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Mine planter

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Army M 1 Mine Planter "Hull No. 480", USAMP MP-7Major General Wallace F. Randolph.[1] Records (#742), Special Collections Department, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, US.

Mine planterand the earlier "torpedo planter" was a term used for mine warfare ships into the early days ofWorld War I.In later terminology, particularly in the United States, a mine planter was a ship specifically designed to installcontrolled minesor contact mines in coastal fortifications. This type of ship diverged in both function and design from a ship operating as a navalminelayer.Though the vessel may be seagoing it is not designed to lay large numbers of mines in open sea. A mine planter was designed to placecontrolled minefieldsin exact locations so that they might be fired individually or as a group from shore when observers noted a target to be at or near a designated mine's position. The terms and types of specialized ship existed from the 1860s where "torpedoes" were made famous in theAmerican Civil Waruntil the demise of large, fixed coastal fortifications brought on by the changes ofWorld War II.

History and terminology[edit]

The earliestnaval mineswere the "torpedoes" associated with harbor defenses. Thus the vessels required to place the torpedoes were termedtorpedo planterswith the equipment evolving with the mines. For example, in the record of theSixtieth Congressof 1908 there is mention of "procurement of one torpedo planter and two launches for the Hawaiian Islands" in connection with submarine mines inHawaiian Islanddefenses.[2]In the United States and some other countries there was a coastal defense "torpedo service" that required vessels capable of placing the devices and associated firing cables as early as the late 19th century. By 1904 the first vessels specifically designed for this work were under construction in the United States. These were to emplace thecontrolled minefieldsthat were a major part of theEndicott programthat was the origin of theCoast Artillery Corps.[3][4][5]

The outbreak of naval warfare in World War I saw extensive use of sea mines. The first naval ships destined to beminelayerswere first termed mine planters as seen in Navy ship references.[6]The term appears to be used interchangeably in naval usage during that period.[7]For example, in an address to theU.S. Navyships of Mine Squadron One atPortland,EnglandAdmiral Simsused the term "mine layer" while the introduction speaks of the men assembled from the "mine planters".[8]As the distinct difference between "planting" individual mines and "laying" mine barrages by dropping large numbers of mines at sea emerged the term minelayer began to apply to the naval vessels engaged and built for this type of operation.[9]

In the coastal defense system the usage of mine planter was continued. In the United States 1918 saw the creation of theU. S. Army Mine Planter Service(USAMPS). The designation of mine planter was continued for the largest specialized ships of that service until the effective end of the service in the closing years of World War II. During that time the formal usage of Mine Planter was applied to the ships and their names were prefixed by U.S. Army Mine Planter (USAMP). The USAMPS was formally ended in 1954 by Congress in the Warrant Officer Personnel Act some five years after its vessels had been dispersed.[10][4][5]

Design and function[edit]

The earliest U.S. vessels involved in the work were not specially designed for the purpose. Vessels capable of handling heavy loads over the side were drafted into the function. Some were smalltugsand other commercial types. The ship required suitable rigging to lift the mines and anchors along with associated cables over the side for planting. Adequate deck space was also required for safe work and to carry the mines. Stability was also a factor as some of the small vessels had shown themselves to be less than stable with such loads.[11]By the early days of the 20th century the Army's experience with some of these vessels indicated a need for a design specifically adapted to the work. By 1904 the first of these ships were under construction.[4][5]

Collateral duties[edit]

The planters and associated vessels performed a number of duties beyond tending the minefields. Target towing was a specific task assigned to the vessels. They also served as observation platforms during demonstration or exercise firing of either the fortification guns or mines. In the later, cable capable vessels, they laid telephone and other communication cables within the coastal fortification systems. During Army's summer camp forArmy Reserve,National GuardandROTCor occasional official visits they served as cruise vessels for tours and occasional entertainment. The ships were assigned transportation duty as required and when available to support Coast Artillery missions.[4][5]

Obsoletion[edit]

The entire concept of massive fixed fortifications was shown to be obsolete in the early days of World War II. By the end of the war the Coast Artillery Corps mission was already shifting to air defense and coast fortifications were being stripped. The Mine Planter Service ships appear to be engaged more in their collateral duties than working the minefields.

Mine Planter Disposition[edit]

One of the M 1 (1942–43) ships,General Samuel M. Millsof 1942, was retained by the Army and assigned to other missions while another was sold directly to commercial interests and became a fishing vessel.[12]

U.S. Navy[edit]

By early 1944 most of the 1942–43 ships were being transferred to theU.S. Navyto be converted into a class termed the Auxiliary Minelayer (ACM/MMA) with some of those vessels already working in theEuropean Theateror headed to Japan when the war ended.[13]

U.S. Coast Guard[edit]

Mine planters were designed to handle heavy mines over the side, rather than dropping mines astern from racks or rails as is usual in navalminelayers.As a result, many of these vessels had particular applicability to theU.S. Coast Guardbuoy tendingrole. A number of the pre-World War II ships became the Coast GuardSpeedwellclass through theU.S. Lighthouse Service(USLHS) after a 1920 reduction in the Army.[14]Several became small cable ships. A number of the World War II-constructed vessels followed their predecessors of the USLHS/USCG in going from Navy to the Coast Guard as postwar buoy tenders.

