Nimble I (AM-266)
(AM-266: dp. 625; l. 184' 6"; b. 33'; dr. 9' 9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 13', 4 40mm.; cl. Admirable)
Quick; agile.
I
The first Nimble (AM-266) was laid down 2 August 1943 by the American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio; launched 24 December 1943; and commissioned 15 September 1944, Lt. F. R. Kitchell, Jr., in command.
Nimble departed Cleveland 21 September 1944 and proceeded via the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic and down the coast to Little Creek, Va., for shakedown exercises in Chesapeake Bay. From there she steamed south to Key West for ASW training and on 20 December reported to the Naval Training Center, Miami, Fla., for duty as a schoolship. Detached 10 March 1945 she headed north to Philadelphia; underwent repairs and alterations; and, on 1 April, got underway for the Panama Canal Zone. She transited the Canal 11 April and, after stops at San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok and Guam, arrived in Nakagusuku Wan, Okinawa, 28 June.
On the 29th Nimble shifted to Kerama Retto, whence she commenced sweeping the East China Sea as part of Operation "Juneau." In mid-August, following the end of the war, Operation "Skagway" continued her mine clearance efforts in the East China Sea and Ryukyus area. At the end of the month, "Arcadia" took her to the Yellow Sea and from 2-7 September she cleared the approaches to Jinsen harbor for the entry of the 7th Amphibious Force into Korea for initial occupation duty. On the 9th she returned to waters off Kyushu to sweep the Sasebo-Nagasaki area.
The minesweeper remained in the Far East opening sea lanes to merchant and military shipping until September 1946. On the 15th she reported to Commander, Philippine Sea Frontier for inactivation. Decommissioning at Subic Bay 10 October, she remained in the Philippines until transferred to the Republic of China 30 June 1948. Struck from the U.S. Navy List 13 July 1948, she served the Navy of the Republic of China until stripped and decommissioned late in 1950.
Nimble (AM-266) received 3 battle stars for her service during and immediately after World War II.
