USS Signet ( AM - 302 ) USS " Signet " ( AM - 302 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . She received four battle star s during World War II . She was decommissioned in December 1945 and placed in reserve . In February 1955 , while still in reserve , her hull number was changed from " AM - 302 " to MSF - 302 , but she was not reactivated . She was transferred to the Dominican Republic in January 1965 and renamed Tortuguero " ( BM455 ) ( or Tortugero in some sources ) . She was employed as a patrol vessel in Dominican Navy service . Her pennant number was changed from " BM455 " to C455 " in 1995 . " Tortuguero " was stricken and hulked in 1997 . U . S . Navy service . " Signet " was laid down on 8 April 1943 by Associated Shipbuilders at Harbor Island Seattle , Washington , and was launched on 16 August 1943 ; sponsored by Miss Bernice Moore , and commissioned on 20 June 1944 , Lieutenant Commander C . L . Grabenhorst , USNR , in command . " Signet " spent the summer of 1944 completing her fitting out and undergoing minesweeping trials , shakedown , and antisubmarine warfare training . On 26 August , she reported to the Commander , Western Sea Frontier , at San Francisco , California . That same afternoon , she departed San Francisco escorting SS Eugene Skinner to Honolulu . Over the next five months , the minesweeper made two voyages from Hawaii to Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands and one to San Francisco . On all three occasions , she served as escort for supply ships . She visited Kwajalein while returning from her first voyage to the Western Pacific , and Majuro en route back from the second . Upon her return to Hawaii from San Francisco , California , on 3 December , " Signet " began a three - week period of availability , followed by patrols and exercises in the islands . On the morning of 22 January 1945 , she sortied with the escorts of a convoy of 39 LSTs , LSMs , and LCIs bound for Eniwetok . The convoy arrived on 3 February and , after a day of logistics , " Signet " got underway for the Marianas en route to the Iwo Jima invasion . " Signet " saw her charges into Saipan Harbor on the 10th , then joined Sweep Unit 2 at Tinian . She stayed there four days , then sortied with Mine Unit 1 on 13 February headed for Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands . " Signet " arrived off Iwo Jima on 16 February , three days prior to the assault . The minesweeper remained in the vicinity of Iwo Jima until 7 March . During the intervening period , she swept mines and screened the transports , particularly during the nightly retirements from action . Her crew rescued a downed American flier during evening of 21 February and watched the U . S . Marines hoist the colors on the summit of Mt . Suribachi on the 23d . On 4 March , " Signet ' s " crew began to understand the significance of Iwo Jima as they watched the first crippled B - 29 land on its airfield . On 7 March after a little more than three weeks of sweeping , patrolling , and being harassed by enemy planes " Signet " cleared Iwo Jima for Ulithi Atoll in the Carolines . The minesweeper was at Ulithi from the 10th to the 19th . There her crew enjoyed rest and relaxation periods alternated with stints of work to prepare for the next operation : Okinawa . " Signet " sortied from Ulithi on the 19th , with the ships of six sweep units and a gunboat support division . They arrived off Kerama Retto , Okinawa Gunto , on the 25th and immediately began sweeping minefields around that stepping - stone to Okinawa . For the next three months , " Signet " swept mines , patrolled , screened transports , fought off air attacks , and supported ground troops . Up until 7 April , her gun crews had to content themselves with watching their sister ships and combat air patrols splash Japanese planes . That evening , however , the minesweeper received a message from indicating the approach of an enemy " Betty . " Soon " Signet " ' s gunners were able to see the medium bomber ' s exhaust flames as it approached their ship . At 2033 the port guns opened fire . The plane passed low over the minesweeper and began to flame as the starboard gunners loosed their fusillade . Burning as he went , the Japanese plane splashed into the sea about 1 , 000 yards from " Signet " . The wreckage floated and burned for a while as " Signet " searched fruitlessly for survivors . Soon thereafter , she returned to her patrol station . On the night of 18 April , " Signet " supported the stranded crew of an LCVP . Under fire from entrenched Japanese , they requested light from " Signet " . The minesweeper responded , silencing the Japanese position each time her searchlight exposed them . This continued through most of the night . The stranded men were finally rescued by a tug early on the morning of the 19th . In early June , she supported the landings at Iheya Shima to the northwest of Okinawa , then returned to minesweeping and anti - suicide boat patrol . She departed Okinawa on 8 July , headed for the Philippines and made Leyte Gulf on the 13th . She remained in the Philippines through the cessation of hostilities on 15 August and departed Leyte on the 18th . She returned to Okinawa on the 24th and remained there until the 30th when she got underway with a large group of minesweepers to help sweep the Yellow Sea in support of the Korea occupation forces . For the first seven days of September , she made daily sweeps in the Yellow Sea and cleared the area at night . On 8 September , " Signet " headed for Japan and , the next morning , began sweeping the approaches to Sasebo . For two months , she swept the area around Sasebo during the day and anchored at Matsu Shima , Kyūshū , at night . From late September until early October , her crew enjoyed liberty in Sasebo . From 11 to 21 October , " Signet " swept the area around Iki Island and Tsushima Island off the northwestern coast of Kyūshū . Between 26 October and 10 November , " Signet " conducted operations in the East China Sea southwest of Kyūshū . On her final sweep , 17 November to 5 December , " Signet " returned to the vicinity of Tsushima . On 11 December 1945 , with her homeward - bound pennant flying , she departed Sasebo . With the other ships of Mine Squadron 12 , she steamed out of the harbor , passing in review before Rear Admiral Struble Commander , Minecraft , Pacific Fleet , and receiving the salutes of the assembled ships of the U . S . Pacific Fleet . Upon her return to the United States later that month " Signet " was placed out of commission , in reserve , and berthed at Orange , Texas . There she remained for the next 19 years . She was reclassified " MSF - 302 " on 11 February 1955 and declared excess to the needs of the Navy in January 1965 . Accordingly , her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 January 1965 . " Signet " was sold to the Dominican Republic on 13 January 1965 under the terms of the Military Assistance Program . Awards . " Signet " earned four battle stars during World War II . Dominican Navy service . The former " Signet " was acquired by the Dominican Republic on 13 January 1965 and renamed " Tortuguero " ( BM455 ) . Employed as a patrol vessel in Dominican Navy service , her pennant number was changed to " C455 " in 1995 . " Tortuguero " was stricken and hulked in 1997 .