Category Archives: USS Epping Forest

Mine Division – 33 – Homeported in Sasebo, Japan 1958 – 1966

Posted on February 22, 2013 by

Since the Korean War when the Boat Division of COMinRon Three was formed in Sasebo, Japan in 1950 this Division started with two 40′ motor launches from the USS Boxer, and a fourteen 36′ LCVP’s delivered to the Chinnampo sweep by the USS … Continue reading →

Posted in CoMinRon 3, Epping Forest Boat Division, Korean War, LCVP, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Boat Division ONE, Mine Sweeping Launches 36', minesweeping, Size 5 Oropesa, USS Epping Forest, Vietnam | Leave a comment

Life in Base Town Sasebo

Posted on February 18, 2013 by

As you can tell from the title, this article was a chapter from a book written by a Japanese author Tetsuo Maeda, and translated into English, by a Japanese speaker. The book is titled The Hidden Army: The Untold Story … Continue reading →

Posted in CoMinRon 3, Epping Forest Boat Division, Korean War, LCVP, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Boat Division ONE, minesweeping, MSB-1, USS Epping Forest | Leave a comment

Little Sweeps Clear Way For Big Ships – All Hands Magazine – November 1952

Posted on January 31, 2013 by

Little Sweeps Clear Way For Big Ships W.J Miller QMC USN, a writer for the USN All Hands Magazine wrote a nice 6 page story on the AMS minesweepers (136″) and the CoMinRon 3 Boat Division sweepers (36′) - Which were later … Continue reading →

Posted in CoMinRon 3, Korean War, LCVP, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Boat Division ONE, Mine Sweeping Launches 36', minesweeping, MSB-1, Russian Made Mines, Size 5 Oropesa, USN EOD, USS Cabildo LSD-16, USS Epping Forest | 1 Comment

Men Of The Mine Sweepers – Nov 10,1951 – Colliers Magazine

Posted on January 31, 2013 by

“Men Of The Mine Sweepers Colliers 1951 Charlotte Knight, Colliers War Correspondent, produced a nice article (attached) on AMS operations of COMINDIV Three in Korea during a fall 1951 visit to these minesweepers. These were primarily YMS designs of WWII that … Continue reading →

Posted in Boat Minesweeping Unit, CoMinRon 3, Korean War, LCVP, Mine Sweeping Boat Division ONE, minesweeping, MSB-1, Russian Made Mines, Size 5 Oropesa, USN EOD, USS Epping Forest | 1 Comment

Mine Division 111 Sasebo, Japan taken February 26, 1955

Posted on January 18, 2013 by

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE – Again to enlarge More The Sasebo, Japan based mine sweeping boat division began as the COMinRon-3 Boat Division sometime following the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950. In early 1951 it was commissioned … Continue reading →

Posted in Boeing Gas Turbine, CoMinRon 3, Creighton Franklin "Red" Donldson, Korean War, LCVP, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Boat Division ONE, Mine Sweeping Launches 36', minesweeping, USN EOD, USS Cabildo LSD-16, USS Epping Forest, William Christian "Duffy" Hushion | Leave a comment

The Small Boat Navy – USN Film 1968

Posted on January 12, 2013 by

JungleRiverSwampNavyVietnamWarOFFICIALFULLUSNavyDocumentary Three minute introduction only. WP limits videos to 32mB This movie, The Small Boat Navy, was sent to me by a shipmate in 2013. It appears to be a very well done documentary, post 1968, regarding Vietnam Naval Coastal Surveillance … Continue reading →

Posted in Cua Viet River, Epping Forest Boat Division, Long Tao Shipping Channel, minesweeping, MSB-1, Nha Be, Russian Made Mines, Saigon Port Complex, Size 5 Oropesa, SVN, USMC Base Dong Ha, USS Epping Forest, Vietnam | Leave a comment

36′ Mine Sweeping Launch Taiwan Feb 1964

Posted on August 28, 2012 by

The photo below shows an MSL from Mine Division 33 during Operation Back Pack off Taiwan in February 1964. I was assigned as the second SN on MSL-14 and took this picture with my Brownie Hawkeye from the Stern Deck … Continue reading →

Posted in Boeing Gas Turbine, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Launches 36', minesweeping, Operation Back Pack, Semaphore, Taiwan, USS Epping Forest | 1 Comment

IRON MEN IN WOODEN BOATS

Posted on August 26, 2012 by

Iron Men In Wooden Boats the “History of Small Boat Minesweeping” was something I wanted to document for posterity, so that my shipmates would not be relegated to the “dustbin of history”. In planning my book I have not found … Continue reading →

Posted in Boeing Gas Turbine, CoMinRon 3, Creighton Franklin "Red" Donldson, Cua Viet River, Der Tiger der Fjorde, Epping Forest Boat Division, Frank Talarico, Korean War, KpLt Hans Bartels, Kriegsmarine, LCVP, Long Tao Shipping Channel, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Boat Division ONE, Mine Sweeping Launches 36', Minenraummutterschiffe, Minensuchboot M1, minesweeping, MSB-1, Nha Be, Norway WWII, Operation Back Pack, OPNAV NOTICE 1650, Russian Made Mines, Saigon Port Complex, Semaphore, SVN, Taiwan, U-Boat, Unit Awards, USMC Base Dong Ha, USN EOD, USS Cabildo LSD-16, USS Catskill MCS-1, USS Epping Forest, Vietnam, William Christian "Duffy" Hushion | 2 Comments

The Minesweeping Mother Ship Concept Was Born in WWI

Posted on August 9, 2012 by

During my research on mine sweeping boats for my book “Iron Men In Wooden Boats, Small Boat Minesweeping in the US Navy 1944-1970″, I discovered several ship configurations in the U.S. Navy used to transport boats converted into minesweepers for … Continue reading →

Posted in Korean War, Minenraummutterschiffe, minesweeping, USS Epping Forest | Leave a comment

Russian Built Mines in Vietnam Rivers

Posted on August 2, 2012 by

Vietnam saw few “traditional” minefields due to the strength of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, and North Vietnam’s lack of a Navy. The Viet Cong acquired one Korean War vintage MKB moored mine (1,200lb) and set it afloat In December 1966 in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cua Viet River, Epping Forest Boat Division, Mine Division 33, Mine Sweeping Launches 36', Russian Made Mines, USMC Base Dong Ha, USN EOD, USS Epping Forest, Vietnam | 2 Comments