Limpkin operated off New York City and the mouth of Chesapeake Bay during World War II.

[2] Limpkin was powered by a Cooper Bessemer G.N.-DR-6 diesel engine turning one shaft rated at 400 brake horsepower (300 kW).

[2][3] Limpkin was armed with two .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns and was equipped with minesweeping gear consisting of a heavy wire cable capable of extending to 150 fathoms (900 ft; 270 m) with cutting gear used to sever the mines from their anchors and allow them to surface to be exploded in a controlled manner there.

[2] Following shakedown off Yorktown, Virginia, the new coastal minesweeper reported to the 3rd Naval District, New York City, on 9 August.

After the United States entered World War II, Limpkin was among the coastal minesweepers responsible for keeping the crucial New York Harbor clear.