U.S. Army mine planters[edit]

Mine planters & associated ships 1904–1909[edit]

USAMPMajor Samuel Ringgold,built 1904 (National Archives and Records Administration)

The first specialized Army mine planters were built in 1904, with a second group in 1909. These were to emplace and maintain thecontrolled minefieldsthat were a major part of theEndicott programthat was the origin of theCoast Artillery Corps.These ships were designed to plant mines but lacked full, specialized capability to lay and maintain the minefield control cables. Some of these ships are noted in official documents as "torpedo planters", showing the evolution of terminology. Ships underSignal Corpsdirection assisted. One of the ships,Joseph Henry,was taken into the Coast Artillery Corps for that purpose.[15]

  • Col. George Armistead[16]
  • Col. Henry J. Hunt[17]
  • Gen. Henry Knox[18]
  • Maj. Samuel Ringgold[19]
  • Gen. Royal T. Frank(Became Army small transport serving in Hawaii, sunk by Japanese submarineI-71on 28 January 1942)[20][21][22][23]
  • Gen. Samuel M. Mills(transferred to U.S. Coast Guard on 29 April 1922, named USCGCPequot(WARC-58) on 1 May 1922, served as acable shipuntil decommissioned on 5 December 1946)[20][24][25]
  • Gen. E. O. C. Ord[26]
  • Gen. John M. Schofield[20][27]

Cable shipsCyrus W. FieldandJoseph Henrywere associated with mine cable work and next generation mine planter development that incorporated cable capability into the new ships.[3][28]Joseph Henrywas taken into the Mine Planter Service.Cyrus W. Fieldappears listed only in association with mine cable work and with the mine planters in archival records.[29][15]

  • Joseph Henry(Became Greek cable shipThalis o Milisios,now at the Maritime Museum atFaliro,Athens)[3][30]
  • Cyrus W. Field(Remained with Signal Corps doing mine and other cable work.)[31]

Mine planters 1917–1919[edit]

A year after the 1918 establishment of theMine Planter Servicethe next generation of vessels specifically designed to plant and maintain the mines and cables comprising the mine battery of theharbor defense commandswas added to the fleet. A year later, 1920, saw a major reduction in the Army and the transfer of six of these new ships to theU.S. Lighthouse Service.The former mine planters were converted tolighthouse tendersandbuoy tenders.The Lighthouse Service was merged into theU.S. Coast Guardin 1939, and the former mine planters were transferred accordingly.[15][5]

  • Gen. William M. Graham[20][32]
  • Col. George F. E. Harrison[33]
  • Gen. Absalom Baird[34]
  • Gen. J. Franklin Bell/Brig. Gen. John J. Hayden[35]
  • Brig. Gen. Edmund Kirby(Ilex,(WAGL-222)])[36]
  • Gen. Wallace F. Randolph(Lupine(WAGL-230))[37]
  • Gen. John P. Story(Acacia(WAGL-200))[38]
  • Col. Albert Todd(Lotus(WAGL-229))[39]
  • Col. Garland N. Whistler(Spruce(WAGL-246))[40]
  • Col. John V. White(Speedwell(WAGL-245))[41]

Mine planter 1937[edit]

  • Lt. Col. Ellery W. Niles(BecameArmy Signal Corpscable ship, then RVF.V. Huntand finally sunk as reef asCayman Salvage Master)[42][43]

Only one ship of this class was built. She was the first fully capable cable ship and mine planter with diesel electric power. The USAMPEllery W. Niles,captioned in a photo as "The last word in mine planters"[3][42]and a major change into a more modern and capable form. After a tour of the East CoastEllery W. Nileswent on to serve on theWest Coastbased inSan Francisco.[44]

Mine planters 1942–1943[edit]

Col. Horace F. Spurgin(MP-14) probably around the time of turn over to U.S. Navy (photo fromAll Handsmagazine, March 1950)

The requirement for more ships capable of planting the mines and installing and maintaining the control and communications cables of the coastal fortifications was underway on the entry of the United States into WW II. Sixteen new vessels were planned or started by that time at theMarietta Manufacturingyard atPoint Pleasant, West Virginia.Those ships were delivered to the Mine Planter Service during 1942 and 1943, designated the M 1 Mine Planter and given MP numbers.[1][3][15]

