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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 99458: USS Penguin underway, 1919

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Penguin (Minesweeper # 33, later AM-33), 1918-1941

USS Penguin, a 1009-ton Lapwing class minesweeper, was built at Elizabeth, New Jersey, as part of the World War I ship construction effort. Commissioned in November 1918, ten days after the Armstice brought an end to the fighting, she operated out of New York for several months and, in May 1919, crossed the Atlantic to participate in clearing the wartime mine barrage across the North Sea. Penguin was twice damaged by mine explosions while engaged in this work, with the second incident, in August, causing serious injury. Returning to the U.S. in November, she soon was transferred to the Pacific, operating there until laid up at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, at the beginning of June 1922.

Penguin recommissioned in October 1923 and was employed for the rest of the decade as a gunboat on China's Yangtse River. She spent the 1930s and early 1940s at Guam, performing a variety of duties in support of the local government. When Japan began the Pacific War on 7 December 1941 (8 December at Guam), Penguin helped resist enemy air attacks. She was badly damaged by bomb near misses, and was scuttled later that day in deep water near the island.

This page features all the views we have concerning USS Penguin (Minesweeper # 33, later AM-33), 1918-1941.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 99472

USS Penguin
(Minesweeper # 33)

Steaming at full speed for Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919, during an unsuccessful effort to arrive in time to save some of the German warships scuttled there on that day.
Note the identification letters "PD" on her bow.
Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken by DeLong, of USS Black Hawk, published in the cruise book "Sweeping the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1919", page 38.

Donation of Chief Storekeeper Charles A. Free.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99458

USS Penguin
(Minesweeper # 33)

Underway near USS Scranton (ID # 3511), probably circa 28 March 1919.

Photograph from the USS Scranton photo album kept by J.D. Bartar, one of her crew members.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 48KB; 740 x 440 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99450

USS Penguin
(Minesweeper # 33)

Close astern of USS Scranton (ID # 3511), as a Chief Petty Officer is "putting the heaving line 60 ft." between the two ships, circa 28 March 1919.
Note the line's weight in the air above Penguin's bow.

Photograph from the USS Scranton photo album kept by J.D. Bartar, one of her crew members.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 65KB; 430 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 50755

USS Penguin
(AM-33)

Underway off Shanghai, China, circa the later 1920s, following conversion for river gunboat service.
Note the sampan in the foreground.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99473

USS Penguin
(Minesweeper # 33), at left
and
USS Lapwing (Minesweeper # 1)

"Coming up to repass" sweep gear, after exploding a mine during the sweeping of the North Sea Mine Barrage in 1919.
Note the identification letters on the ships' bows: "PD" on Penguin and "W" on Lapwing.
Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken by DeLong, of USS Black Hawk, published in the cruise book "Sweeping the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1919", page 59.

Donation of Chief Storekeeper Charles A. Free.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 340 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99474

"The Buoy Laying Division in Kirkwall Harbor"


From left to right, in center: USS Osprey (Minesweeper # 29), USS Penguin (Minesweeper # 33), and USS Lapwing (Minesweeper # 1) moored together in Kirkwall Harbor, Orkney Islands, during the sweeping of the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1919.
Note the identification letters on the ships' bows: "A" on Osprey, "PD" on Penguin and "W" on Lapwing.
Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken by Kitress, of USS Swan, published in the cruise book "Sweeping the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1919", page 63.

Donation of Chief Storekeeper Charles A. Free.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 56KB; 740 x 310 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59647

USS Penguin
(Minesweeper # 33)

Liberty party gathered on the ship's stern, preparing to go ashore after reviewing the Fleet in New York Harbor, 26 December 1918.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 121KB; 740 x 520 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 99475

USS Penguin
(Minesweeper # 33)

Ship's Officers and Crew, 1919.
Halftone reproduction of a photograph, published in the cruise book "Sweeping the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1919", page 137.

Donation of Chief Storekeeper Charles A. Free.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 12KB; 740 x 485 pixels

 

A rather distant view of USS Penguin can be seen in the:

  • USS Scranton Photo Album, page 27.


    In addition to the views referenced above, the National Archives appears to hold at least one other photograph of USS Penguin (AM-33). The following listing describes this image:

    The image listed below is NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
    DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • Photo #: 80-G-1022883
    USS Penguin (AM-33) underway in the Whampoa River, off Shanghai, China, October 1928. Photographed by Stahl.
    Port broadside surface view, rather toward the stern. This ship is in her gunboat configuration, with enlarged superstructure as seen above in Photo # NH 50755.


    Reproductions of this image should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The image listed above is NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 13 July 2004