USS Gannet (AM-41) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy near the end of World War I. Gannet was laid down 1 October 1918 by the Todd Shipyard Corp., New York; launched 19 March 1919; sponsored by Miss Edna Mae Fry; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard 10 July 1919.

Gannet departed New York 11 August 1919 and reached San Diego, California, 2 November after training out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Gannet departed San Diego, California, 18 August 1937 and based at Coco Solo, Panama, as tender for aircraft squadrons of the Scouting Force until 1 June 1939.

The search was in unnecessary and in vain as Westmoreland had sunk and her sixty-five surviving crew members had already been rescued by the merchant ship SS Cathcart and the former USS Henry R. Mallory.

Ordered back to base the afternoon of 6 June, the two warships (which were not in radio contact due to a malfunctioning wireless aboard Sumar) became separated during the night.