From Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Planter

One who cultivates plants or who founds new places especially colonies.

(ACM-2: dp. 1,300; 1. 188'2"; b. 37'0"; dr. 12'6", s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 69; a. 1 40mm; cl. Chimo)

Planter (ACM-2), built as the U.S. Army mine planter Col. George Richer by Marietta Mfg. Co., Pt. Pleasant, W. Va. in April 1941, was acquired by the Navy 4 April 1944 and commissioned at Norfolk on the same date, Lt. T. T. Scudder Jr., USNR, in command.

Planter was assigned to Service Squadron Five, Atlantic Fleet, and got underway in convoy for the Mediterranean 13 May 1944, reaching the Azores 24 May, and arriving at Bizerte, Tunisia, 12 June. She continued on to put into Naples' thence to southern France to support minesweeping and buoy laying operations conducted during and after operation "Dragoon." At Toulon, 1 September she rescued 31 survivors from YMS-21, sunk by a mine, then resumed her support activities, continuing them until departing for Bizerte 12 November. From the latter she sailed to Cagliari, Sardinia thence to Oran, enroute back to the United States, arriving at Norfolk 17 January 1945.

Converted to minesweep gear and repair ship at Charleston she departed for the Canal Zone 6 April, entered the Pacific for duty with Minecraft, Pacific, 17 April, and reached Pearl Harbor 17 May. Continuing westward, she anchored off Okinawa 4 July to render tender services to YMSs. In August she steamed to the Philippines, where she received news of the war's end. She returned to Okinawa 25 August and remained until 9 December when she got underway for Honshu. Between 13 December and 25 February 1946 she provided mine tender services in Japanese waters, then got underway for the United States, arriving at San Francisco 16 April.

Decommissioned 22 May 1946, her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 23 December 1947. On 9 April

1948 she was transferred to the Maritime Commission and was subsequently sold to Foss Launch and Tug Co., Oakland, Calif. [Transcriber's Note: Sold mercantile in 1963 she was renamed San Juan.]

Planter received one battle star for World War II service.