Compel (AM-162)
1944-1960
A general word classification.
(AM-162: displacement 530; length 184'6"; beam 33'; draft 9'9"; speed 14.8 knots; complement 104; armament 1 3-inch; class Admirable)
Compel (AM-162) was launched January 1943 by Willamette Iron and Steel Corp., Portland, Oreg.; and commissioned 8 April 1944, Lt. F. N. Egelhoff, USNR, in command.
Compel sailed from San Francisco 22 June 1944 as escort for a tug group which arrived in Pearl Harbor 3 July. Continuing on to Majuro, Compel joined Coral Sea (CVE-57) off Kwajalein 25 July to escort the carrier to Pearl Harbor. Compel swept mines off French Frigate Schoals from 6 to 15 August, then escorted a convoy to Eniwetok, arriving 5 September to assume antisubmarine patrol.
From 24 October 1944 until the end of the war Compel operated at Eniwetok, Ulithi, the Palaus, Saipan, Guam, and Majuro. She acted as convoy escort, minesweeper, harbor entrance control vessel, and experimental ship for minesweeping equipment. She sailed to Manus between 10 and 12 November 1944 to deliver blood plasma to the men injured by the explosion of Mount Hood (AE-11). Taking departure from Saipan 29 August 1945 Compel sailed via Okinawa to clear the approaches to Wakayama, Japan, of mines. Moving to Nagoya for similar duty, she served there until 20 November when she sailed for San Francisco, arriving 16 December. She was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego 12 June 1946. Compel was reclassified MSF-162, 7 February 1955. She was sold on 26 August 1960.
Compel was awarded one battle star for World War II service.
