The USS Falcon (AM-28/ASR-2) was a Lapwing-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy, later serving as a submarine rescue ship. Launched on September 7, 1918, by the Gas Engine and Power Co., and C. L. Seabury Co., in Morris Heights, New York, she was commissioned on November 12, 1918. The vessel's initial service included temporary duties as a lightship in the 4th Naval District, under the command of Sam Trohman, from December 1918 to May 1919. Falcon's early operational history involved towing targets and various craft along the U.S. East Coast, but her most notable activities centered around salvage operations, especially in European waters. In August 1919, she departed New York for the North Sea, where she participated in clearing mines from the North Sea Mine Barrage of World War I, aiding in mine clearance for two months before returning to Charleston, South Carolina, in November 1919. Between March and August 1920, Falcon made a second European voyage, visiting Rosyth, Scotland, and Brest, France, before returning via the Azores with a captured German submarine, U-111, which she later sank off the Virginia coast in August 1922 after recovering it and towing it to Norfolk Navy Yard. Her salvage expertise extended to operations on USS S-51 and involved extensive training in rescue techniques, divers’ training, and deep-sea salvage, notably during the rescue of sailors from USS Squalus in 1939 and USS O-9 in 1941. Reclassified as ASR-2 in September 1929, Falcon served throughout World War II, primarily based in New London, Connecticut, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She conducted salvage, towing, and experimental operations, including diving and mooring duties in Argentia, Newfoundland, in 1943. She also played a vital role in training divers and rescue crews for newer submarine rescue ships. Decommissioned on June 18, 1946, at Boston, Massachusetts, Falcon was sold in March 1947. Her contributions to submarine rescue techniques and salvage operations marked her as a significant vessel in U.S. naval history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.