USS Rail (AM-26)

The USS Rail (AM-26) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. She was commissioned in 1919 and served primarily along the U.S. Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean.

Rail participated in various fleet exercises and served as a training vessel for Naval Reservists. She also conducted patrols and performed routine minesweeping operations.

In 1941, prior to the United States' entry into World War II, Rail was reassigned to the Inshore Patrol. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she conducted anti-submarine patrols and coastal defense duties off the U.S. East Coast.

The Rail was decommissioned in 1945 following the conclusion of World War II. She was subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register and sold for scrap. The USS Rail (AM-26) represents the service of a specific class of minesweeper during a period of significant technological advancement and evolving naval doctrine.