An item reported that the Friday before the US department of navy supplied more details about what happened with the minesweeper Magpie on 1 October.(1) She hit a floating mine and the explosion ripped her at starboard over about a great length open. Of the crew were 12 men saved by another minesweeper which was nearby and 21 men including her commanding officer lieutenant J.G. Warren Roy Person were still missing. The Magpie was an auxiliary vessel with a length of around 40 metres. The mine she strike was Soviet manufactured like the other ones traced in Korean waters.(1)
Note
Laid down on 3 July 1942 on the shipyard of Henry B. Nevins Incorporation, City Island New York as the auxiliary motor minesweeper YMS-400, on 24 March a year later launched while sponsored by Mrs. Marie Norby, commissioned on 15 May, on 17 February 1947 renamed USS Magpie and reclassified as the AMS-25 and after striking the mine on 20 October 1950 on the position 36°30’ North and 129°30’ East. Belonged to the YMS-1class minesweeper which was part of the YMS-135 subclass minesweepers. With a displacement of 270 tons were her dimensions 41 x 7.6 x 2.4 metres or 136 x 25 x 8 feet. The 2x880 bhp diesel engines allowed a speed of 15 knots. The crew numbered 32 men and the armament consisted of 1-3” gun, 2-2xcm guns and further more 2 depth charge projectors.
