USS Falcon (AM-28)

The third USS Falcon, (AM-28/ASR-2) was Lapwing-class minesweeper in the United States Navy. She later became a submarine rescue ship.

Falcon was launched 7 September 1918 by Gas Engine and Power Co., and C. L. Seabury Co., Morris Heights, New York; sponsored by Mrs. W. J. Parslow; and commissioned 12 November 1918, Lieutenant B. E. Rigg in command. She was reclassified ASR-2 on 12 September 1929.

North Atlantic operations
Originally commanded by Sam Trohman, from December 1918 to May 1919, Falcon served on temporary duty in the 4th Naval District as a lightship. After towing targets and various craft along the U.S. East Coast, an occupation with salvage duty which was to be her major employment for many years, she sailed from New York on 8 August 1919 for Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland. For two months she aided in clearing the North Sea of the vast number of mines laid there in World War I, returning to Charleston, South Carolina, 28 November 1919. Falcon made a second voyage to European waters between March and August 1920, visiting Rosyth, Scotland, and Brest, France, and returning by way of the Azores with a captured German submarine in tow for the Panama Canal Zone. Back at Hampton Roads 18 October 1920, she returned to towing, salvage, and transport duty along the east coast. After conducting salvage operations on USS S-5 (SS-110) through the summer of 1921, she was assigned permanently to submarine salvage work, based at New London, Connecticut. She continued to perform occasional towing duty, and from time to time sailed to the Caribbean on both salvage and towing duty.

Salvage operations
In 1925, Falcon joined the Control Force for operations in the Panama Canal Zone, along the U.S. West Coast, and in the Hawaiian Islands. She returned to home waters in September, and began her part in the salvage operations on USS S-51 (SS-162) in which she joined that fall and the next spring. After the submarine was raised through determined and ingenious efforts, it was Falcon who towed her to New York in July 1926, providing air pressure for the pontoons supporting the submarine, as well as her compartments. Acting as tender as well as salvage ship for submarines, Falcon accompanied them to fleet exercises in waters from Maine to the Panama Canal Zone, and conducted many operations to develop rescue techniques, as well as training divers. She stood by during deep submergence runs and other tests of new submarines, and played an important role in raising USS Squalus (SS-192) in the summer of 1939, and in the rescue operations on USS O-9 (SS-70) in June 1941.

World War II operations
Throughout World War II, aging but still able, Falcon sailed out of New London, Connecticut and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on salvage, towing, and experimental operations. When at New London, she usually served as flagship for Commander, Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet. Her only deployment from New England waters during the war came between July and October 1943, when she conducted diving operations and laid moorings in the anchorage at Argentia, Newfoundland. One of her most important activities during the war was training divers, search, salvage, and rescue workers to man newer submarine rescue ships.

Decommissioning
Falcon was decommissioned at Boston, Massachusetts 18 June 1946, and sold 12 March 1947.

Awards

 * American Defense Service Medal
 * American Campaign Medal
 * World War Two Victory Medal