The USS Nightingale (AMc-18) was a coastal minesweeper constructed with a wooden hull and powered by diesel engines. Originally built in 1934 by Al Larson Boat Building in San Pedro, California, she was initially named Majestic and served as a purse seiner vessel. Her design featured a lightweight, wooden construction typical of minesweeper craft, which helped reduce magnetic signatures that could trigger mines. The vessel was acquired by the U.S. Navy on November 5, 1940, from Klemente Zar at Western Boat Building Company in Tacoma, Washington. She was officially commissioned into Navy service on January 31, 1941. During her naval career, Nightingale primarily operated along the Puget Sound area, where her role was to locate and safely remove naval mines, safeguarding Allied shipping and naval operations in the region. In May 1941, she underwent modifications at Western Boat Building Co. in Tacoma, converting her into a patrol craft. Following this transformation, she was reclassified as YP–166, a yard patrol vessel. The name Nightingale was subsequently reassigned from AMc-18 to YP–166 on April 22, 1942. As YP–166, the vessel served as a training craft within the Puget Sound area, contributing to the preparation of naval personnel for mine-sweeping and patrol duties. Nightingale’s service concluded when she was struck from the Navy List on October 14, 1944. After her decommissioning, she was returned to her original owner. Her service as a minesweeper and patrol vessel reflects the vital role played by smaller, wooden-hulled ships in coastal defense and mine clearance during World War II, especially in the strategic waters of the Pacific Northwest.

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