History
United States
Name	USS Garland
Builder	Winslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding,
Laid down	13 October 1943
Launched	20 February 1944
Commissioned	26 August 1944
Decommissioned	2 August 1946
Reclassified	MSF-238, 7 February 1955
Stricken	1 April 1960
Fate	Sold 24 October 1960
General characteristics
Class and type	Admirable-class minesweeper
Displacement	650 tons
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 (1.3 MW) Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear 2 shafts
Speed	14.8 knots (27.4 km/h)
Complement	104
Armament	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun DP 2 × twin Bofors 40 mm guns 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 2 × Depth charge tracks
Service record
Part of:	US Pacific Fleet (1944-1946) Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1946-1960)
Awards:	2 Battle stars

USS Garland (AM-238) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters, and served the Navy in the Pacific Ocean. At war's end, she returned home with two battle stars to her credit.

Garland was launched 20 February 1944 by Winslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding Co., Winslow, Washington; sponsored by Miss Karen Lundberg; and commissioned 26 August 1944.

After shakedown out of Puget Sound Garland departed San Pedro, Los Angeles, 12 November with a convoy to Kossol Roads, Palau Islands, where she arrived 2 January 1945. The minesweeper acted as entrance control ship at Naval Base Kossol Roads; escorted convoys between Peleliu and Ulithi until 20 May, then patrolled convoy routes between Ulithi and Eniwetok. She departed Ulithi 28 June escorting a 16-ship convoy bound for Buckner Bay, Okinawa, arriving 17 July.

Based at Buckner Bay, Garland swept mines in the East China Sea (22–31 July 1945) and (13–25 August 1945). Shifting to Ominato Ko, Honshū, she swept Japanese minefields to clear the path for Allied transports carrying occupation troops to the Empire. Garland departed Ominato Ko 20 October to serve as flagship of Mine Division 40 at Sasebo until 20 November when she sailed for the United States, arriving San Diego, California, 19 December.

Departing San Diego 31 January 1946, she transited the Panama Canal and steamed to Orange, Texas; decommissioned there 2 August 1946; and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Reclassified MSF-238 7 February 1955, Garland remained in the Reserve Fleet until struck from the Navy list 1 April 1960. She was sold to Ships and Power, Inc., of Miami, Florida, 24 October 1960.

Garland received two battle stars for World War II service.

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

• NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Garland (MSF 238) - ex-AM-238