The USS Pirate (AM-275) was an Admirable-class minesweeper constructed for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Laid down on July 1, 1943, by Gulf Shipbuilding Co. in Chickasaw, Alabama, she was launched on December 16, 1943, and commissioned on June 16, 1944. Designed for mine-clearing operations in offshore waters, the vessel featured the standard specifications of the Admirable class, which included a displacement of approximately 625 tons, a length of about 184 feet, a beam of 33 feet, and a draft of around 9 feet. Her propulsion system comprised diesel engines generating roughly 1,710 shaft horsepower, enabling a maximum speed of 15 knots. Initially, USS Pirate operated in the North Atlantic, including activities around Casco Bay and Boston, Massachusetts. She conducted anti-submarine warfare exercises with the Italian submarine Vortice and participated in various sweeping operations along the New England coast. In December 1944, she transferred to Miami, Florida, where she served as a school ship for student officers for four months. By April 1945, she transited through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor and later moving to Guam and Okinawa, participating in minesweeping operations during the final stages of the Pacific War. Following World War II, USS Pirate was decommissioned on November 6, 1946, at Bremerton, Washington, but was later recommissioned in August 1950 for service during the Korean War. Her operations included minesweeping off Pusan, Korea. On October 12, 1950, while conducting minesweeping three miles off Sin-Do Island alongside USS Pledge (AM-277), Pirate struck a mine and sank within five minutes, resulting in 12 missing sailors and one fatality. Attempts to salvage her failed, and she was subsequently destroyed with explosives to prevent retrieval of classified information. USS Pirate earned four battle stars for her service during the Korean War and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation along with USS Pledge and USS Redhead for bravery. Her battle flag was later donated to the Naval Historical Center, symbolizing her distinguished service.

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