USS Warbler (MSC-206)

HMFS Kiro (MSC 206), formerly known as the USS Warbler (AMS/MSC-206), was laid down on 15 October 1953 at Bellingham, Wash., by the Belling-ham Shipyards Co.; launched on 18 June 1954; sponsored by Mrs. S. A. Blythe; redesignated MSC-206 on 7 February 1955; and commissioned at the Naval Station, Tacoma, Washington, on 26 July 1955, Lt. (jg.) James S. Elf elt in command.

Following shakedown training, "Warbler" reported to Commander, Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, and operated locally out of Long Beach for the next year. In August 1956, in company with USS "Whippoorwill", the minesweeper set sail for the Far East to assume duties as flagship for Mine Division 32. Homeporting at Sasebo, Japan, "Warbler" would remain in the Far East over the next 14 years, participating in numerous mine exercises with the navies of other friendly Far Eastern nations such as South Korea, Nationalist China, the Philippines, and Japan.

Highlighting the ship's deployment to the western Pacific, "Warbler" conducted numerous tours of duty on Operation Market Time patrols off the coast of Vietnam. A small wooden craft especially designed for coastal mine-sweeping operations and deployments lasting from a few days to several weeks, "Warbler" and her sister minesweepers filled the gap between the heavier units of the fleet, like the destroyers and destroyer escorts, and the small craft used for patrol work, until built-for-the-purpose patrol craft could enter the fray. During her "Market-Time" cruises, "Warbler" boarded many junks, ascertaining cargo and destination; investigated contacts of steel-hulled vessels picked up on radar; and endured what at times appeared to be "fearfully strong weather that seemed bent on total destruction" of the ship. At times, boarding of junks was an impossibility because of the vagaries of monsoon-type weather.

During one "Market-Time" patrol in the spring of 1968, "Warbler" conducted a joint salvage evolution with the salvage vessel USS "Conserver". She located a downed aircraft, an F-100 Super Sabre fighter, and a wayward box of hypodermic needles. The ship also conducted extensive searches for an A-6 Intruder, a medevac (medical evacuation) helicopter, and two target drones. The minesweeper then cruised off the demilitarized zone (the DMZ) before heading home to Sasebo via the Nationalist Chinese port of Kaohsiung.

With 45 days of "Market-Time" patrols under her belt in 1968, Warbler returned to the coast of Vietnam in January of 1969 and patrolled briefly near the port of Vung Tau.

Later that autumn, "Warbler", in company with her sistership USS "Whippoorwill", departed Sasebo on 5 September, bound for Taiwan and Mine Exercise "Canned Heat." Unfortunately beset with mechanical difficulties, the ship went dead in the water in Formosa Strait after attempted repairs at Keelung, Taiwan, had proved ineffective. Eight hours after the ship stopped, USS "Schofield" answered "Warbler's" call for assistance and passed a tow to the heavily rolling minecraft. By 10 September, after rapid repairs at Kaohsiung, "Warbler" was ready for sea and participated in the scheduled slate of exercises. At the close of the year, the ship received counter-insurgency practice by tracking high speed patrol boats sent out for exercise purposes by Commander, Mine Flotilla 1.

The ship's last "Market-Time" patrols in 1970 were similar to the ones she had conducted in past years, as she operated off the coast of Vietnam to aid in the interdiction campaign to cut off the flow of arms and munitions to the Viet Cong in South Vietnam. For two months in 1970, "Warbler" patrolled between Camranh Bay and Nha Trang, investigating suspicious contacts —none of which proved hostile. "Our greatest excitement during this patrol," her commanding officer later wrote, "was provided by an occasional Soviet Merchantman that would steam through our area and find himself shadowed and photographed by the mighty Warbler."

"Whippoorwill" consequently relieved "Warbler" of "Market-Time" duties on 19 July 1970, and the latter got underway from Camranh Bay for the succession of port visits. However, two days after leaving the bay, the ship received a message directing her to return to the United States for decommissioning.

Departing Sasebo on 17 August and sailing via Pearl Harbor for an overnight refueling stop, "Warbler" reached the west coast of the United States on 17 September in company with USS "Catskill", USS "Vireo", and USS "Widgeon". On 1 October 1970, "Warbler" was decommissioned.

Simultaneously placed in service as a Naval Reserve training (NRT) ship and homeported at Seattle, Wash., "Warbler" commenced her new duties soon thereafter. She trained reservists out of Seattle into the mid-1970's and was placed on the sale list in July 1975.

On 14 October 1975, she was sold to the government of Fiji, and following a refit in 1980 remained in active service there until 1991, then served as a training ship until 1996. In September 1996 The decommissioned RFNS KIRO (MSC 206) was disposed be being set on fire at position Lat 18 Deg 09.6 Min. South. Long 178 Deg 21.58 Min. East. Ref A is the authority from Headquarters Fiji Navy for the disposal.The designated position for disposal was 19 deg 30 min South, 177 deg 00 min East however, the unfavorable weather and the very poor material condition of the KIRO prevented our attempt to tow the vessel. The poor condition of the vessel was such that the mast broke and fell into the sea just as we were exiting the Suva Harbour channel. Later on, the towing pad eye on the KIRO was ripped off the deck due to the decks rotten state. At this stage the KIRO was left to drift onto the reef and wrecked at position mentioned in para 1. The ship immediately broke in two as she hit the reef. The ship was later doused with diesel and set on fire. She burned continuously for 19 hours and the pieces left on the reef now are the ships engines and a very lower part of the hull that is covered at high tide. In hindsight,. the disposal method mentioned above, even though hatched out of the circumstances that prevailed at that time, was probably the safest. The material condition of KIRO was much worse than we initially assessed.

"Warbler (MSC-206)" was awarded seven engagement stars for her important services on "Market-Time" patrols.

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