Chimango I (AMc-42)
1941-1946
A bird of southern South America.
I
(AMc-42: displacement 200; length 97'1"; beam 21'8"; draft 11'; speed 10 knots; complement 17; armament 1 .50-caliber machine gun; class Accentor)
The first Chimango (AMc-42) was laid down on 18 January 1941 at Jacksonville, Fla., by the Gibbs Gas Engine Co.; launched on 8 March 1941 and commissioned on 3 June 1941, Ens. John T. G. Nichols, III, D-V(G), USNR, in command.
Chimango had training at the Mine Warfare School, Yorktown, Va., until 26 July 1941 when she rendezvoused with Goldfinch (AM-77) and Jacamar (AMc-47) to proceed to Argentia, Newfoundland. From 2 August she operated off this new base laying buoys, taking part in minesweeping exercises, and recovering gear in Placentia Bay, until 5 October when she sailed for Casco Bay, Maine, to conduct sweeping operations and patrols along the coast of Maine. She also received aboard daily armed guard parties from merchant ships for instruction.
On 15 June 1942 Chimango was decommissioned and placed in service, but continued to operate on minesweeping and patrol duty at New York, N.Y., and Charleston, S.C., until 20 December 1945. Striking soon followed, with the vessel being stricken from the List of Naval Vessels on 8 January 1946.
She was transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on 21 August 1947.
Updated, Robert J. Cressman
3 September 2020
