USS Swan (AM-34) - North Sea Mine Clearance Operations

North Sea Mine Clearance Operations

Almost immediately, Swan prepared to sail to Scotland, there to participate in clearing the huge North Sea Mine Barrage laid in 1918 to prevent warships and submarines of German High Seas Fleet from breaking out into the Atlantic. Assigned to Division Five, North Sea Minesweeping Detachment, Swan arrived at Kirkwall, Scotland, with the first wave of twelve minesweepers on 20 April 1919. Under the command of Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss, who broke his flag in tender Black Hawk (Destroyer Tender No. 9), the minesweepers began operations out of Inverness Firth nine days later.

Their task was monumental, as the American minesweepers (in company with modified sub chasers and British minesweepers) were tasked with sweeping over 70,000 mines laid in an area roughly 240 miles (390 km) long by 25 miles (40 km) wide, or over 6,000 square miles (16,000 km2). Swan conducted mine sweeping operations for the next five months, spending 108 of those days at sea. Some diversion from the grueling, dangerous work was provided by the thousands of fish killed by the exploding mines, which providing an abundance of cod and herring for the Mine Detachments' cooks. Sailing for home on 1 October, the detachment made stops at Devonport, England; Brest, France; Lisbon, Portugal; the Azores; and Bermuda; before arriving in New York on 20 November.