bound for San Pedro, California. Subsequently, shifting to San Francisco, California, Velocity departed the U.S. West Coast on 4 April and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 14th. Return to the Far East Departing Hawaiian waters two days later, Velocity escorted the ammunition ship to Guam, via Eniwetok, in the Marshalls. She then moved to Saipan, where she joined the U.S. 5th Fleet. Shifting to Kerama Retto, Okinawa, on 11 May, the minesweeper operated in the Ryūkyūs as minesweeper, anti-aircraft vessel, and anti-submarine ship. When was hit by a Japanese kamikaze on the night of 21 June, Velocity went to her aid. On 4 July, Velocity departed Kerama Retto for minesweeping operations in the East China Sea. With her base of operations now at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, the ship proceeded to sweep 13 mines between 4 and 30 July and continued operations into the East China Sea into August and past the end of the war with Japan. Post-World War II operations In the operation concluded on 25 August, Velocity tallied a score of 35 mines located and destroyed. The minesweeper operated in Japanese waters into October 1945, between Honshū and Hokkaidō, to clear shipping lanes for the ships of the occupation forces. During this time, she was based at Ominato, Japan. After a brief period at Shanghai, China, at the end of December 1945, Velocity shifted to Japanese waters. Departing Sasebo, Japan, on 21 January 1946, Velocity arrived at San Francisco, California, on 1 March, via Saipan, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor. Decommissioning Decommissioned and placed in inactive status on 7 October 1946, the minesweeper remained in reserve through the 1960s. During this time, her classification was changed to fleet minesweeper, and she was designated MSF-128 on 7 February 1955. Struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1972, Velocity was simultaneously sold to the government of Mexico. She was renamed ARM Ignacio L. Vallarta (C82). Her pennant number was later changed to G14, and changed a final time to P113 in 1993. , Ignacio L. Vallarta was in active service for the Mexican Navy. Awards Velocity received five battle stars for her World War II service. Notes References External links Auk-class minesweepers of the United States Navy Ships built in Chickasaw, Alabama 1942 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Valle-class patrol vessels Patrol vessels of Mexico