The USS Widgeon (AM-22/ASR-1) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper constructed by the Sun Shipbuilding Co. in Chester, Pennsylvania. Laid down on October 8, 1917, and launched on May 5, 1918, she was commissioned on July 27, 1918. Designed primarily as a minesweeper, her initial role was to clear mines from water channels to ensure safe passage for Allied ships during and immediately after World War I. During the latter months of World War I, Widgeon served with Minesweeping Group 2 of the Atlantic Fleet. Post-war, she was assigned to the North Sea Minesweeping Detachment, departing Boston on June 28, 1919, and arriving at Kirkwall, Scotland, on July 10. She operated in the North Sea through the summer of 1919, sweeping mines laid by the Allies. After completing her minesweeping duties, she returned to the United States, arriving in New York on November 19, 1919. Following her service in European waters, Widgeon operated along the U.S. East Coast until 1921. She was reclassified as AM-22 on July 17, 1920, and later decommissioned on April 15, 1922, at Charleston, South Carolina, for conversion into a salvage vessel. Recommissioned on March 5, 1923, she retained her minesweeper designation but was equipped for salvage and rescue operations, especially around Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Widgeon was extensively modified in 1926 to enhance her submarine rescue capabilities and was reclassified as ASR-1 on January 22, 1936. She played a vital role in submarine rescue tasks, including the recovery of practice mines, torpedoes, and damaged vessels. Notably, she participated in salvage operations following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, assisting in firefighting and salvage efforts for ships like USS Oklahoma, USS Nevada, USS California, USS Arizona, and USS West Virginia. Throughout World War II, Widgeon continued as a submarine rescue and target recovery vessel, operating from Pearl Harbor and the California coast. She supported operations into 1945 and contributed to Operation Crossroads, the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, in 1946. Decommissioned on February 5, 1947, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register later that year, she was sold for scrap in 1948. Her ship's bell is preserved at the Palm Springs Air Museum, serving as a monument to her 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.