Lapwing 1918
Thrush 1943
| No | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| AM1, 1/1936- AVP1 | Lapwing | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 10/1917 | 14/3/1918 | 6/1918 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 1946 |
| AM2 | Owl | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 10/1917 | 4/3/1918 | 7/1918 | tug AT137 6/1942 |
| AM3 | Robin | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 3/1918 | 17/6/1918 | 8/1918 | tug AT140 6/1942 |
| AM4 | Swallow | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 3/1917 | 4/7/1918 | 10/1918 | wrecked 19/2/1938 |
| AM5 | Tanager | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 9/1917 | 2/3/1918 | 6/1918 | sunk 4/5/1942 |
| AM6 | Cardinal | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 10/1917 | 29/3/1918 | 8/1918 | wrecked 6/6/1923 |
| AM7 | Oriole | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 3/1918 | 3/7/1918 | 11/1918 | tug AT136 6/1942 |
| AM8 | Curlew | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 4/1918 | 29/8/1918 | 1/1919 | wrecked 15/12/1925 |
| AM9 | Finch | Standard SB, Shooters Is | 8/1917 | 30/3/1918 | 9/1918 | sunk 6/5/1942, captured by Japanese (103-go) |
| AM10, 1/1936- AVP2 | Heron | Standard SB, Shooters Is | 8/1917 | 18/3/1918 | 10/1918 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 12/1946 |
| AM11 | Condor | Standard SB, Shooters Is | --- | --- | --- | cancelled 12/1918 |
| AM12 | Plover | Standard SB, Shooters Is | --- | --- | --- | cancelled 12/1918 |
| AM13 | Turkey | Chester SB | 8/1917 | 30/4/1918 | 12/1918 | tug AT143 6/1942 |
| AM14 | Woodcock | Chester SB | 10/1917 | 12/5/1918 | 2/1919 | tug AT145 6/1942 |
| AM15 | Quail | Chester SB | 5/1918 | 6/10/1918 | 4/1919 | sunk 6/5/1942 |
| AM16 | Partridge | Chester SB | 5/1918 | 15/10/1918 | 6/1919 | tug AT138 6/1942 |
| AM17 | Eider | Pusey & Jones, Wilmington | 9/1917 | 26/5/1918 | 1/1919 | gate vessel YNG20 10/1940 |
| AM18, 1/1936- AVP3 | Thrush | Pusey & Jones, Wilmington | 5/1918 | 15/9/1918 | 4/1919 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 1/1946 |
| AM19, 1/1936- AVP4 | Avocet | Baltimore SB | 9/1917 | 9/3/1918 | 9/1919 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 1946 |
| AM20 | Bobolink | Baltimore SB | 10/1917 | 15/6/1918 | 1/1919 | tug AT131 6/1942 |
| AM21 | Lark | Baltimore SB | 3/1918 | 6/8/1918 | 4/1919 | tug AT168 3/1944 |
| AM22 | Widgeon | Sun SB, Chester | 10/1917 | 5/5/1918 | 7/1918 | submarine rescue vessel ASR1 9/1929 |
| AM23, 1/1936- AVP5 | Teal | Sun SB, Chester | 10/1917 | 25/5/1918 | 8/1918 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 12/1946 |
| AM24 | Brant | Sun SB, Chester | 12/1917 | 30/5/1918 | 9/1918 | tug AT132 6/1942 |
| AM25 | Kingfisher | Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton | 12/1917 | 30/3/1918 | 5/1918 | tug AT135 6/1942 |
| AM26 | Rail | Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton | 12/1917 | 25/4/1918 | 6/1918 | tug AT139 6/1942 |
| AM27, 1/1936- AVP6 | Pelican | Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights | 11/1917 | 12/6/1918 | 10/1918 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 12/1945 |
| AM28 | Falcon | Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights | 11/1917 | 7/9/1918 | 11/1918 | submarine rescue vessel ASR2 9/1929 |
| AM29 | Osprey | Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights | 11/1917 | 14/11/1918 | 1/1919 | survey vessel Pioneer 4/1922 |
| AM30 | Seagull | Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights | 6/1918 | 24/12/1918 | 3/1919 | tug AT141 6/1942 |
| AM31 | Tern | Gas Engine & Power Co, Morris Heights | 9/1918 | 22/3/1919 | 5/1919 | tug AT142 6/1942 |
| AM32 | Flamingo | New Jersey DD & T Co, Gloucester City | 10/1917 | 24/8/1918 | 2/1919 | survey vessel Guide 1/1923 |
| AM33 | Penguin | New Jersey DD & T Co, Gloucester City | 11/1918 | 12/6/1919 | 11/1919 | sunk 8/12/1941 |
| AM34, 1/1936- AVP7 | Swan | Alabama SB & DD Co, Mobile | 12/1917 | 4/7/1918 | 1/1919 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 1/1946 |
