Stuff You Should Know
USS Kestrel was a Bird-Class 2 coastal minesweeper launched in 1938. It was commissioned on January 21, 1941 and served in the US Navy for 4 years until it was decommissioned on October 29, 1945. During its activity, the ship had a complement of 19 men on board and the main missions within the 1st Naval District, removing the mines located in the minefields in the water so that other ships could pass safely. On August 5, 1946 the ship was delivered to the War Shipping Administration.