USS Skill (AM-115)

USS Skill (AM-115) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the path of invading forces. Skill served the Navy in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

Skill was laid down on 31 December 1941 by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan; launched on 15 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. John F. Steel; and commissioned on 29 May 1943, Lt. Comdr. James H. Clark in command.

Following shakedown, Skill sailed to Little Creek, Virginia, for specialized minesweeping training. In October 1943, she transited the Panama Canal, arriving at San Diego, California, in November. After additional training, Skill steamed west, reaching Pearl Harbor in January 1944.

Skill then proceeded to the forward areas, participating in the Marianas Islands campaign. She swept mines in preparation for the landings on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam, earning a battle star for her service. Following the Marianas operation, Skill was involved in minesweeping operations in support of the liberation of the Philippines. She participated in the Leyte landings in October 1944 and later in the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945, earning a second battle star.

In 1945, Skill continued to operate in the Pacific, supporting operations around Okinawa. She remained in the Pacific after the end of World War II, participating in minesweeping operations in Japanese waters.

Skill was decommissioned in March 1946 and placed in reserve. She was struck from the Navy List in 1954 and sold for scrapping in 1955.