The USS Locust (YN-17/AN-22) was an Aloe-class net laying ship constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Built by the American Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio, she was laid down on October 18, 1940, launched on February 1, 1941, and placed in service on July 13, 1941. Initially, she was tasked with net-laying duties in the 3rd Naval District off New York, where she operated for approximately a year before her commissioning in December 1942. In early 1943, the Locust was assigned to the Pacific Fleet’s Service Squadron, where she played a vital role in laying and tending torpedo nets, moorings, and buoys across key locations in the South Pacific, including the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, and New Hebrides. Her service in the Pacific was marked by notable wartime activity, including an incident in April 1943 near San Cristobel Island, Solomon Islands, when she came under attack. While towing the YAG-26, she evaded a Japanese bomber and an undetected enemy submarine’s torpedo in a tense five-minute encounter, exemplifying her role in the dangerous operational environment of the Pacific theater. Reclassified as AN-22 on January 20, 1944, the USS Locust continued her service through the remainder of World War II. After the war, she departed for the U.S. West Coast, arriving at San Pedro, California, in August 1945. She remained active until July 8, 1946, when she was decommissioned at Astoria, Oregon, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, remaining there until she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on September 1, 1962. Subsequently, the vessel was transferred to the French Navy, where she was renamed Locuste (A765). Her maritime career ended when she struck a reef off Cikobia Island, Fiji, and sank on July 30, 1978, while towing the French ship Scorpion, which also sank. The USS Locust’s service history highlights her critical role in naval mine countermeasures and her participation in key Pacific operations during World War II.

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