| AM35 | Whippoorwill | Alabama SB & DD Co, Mobile | 12/1917 | 4/7/1919 | 4/1919 | tug AT169 3/1944 |
| AM36 | Bittern | Alabama SB & DD Co, Mobile | 12/1917 | 15/2/1919 | 5/1919 | sunk 10/12/1941 |
| AM37 | Sanderling | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 5/1918 | 2/9/1918 | 12/1918 | wrecked 26/6/1937 |
| AM38 | Auk | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 6/1918 | 28/9/1918 | 1/1919 | survey vessel 4/1922 |
| AM39 | Chewink | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 7/1918 | 21/12/1918 | 4/1919 | submarine rescue vessel ASR3 9/1929 |
| AM40 | Cormorant | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 9/1918 | 5/2/1919 | 5/1919 | tug AT133 6/1942 |
| AM41, 1/1936- AVP8 | Gannet | Todd SB, Brooklyn | 10/1918 | 19/3/1919 | 7/1919 | seaplane tender 1/1936, sunk 7/6/1942 |
| AM42 | Goshawk | Todd SB, Brooklyn | --- | --- | --- | cancelled 12/1918 |
| AM43 | Grebe | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 5/1918 | 17/12/1918 | 5/1919 | tug AT134 6/1942 |
| AM44 | Mallard | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 5/1918 | 17/12/1918 | 6/1919 | submarine rescue vessel ASR4 9/1929 |
| AM45 | Ortolan | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 7/1918 | 30/1/1919 | 9/1919 | submarine rescue vessel ASR5 9/1929 |
| AM46 | Peacock | Staten Is SB, Port Richmond | 8/1918 | 8/4/1919 | 12/1919 | collision 24/8/1940 |
| AM47 | Pigeon | Baltimore SB | 6/1918 | 29//1919 | 7/1919 | submarine rescue vessel ASR6 9/1929 |
| AM48 | Redwing | Baltimore SB | 8/1918 | 7/6/1919 | 10/1919 | Coast Guard tug WAT48 5/1924 |
| AM49 | Raven | Baltimore SB | 1918 | --- | --- | cancelled 12/1918 |
| AM50 | Shrike | Baltimore SB | --- | --- | --- | cancelled 12/1918 |
| AM51, 1/1936- AVP9 | Sandpiper | Philadelphia N Yd | 11/1918 | 28/4/1919 | 10/1919 | seaplane tender 1/1936, stricken 4/1946 |
| AM52 | Vireo | Philadelphia N Yd | 11/1918 | 26/5/1919 | 10/1919 | tug AT144 6/1942 |
| AM53 | Warbler | Philadelphia N Yd | 4/1919 | 30/7/1919 | 12/1919 | rescue vessel ARS11 9/1941 |
| AM54 | Willet | Philadelphia N Yd | 5/1919 | 11/9/1919 | 1/1920 | rescue vessel ARS12 9/1941 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
950 |
|
Displacement full, t |
1400 |
|
Length, m |
57.6 |
|
Breadth, m |
10.8 |
|
Draught, m |
3.80 |
|
No of shafts |
1 |
|
Machinery |
VTE, 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
1400 |
|
Max speed, kts |
13.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal |
| Endurance, nm (kts) | 6850 (8) |
|
Armament |
2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 2/3/5/6/8, 2 x 1 - 7.6/90, sweeps, mines |
|
Complement |
85 |
Ship project history: Universal minesweepers/tugs of Bird class were projected in 1916.
Modernizations:
1936, Lapwing, Heron, Thrush, Avocet, Teal, Pelican, Swan, Gannet and Sandpiper were converted to seaplane tenders: minesweeping equipment was removed, ships were can supply and repair seaplanes.1942 - 1943, all survived: + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon
1942 - 1943, all survived seaplane tenders: + 2 DCR
Naval service: Warbler and Willet served as rescue tugs from 1920. Cardinal grounded on a reef off Chirikof Island (Dutch Harbor) 6/6/1923. Curlew grounded on the rocks at Point Mosquito, Panama, 15/12/1925. Sanderling sank accidentally 26/6/1937. Swallow ran aground at Kanaga Island (Aleutian) 19/2/1938. Peacock collided with Norwegian s/s Hindonger 24/8/1940. Penguin 8/12/1941 foundered in harbour of Guam being damaged by Japanese aircraft. Bittern 10/12/1941 was badly damaged by Japanese aircraft and 8/4/1942 scuttled off Corregidor. Tanager 4/5/1942 was scuttled at Manila. Finch 6/5/1942 was sunk at Corregidor (under other data, 10/4/1942 she was lost at coast of Philippines), salvaged by Japanese, repaired and commissioned in April, 1943 as patrol ship no103; she was sunk 12/1/1945 by American aircraft. Quail 6/5/1942 was scuttled at Corregidor. Gannet 7/6/1942 near Bermuda was sunk by German submarine U653.
Tern
AVP3 Thrush
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-10