USS Nucleus (AM-268) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, she was transferred to the Soviet Union and after that served in the Soviet Navy as T-278. The Soviets converted her into a naval trawler in 1948 and renamed her Uragan. Construction and commissioning Nucleus was laid down at Chickasaw, Alabama, by the Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation on 7 September 1942, launched on 26 June 1943, sponsored by Mrs. V. Ludwig, and commissioned on 11 February 1944. Service history U.S. Navy, World War II, 1943–1945 Following shakedown in the Chesapeake Bay, Nucleus served briefly as an escort vessel to the Caribbean, then on 20 April 1944 proceeded to Boston. From Boston, she escorted a convoy to Naval Station Argentia in the Dominion of Newfoundland, arriving there on 6 May 1944. After another escort run between Boston and Argentia, she took up meteorological information collection duties in the North Atlantic Ocean. Between 10 and 24 June 1944 a platform deck for launching radiosonde gear and weather balloons was added to her silhouette to make her more effective as a weather ship. Relieved of weather duties by her sister ship on 7 October 1944, Nucleus returned to Boston, then steamed to Norfolk, Virginia, arriving there on 25 November 1944. During December 1944 Nucleus swept mines and conducted antisubmarine warfare patrols off the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. In January 1945 she conducted another Caribbean escort run, and on 2 February 1945 she departed Norfolk, escorting the gasoline (petrol) tanker to Navassa Island. Detached on 8 February 1945, she continued on to the Panama Canal Zone and transited the Panama Canal for duty in the Pacific. Selected for transfer to the Soviet Navy in Project Hula – a secret program for the transfer of U.S. Navy ships to the Soviet Navy at Cold Bay, Territory of Alaska, in anticipation of the Soviet Union joining the war against Japan – Nucleus arrived at Cold Bay on 3 April 1945 to begin familiarization training of her new Soviet crew. Soviet Navy, 1945–1960 Following the completion of training for her Soviet crew, Method was decommissioned on 21 May 1945 at Cold Bay and transferred to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease immediately. Also commissioned into the Soviet Navy immediately, she was designated as a ("minesweeper") and renamed T-278 in Soviet service. She soon departed