USS Nucleus (AM-268)

Career (United States)
Name:	USS Nucleus (AM-268)
Builder:	Gulf Shipbuilding Co.
Laid down:	7 September 1942
Launched:	12 June 1943
Commissioned:	12 December 1943
Decommissioned:	20 May 1945
Fate:	Transferred to Soviet Union, 21 May 1945
Reclassified:	MSF-268, 7 February 1955
Career (Soviet Union)
Name:	T-278
Acquired:	21 May 1945
Refit:	converted to naval trawler, 1948
Renamed:	Uragan, 1948
Struck:	1964
Fate:	unknown
General characteristics
Class and type:	Admirable-class minesweeper
Displacement:	650 tons
Length:	184 ft 6 in (56.24 m)
Beam:	33 ft (10 m)
Draft:	9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Propulsion:	2 × ALCO 539 diesel engines, 1,710 shp (1.3 MW) Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear 2 shafts
Speed:	14.8 knots (27.4 km/h)
Complement:	104
Armament:	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun DP 2 × twin Bofors 40 mm guns 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 2 × Depth charge tracks

Service record
Part of:	US Atlantic Fleet (1943-1945)

USS Nucleus (AM-268) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy under Lend-Lease as T-276. The Soviets converted her into a naval trawler in 1948 and renamed her Uragan. She was stricken in 1964, never having been returned to U.S. custody. Because of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy was unaware of this fate and the vessel remained on the American Naval Vessel Register until she was struck on 1 January 1983.

Career

Nucleus was built by the Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. Chickasaw, Alabama, and was launched 26 June 1943. She was sponsored by Mrs. V. Ludwig; and commissioned 11 February 1944 with Lt. D. H. Elliot in command.

Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, Nucleus served briefly as an escort vessel to the Caribbean and on 20 April sailed to Boston, Massachusetts. From Boston she escorted a convoy to Argentia, Newfoundland, arriving 6 May. After another escort run between Boston and Newfoundland, she took up meteorological information collection duties. Between 10 and 24 June a platform deck for launching radiosonde gear and balloons was added to her silhouette increasing her effectiveness as she plied the waters of the North Atlantic in the role of weather reporter. Relieved by Penetrate, on 7 October, Nucleus returned to Boston thence steamed to Norfolk, Virginia, arriving 25 November.

During December she swept mines and conducted ASW patrols off the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. In January 1945 she conducted another Caribbean escort run, and on 2 February departed Norfolk, escorting Tetonkaha to Navassa Island. Detached 8 February, the minesweeper continued on to Panama for further routing on to Cold Bay, Alaska. Arriving at the latter port on 3 April, Nucleus conducted local exercises and trained personnel of the Soviet Navy until 20 May. She was decommissioned and transferred under Lend-Lease. Commissioned to Pacific Fleet on June 17 at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky as T-278. Participated Soviet-Japanese War: landings to Chongjin (August 18, 1945) and to Maoka (August 20, 1945) ports. Awarded by Guards rank and ensign on August 26, 1945.

Converted into a naval trawler in 1948 and renamed Uragan. She was stricken in 1964, never having been return to U.S. Navy custody. Her ultimate fate is unreported in secondary sources.

Unaware of the ship's fate, the U.S. Navy reclassified her as MSF-268 on 7 February 1955, and she remained on the American Naval Vessel Register until her name was stricken on 1 January 1983.

References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• "Nucleus". Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. NavSource Online. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 

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