Minesweeper

Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.

[3] A Trawler Section of the Royal Navy Reserve became the predecessor of the mine sweeping forces with specially designed ships and equipment to follow.

Historian Gordon Williamson wrote that "Germany's minesweepers alone formed a massive proportion of its total strength, and are very much the unsung heroes of the Kriegsmarine.

"[7] Naval mines remained a threat even after the war ended, and minesweeping crews were still active after VJ Day.

[8] After the Second World War, Allied countries worked on new classes of minesweepers ranging from 120-ton designs for clearing estuaries to 735-ton oceangoing vessels.

[9] The United States Navy even used specialized mechanized landing craft to sweep shallow harbors in and around North Korea.

[13] Mechanical sweeps are devices designed to cut the anchoring cables of moored mines, and preferably attach a tag to help the subsequent localization and neutralization.