From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

A small or medium bird of the hawk family.

(AM-75: dp. 482; 1. 124'3"; b. 23'0''; dr. 10'6''; s. 9 k.; a. 1 3'')

The first Kite (AM-75) was built in 1928 as beam trawler Holy Cross by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; purchased by the Navy from H. C. Trawling Corp. 11 September 1940; and commissioned 3 March 1941, Lt. Comdr. George L. Burns in command.

Kite cleared Boston 27 March 1941; and, after training exercises with the mine warfare school Yorktown, Va., she operated with the Support Force out of Norfolk. Five months later she sailed for Newfoundland arriving Argentia 31 August for minesweeping operations in the North Atlantic. From August 1941 to 3 May 1944, Kite swept sea-lanes in frigid Newfoundland waters. Clearing Argentia, Kite arrived Boston 7 May and decommissioned at Quincy, Mass., 14 August 1944. She was transferred to WSA 2 March 1945 and sold.