USS Owl ( AM - 2 ) USS " Owl " ( AM - 2 ) was an acquired by the U . S . Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing . The first " Owl " to be so - named by the Navy , " AM - 2 " was laid down 25 October 1917 by the Todd Shipbuilding Corp . , Brooklyn , New York ; launched 4 March 1918 ; sponsored by Miss Ruth R . Dodd ; and commissioned 11 July 1918 , Lt . ( j . g . ) Charles B . Babson in command . World War I Atlantic operations . Following a New York to Charleston , South Carolina towing assignment , " Owl " reported to the 5th Naval District at Norfolk , Virginia , 22 August 1918 . Employed as a minesweeper for the remaining months of World War I , she then served as a light ship in the inner approach to Chesapeake Bay until 10 July 1919 . From that time until 1936 , she was primarily engaged in providing towing services along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean . Between June 1936 and January 1941 , she operated with units of the Aircraft Division , Base Force , providing planeguard , seaplane tender , and target and mooring buoy planting services from New England to the Caribbean . Then , temporarily attached to Train , Patrol Force at Culebra , Puerto Rico , she steamed to Bermuda in May for towing and servicing duties with MinDiv 14 . Redesignated as Ocean Tug AT – 137 on 1 June 1942 , she was based at Bermuda until June 1943 . During that time , towing and escort duties frequently took her to the east coast , while numerous salvage and rescue missions , including aid to the submarine and torpedoed Argentine tanker " Victoria " , kept her busy at Bermuda and in nearby convoy lanes . Preparing for the invasion of France . Detached from Bermudan duty in June , " Owl " spent the last six months of 1943 with DesRon 30 operating out of Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . She then steamed back to Norfolk , Virginia , for overhaul , and sailed for Europe . She arrived at Falmouth , Cornwall , United Kingdom , 14 March 1944 to join the Allied forces gathering for the invasion of France . Redesignated ATO – 137 on 15 May 1944 , she arrived off the Normandy coast two days after " D - Day . " As ground forces pushed inland , she towed port and road construction materials to the French coast , thus aiding the all important flow of men and equipment to the front . Availability at Falmouth , early in the new year , 1945 , preceded her return to the United States , 27 February , and mid - Atlantic coast towing assignments . Transfer to Pacific operations . Transferred to the U . S . Pacific Fleet , she sailed from Newport , Rhode Island , 5 May , with the Gate Craft " YNG – 11 " in tow , and arrived at San Diego , 23 June , to join ServRon 2 . In August she continued on to Pearl Harbor for four months of target towing duty , returning to the west coast 2 January 1946 . " Owl " then provided towing services for the 19th Fleet ( Reserve Fleet ) until beginning inactivation in April . Decommissioning . She decommissioned in the 13th Naval District on 26 July 1946 , and on 27 June 1947 was sold for scrapping to the Pacific Metal and Salvage Co . at Port of Nordland , Washington . Awards . " Owl " received 1 battle star for World War II service .