USS Falcon (AMS-190)

The USS Falcon (AMS-190) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. She was the second U.S. Naval vessel to be named for the falcon, a bird of prey.

Falcon was laid down on 25 January 1951 by the Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia; launched on 26 October 1951; sponsored by Mrs. J. F. Lubker; and commissioned on 28 May 1953, Lt. Comdr. W. H. Ashford, USNR, in command.

Following shakedown, Falcon reported to Charleston, South Carolina, for duty in the 6th Naval District. For the next sixteen years, she operated primarily in the waters along the southeastern coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. During this period, she conducted minesweeping exercises, assisted in sonar evaluation tests, and occasionally performed rescue missions. In addition, she participated in various fleet exercises and provided services to naval training commands.

In the early 1960s, Falcon underwent an extensive overhaul and modernization program to update her minesweeping capabilities. In 1969, she was decommissioned.

Falcon was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 October 1969 and sold for scrap.