- USS Hunting (LSM-398)
USS "Hunting" (E AG-398) was launched as "LSM-398" by Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.,
6 January 1945 ; sponsored by Mrs. T. B. Thompson; commissioned6 August 1945 ,Lieutenant L. L. Walters in command. Based at Little Creek, VA., the ship operated as a part of the Amphibious Fleet in the Atlantic, taking part in many training assaults (such as Exercise Seminole in 1947) in theCaribbean Sea and on the Atlantic coast. In June 1953, she began a conversion to sonar research ship atNorfolk, VA and following completion she reported to Operational Development Force1 October 1954 .In late 1954, the ship started a new career developing and testing experimental sonar equipment in conjunction with the
United States Naval Research Laboratory . She was reclassified E AG-398 and assigned the name "Hunting"13 June 1957 . The ship's testing and evaluation activities took her from the Naval Research Laboratory near Washington into theChesapeake Bay , the coastal waters off theVirginia Capes , and the Caribbean. She played a vital part in the development of new and better sonar equipment for the US Navy. She was modified to have an internal well measuring 30" × 12" for handling scienrific equipment in the center of the vessel. This was a unique feature for USN Research vessels at the time.During 1961 the ship was severely limited by mechanical problems and was finally decommissioned
23 November 1962 atPortsmouth, VA . She was sold30 July 1963 to Commercial Manufacturing Corp.,Kansas City, MO where she was finally broken up between 1980 and 1989.References
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/14/14398.htm navsource.org: USS "Hunting"]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h9/hunting.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Hunting"]
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