  • USAMPGeneral Henry Knox(MP-1)(USSPicket(ACM-8) then USCGCWillow(WAGL / WLB-332))
  • USAMPColonel Henry J. Hunt(MP-2)(USSBastion(ACM 6) then USCGCJonquil(WAGL / WLB-330))
  • USAMPColonel George Armistead(MP-3)(USSBarbican(ACM-5) then USCGCIvy(WLB-329/WAGL-329))
  • Gen. Samuel M. Mills(MP-4) ( "remained in Army service into the 1950s; became LiberianGran Canariauntil scrapped in 1975 ")[12]
  • USAMP1st Lt. William G. Sylvester(MP-5)(USSObstructor(ACM-7) then USCGCHeather(WABL/WLB-331))
  • Brig. Gen. Henry L. Abbott(MP-6) ( "became American fishing vesselNeptune;foundered in 1975 ")[12]
  • USAMPMajor General Wallace F. Randolph(MP-7)(Nausett(MMA 15))
  • USAMPColonel John Storey(MP-8)(USSBarricade(ACM-3) then USCGCMagnolia(WAGL/WLB-328))
  • Maj. Gen. Arthur Murray(MP-9) (USSTrapper(ACM-9) then USSYamacraw(ARC-5) then USCGCYamacraw(WARC-333)
  • Maj. Gen. Erasmus Weaver(MP-10) (USSCanonicus(ACM-12/MMA 12))[12]
  • Maj. Samuel Ringgold(MP-11) (Monadnock(ACM-14/MMA 14) not commissioned)
  • Brig. Gen. Royal T. Frank(MP-12) (Camanche(ACM-11/MMA 11))
  • Col. Alfred A. Maybach(MP-13) (Puritan(ACM-16 / MMA 16))
  • Col. Horace F. Spurgin(MP-14) (USSMiantonomah(ACM-13 / MMA 13))
  • Col. Charles W. Bundy(MP-15) (USSChimo(ACM 1))
  • Col. George Ricker(MP-16) (USSPlanter(ACM 2))

Other Army mine vessels[edit]

The mine planting process required assistance by other, smaller vessels. Some, almost as capable as the planters, were termed Junior Mine Planter. The Junior Mine Planters were often commercial designs, with a number converted or specially built during the war. In 1919 there were over 30 Junior Mine Planters.[5]They occasionally show up as "Mine Planter" with the "Junior" dropped. One,General Richard Arnold,a 1909 tug, sank in the process of rescuing another mine vessel.[45]A specialized vessel, the Distribution Box Boat (DB Boat), was designed to install and maintain the distribution boxes from which individual cables branched to each mine in a mine group. A number of the later Distribution Box Boats ended up in the Navy, often becoming known simply as "Box Boats" or "Box L" boats working as small service vessels or still working in harbor defense.[46][47]Mine Yawls and other small craft assisted in both mine work and all the other duties of small vessels within the harbor defenses, in which individual forts or batteries were often separated by large bodies of water.[4][5]

Mine planting vessels of other nations[edit]

Other nations using precisely placed, cable connected mines in controlled mine fields for coastal defense required vessels similar in function. The 1945Mine Disposal Handbookshows controlled mines being in the inventory for the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan.[48]Examples of analogous vessels include theRoyal Navy'sLinnet-classandM-classIndicator Loop Mine Layers,as well as Japan's largerHashima-class cable layersthat were also designed for mine planting.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abColton 2011.
  2. ^United States Congress 1908.
  3. ^abcdeJackson 2013.
  4. ^abcdeBerhow 2015,pp. 343–352.
  5. ^abcdefgClay 2010,pp. 1175–1176.
  6. ^Naval History & Heritage Command 1998.
  7. ^Naval History & Heritage Command 2005.
  8. ^Sims 1918.
  9. ^Naval History & Heritage Command 2006.
  10. ^Warrant Officer Historical Foundation 2014.
  11. ^Jones 1939,pp. 456–458.
  12. ^abcdGrover 1987,pp. 121–130.
  13. ^Priolo & Radigan 2014.
  14. ^U.S. Coast Guard, Historian &Speedwell.
  15. ^abcdBerhow 2015,p. 345.
  16. ^Clay 2010,p. 1177.
  17. ^Clay 2010,p. 1186.
  18. ^Clay 2010,p. 1188.
  19. ^Clay 2010,p. 1193.
  20. ^abcdKube-McDowell 2009.
  21. ^Burritt 1942.
  22. ^Hackett & Kingsepp 2010.
  23. ^Clay 2010,p. 1181.
  24. ^U.S. Coast Guard, Historian &Pequot.
  25. ^Clay 2010,p. 1189.
  26. ^Clay 2010,p. 1191.
  27. ^Clay 2010,p. 1194.
  28. ^Gardner.
  29. ^U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
  30. ^Clay 2010,pp. 1184–1185.
  31. ^Clay 2010,p. 1180.
  32. ^Clay 2010,p. 1182.
  33. ^Clay 2010,pp. 1183–1184.
  34. ^Clay 2010,p. 1178.
  35. ^Clay 2010,p. 1179.
  36. ^Clay 2010,p. 1187.
  37. ^Clay 2010,p. 1192.
  38. ^Clay 2010,p. 1195.
  39. ^Clay 2010,p. 1196.
  40. ^Clay 2010,p. 1197.
  41. ^Clay 2010,p. 1198.
  42. ^abJackson 2009.
  43. ^Clay 2010,p. 1190.
  44. ^Chappell.
  45. ^SeacoastNH.
  46. ^Collins 2009.
  47. ^Hartshorn 2012.
  48. ^U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal School 1945.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]


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