of hostilities on 15 August and departed Leyte on the 18th. She returned to Okinawa on the 24th and remained there until the 30th when she got underway with a large group of minesweepers to help sweep the Yellow Sea in support of the Korea occupation forces. For the first seven days of September, she made daily sweeps in the Yellow Sea and cleared the area at night. On 8 September, Signet headed for Japan and, the next morning, began sweeping the approaches to Sasebo. For two months, she swept the area around Sasebo during the day and anchored at Matsu Shima, Kyūshū, at night. From late September until early October, her crew enjoyed liberty in Sasebo. From 11 to 21 October, Signet swept the area around Iki Island and Tsushima Island off the northwestern coast of Kyūshū. Between 26 October and 10 November, Signet conducted operations in the East China Sea southwest of Kyūshū. On her final sweep, 17 November to 5 December, Signet returned to the vicinity of Tsushima. On 11 December 1945, with her homeward-bound pennant flying, she departed Sasebo. With the other ships of Mine Squadron 12, she steamed out of the harbor, passing in review before Rear Admiral Struble Commander, Minecraft, Pacific Fleet, and receiving the salutes of the assembled ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Upon her return to the United States later that month Signet was placed out of commission, in reserve, and berthed at Orange, Texas. There she remained for the next 19 years. She was reclassified MSF-302 on 11 February 1955 and declared excess to the needs of the Navy in January 1965. Accordingly, her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 January 1965. Signet was sold to the Dominican Republic on 13 January 1965 under the terms of the Military Assistance Program. Awards Signet earned four battle stars during World War II. Dominican Navy service The former Signet was acquired by the Dominican Republic on 13 January 1965 and renamed Tortuguero (BM455). Employed as a patrol vessel in Dominican Navy service, her pennant number was changed to C455 in 1995. Tortuguero was stricken and hulked in 1997. Notes References External links Photo gallery at navsource.org Admirable-class minesweepers Ships built in Seattle 1943 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Admirable-class minesweepers of the Dominican Navy