USS Hornbill (AMS-19)

The USS Hornbill (AMS-19) was a Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines from minefields. Named after the hornbill, a bird found in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia, the Hornbill was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear this name.

The Hornbill was laid down on 10 July 1942 by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, launched on 19 November 1942, and commissioned on 20 July 1943.

During World War II, the USS Hornbill served in the Pacific Theater. Her duties primarily involved sweeping for mines and providing support for amphibious landings. Following the war, she remained in service for a time, participating in various training exercises and operations.

In 1947, the Hornbill was decommissioned and placed in reserve. She was later reclassified as MSF-19 in 1955, indicating a minesweeper, fleet. Ultimately, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1960 and sold for scrapping. The Hornbill earned one battle star for her World War II service.