Puritan (ACM-16/MMA-16) was built for the United States Army as U.S. Army Mine Planter (USAMP) Col. Alfred A. Maybach MP-13. The ship was transferred to the United States Navy and classified as an auxiliary minelayer. Puritan was never commissioned and thus never bore the "United States Ship" (USS) prefix showing status as a commissioned ship of the U.S. Navy.[1]

History
United States
NamePuritan
Launchedas USAMP Col. Alfred A. Maybach MP-13 for the US Army
Acquiredby the US Navy, 7 March 1951
RenamedPuritan, 1 May 1955
Reclassified
  • ACM-16, 7 March 1951
  • MMA-16, 7 February 1955
Stricken1959
IdentificationIMO number7308009
FateSold 1961, sank 13 February 1984
General characteristics
Class and typeACM-11 class minelayer
Displacement1,300 long tons (1,321 t) full
Length189 ft (58 m)
Beam37 ft (11 m)
Draft12 ft (3.7 m)
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement65
Armament1 × 20 mm gun

Acquisition by the U.S. Navy

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Puritan was originally the Army mine planter USAMP Col. Alfred A. Maybach MP-13.[2] Her transfer to the U.S. Navy was approved on 7 March 1951.[3]

Out of Commission Status

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Upon transfer she was placed out of commission in reserve as the Auxiliary Mine Layer[4] ACM-16, assigned to the San Francisco Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. On 7 February 1955 she was reclassified as the Minelayer, Auxiliary[4] MMA-16. She was named Puritan effective 1 May 1955. She remained out of commission in reserve berthed at Mare Island.[3]

Disposal

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She was struck from the Navy Directory in 1959 and sold in 1961.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Ship Naming in the United States Navy". Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Coast Artillery Corps Army Mine Planter Service". Army Ships – The Ghost Fleet. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Puritan". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  4. ^ a b "US NAVY INACTIVE CLASSIFICATION SYMBOLS". Naval Vessel Register (NVR). U.S. Navy. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  5. ^ "Puritan (MMA 16) ex-ACM-16 ex-USAMP Colonel Alfred A. Maybach". NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
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