USS Instill (AM-252)

USS Instill (AM-252) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She saw service in the Atlantic during World War II. She was decommissioned in February 1947 and placed in reserve. Instill was recommissioned in March 1951 during the Korean War and remained in commission until March 1954, when she was placed in reserve again. While she remained in reserve, Instill was reclassified as MSF-252 in February 1955 but never reactivated. In October 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-10. She was stricken from Mexican Navy service in 1986, but her ultimate fate is not reported in secondary sources.

History
United States
Name	USS Instill (AM-252)
Builder	Savannah Machine and Foundry Company, Savannah, Georgia
Laid down	24 November 1943
Launched	5 March 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. Lydia G. Mehoffey
Commissioned	22 May 1944
Decommissioned	26 February 1947
Recommissioned	16 March 1951
Decommissioned	1 March 1954
Reclassified	MSF-252, 7 February 1955
Stricken	1 May 1962
Fate	Transferred to Mexican Navy, October 1962
History
Mexico
Name	ARM DM-10
Acquired	October 1962
Stricken	1986
Fate	unknown
General characteristics
Class and type	Admirable-class minesweeper
Displacement	650 long tons (660 t)
Length	184 ft 6 in (56.24 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Propulsion	2 × ALCO 539 diesel engines, 1,710 shp (1,280 kW) Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear 2 shafts
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	104
Armament	1 × 3"/50 caliber (76 mm) DP gun 2 × twin Bofors 40 mm guns 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 2 × Depth charge tracks
Service record
Part of:	U.S. Atlantic Fleet (1944–1947) Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1947–1951, 1954–1962) U.S. Pacific Fleet (1951–1954) Mexican Navy (1962–1986)

U.S. Navy career

Instill was launched 5 March 1944 by the Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia; sponsored by Mrs. Lydia G. Mehoffey; and commissioned 22 May 1944.

After shakedown out of Little Creek, Virginia, and a few weeks of escort duty in that area, Instill was assigned to Service Force, Atlantic Fleet as a training ship. This duty continued until 11 August when she reported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to operate with shakedown ships as a radar countermeasure ship. Returning to Norfolk, Virginia, 22 October, Instill remained there until 21 January 1946 when she sailed to Orange, Texas. The minesweeper decommissioned there 26 February 1947, joining the Reserve Fleet.

After the outbreak of the Korean War, Instill recommissioned 16 March 1951 and began an intensive period of training and patrol duty between Charleston, South Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia. She continued her important minesweeping operations and patrol duty along the U.S. East Coast until she returned to Orange, Texas, 3 January 1954.

Instill decommissioned there 1 March and once again joined the Reserve Fleet. Reclassified MSF-252, 7 February 1955, she remained in the Texas Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet until struck from the Navy List 1 May 1962, and sold in October 1962 to Mexico, and served as DM-10.

Mexican Navy career

The former Instill was acquired by the Mexican Navy in October 1962 and renamed ARM DM-10. She was stricken from Mexican Navy service in 1986, but her ultimate fate is not reported in secondary sources.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of Instill at NavSource Naval History