The USS Goshawk (AM-79) was a Goshawk-class minesweeper originally constructed in 1919 as a steel-hulled fishing trawler named M/V Penobscot. Built by the Foundation (Marine) Co. in Savannah, Georgia, for W. F. Henningsen of Seattle, Washington, the vessel was acquired by the U.S. Navy on September 3, 1940. It was then converted into a Coastal Minesweeper (AMc-4) at Winslow Marine Co. in Washington, with the conversion completed by March 20, 1941. The ship was officially renamed Goshawk on October 16, 1940, and reclassified as AM-79 on November 25, 1940, prior to commissioning. Following shakedown, USS Goshawk operated primarily in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, based out of Seattle. Its initial duties involved minesweeping operations in these strategic areas. On October 6, 1941, she set sail for Alaska, where she undertook minesweeping missions across the channels between Sitka, Ketchikan, Adak, Seward, and Kodiak Island. These operations continued until March 30, 1942, after which she returned to Seattle for extensive refitting. Goshawk resumed her duties in August 1942, focusing again on the Puget Sound area. In late 1943, her role expanded to include serving as a combination minesweeper and small cargo vessel in Alaska. Her classification was officially changed to Unclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary (IX-195) on October 10, 1944. She continued service in the Pacific theater until June 1945, when she returned to Seattle. She was decommissioned on August 1, 1945, but remained in an "in service" capacity, transporting condemned ammunition within the 13th Naval District. Ultimately, USS Goshawk was decommissioned and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on May 7, 1946. She was struck from the Naval Register on January 3, 1946, and sold to Alvin T. Davies of Tacoma, Washington. The ship was renamed M/V Bering Sea, but her ultimate fate remains unknown. The vessel's service history highlights her role in minesweeping operations during World War II, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, contributing to naval efforts in maintaining safe passage channels during wartime.

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