USS Robin ( AM - 3 ) USS " Robin " ( AM - 3 ) 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 . " Robin " was named , by the U . S . Navy for the robin , a North American thrush with a red breast . " Robin " ( Minesweeper No . 3 ) was laid down 4 March 1918 by the Todd Shipyard Corp . , New York ; launched 17 June 1918 ; sponsored by Miss Bessie Veronica Callaghan ; and commissioned 29 August 1918 , Lt . ( jg . ) Lewis H . Cutting in command . North Atlantic operations . Commissioned at New York , " Robin " operated in the area , with one run to Hampton Roads , Virginia , until 23 February 1919 . By that time the necessity of improving sweeping methods to expedite the clearing of the North Sea Mine Barrage had become very apparent . " Robin " , with two other minesweepers , tested the feasibility of using sweeps of greater breadth than 500 – 600 yards . The tests were conducted off Newport , Rhode Island , in late February and early March . In mid - March , " Robin " proceeded to Boston , Massachusetts . On 6 April , she got underway for Scotland . On the 20th , she arrived at Inverness and joined the North Sea Mining Detachment . Based at Kirkwall , she participated in the seven operations conducted to clear the barrage of its more than 70 , 000 mines between Orkney and Norway . With the conclusion of the final sweep , 19 September , " Robin " returned to Kirkwall for a brief rest after the difficult assignment , made more hazardous by the strong winds , rough seas , and poor visibility of the North Sea . She departed Scotland 1 October and arrived at New York 19 November . Coastal deployments . Designated AM - 3 , 17 July 1920 , she operated along the U . S . East Coast for the next 11 years , with winter deployments to the Caribbean . After winter maneuvers in 1932 , she continued on to the U . S . West Coast and from her arrival , 6 March , until 9 April 1934 she operated in the San Pedro - San Diego area . During the summer , 1934 , she returned to Norfolk , Virginia , but by the end of November was back at San Diego . She remained on the west coast , ranging from Mexico to Alaska and as far west as Hawaii , for the remainder of the decade . Pacific Ocean assignment . On 7 December 1941 " Robin " was en route to Hawaii from Johnston Island . She arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 10th and until the end of February 1942 served as a salvage and minesweeping vessel . By 24 February " Robin " had been sent towing one large and three small lighters to assist in unloading the grounded at Canton Island . In February , she shifted to small craft and target towing , torpedo retrieving , and passenger and cargo transportation duties . On 1 June 1942 , she was officially redesignated as Ocean Tug AT - 140 . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . In June 1943 , after an extensive overhaul , she joined a convoy for Samoa . She arrived on the 10th and reported for duty as station vessel , Naval Station , Tutuila . Reclassified ATO - 140 on 13 April 1944 , she operated out of Tutuila until 1945 on towing and salvage assignments which took her to the Ellice Islands and Fiji Islands as well as among the Samoan group . Then , from January to March 1945 , she operated among the Marshalls and Gilberts . On 21 March , " Robin " departed Majuro for the United States . She arrived at San Diego , California 21 April and two days later shifted to Long Beach , California , for overhaul . Decommissioning at war ' s end . Still in the shipyard at the end of the war , she was designated for disposal . She was decommissioned 9 November and struck from the Navy list on the 28th .