MSF-240, 7 February 1965 and retrains in the Texas Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Orange, Tex.

Hazard received three battle stars for World War II service.