WRECK DIVE
deep dive

C-55 USS (AM283) renamed ARM Lieutenant Juan de la Barrera C-55, was sunk in Isla Mujeres, Mexico in the year 2000 for diving purposes. Today it is home of thousands of inhabitants of the ever developing eco system that artificial reefs create.

 

The depth is approximately 75feet/23mt and has very little penetration on the back deck of the wreck. The rest of the wreck is just in pieces and can be seen by a small drift dive at the end of the dive. The stern can be appreciated resting to its left side.

USS Ransom (AM-283) was an admiral-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was awarded three battle starts for service in the Pacific during World War II. She was decommissioned in March 1947 and placed in reserve. Although she did not see service in the war zone, Ransom was decommissioned in March 1951 during the Korean War and remained in commission until September 1953, when she was placed in reserve again. While she remained in reserve, Ransom was reclassified as MSF-283 in February 1955 but never reactivated. In 1962 she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM DM-12. In 1994 she was renamed ARM Teniente Juan de la Barrera.
 

Ransom was laid down 24 April 1943 by General Engineering & Dry Dock Co., San Francisco, California; launched 181 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs Dwight H Dexter and commissioned 5 August 1944, Lt Comdr. William N McMillen, USNR, in command. After a shakedown off the California coast, Ransom got underway for Hawaii 15 October and arrived at Pearl Harbor a week later for escort duty back to the west coast and later to Eniwetok, Ulithi and Kossol Roads, arriving at the latter 12 Jan 1945. She then worked in the antisubmarine patrol screen off Peleliu.

From 1 to 18 Februarty, Ransom acted as harbor entrance station vessel to Kossol, and patrolled in screens between Kossol and Peleliu, before proceeding to Ulithi to stage for Operation Iceberg. On 19 March she sailed for the Ryukyus with task unti TU 52.5.3 and, from 25 March to 18 April, she swept and patrolled in assigned areas around Okinawa despite heavy Japanese coastal and aerial resistance.
 

On 6 April, Ransom shot down three suicide aircraft while rescuing 52 survivors of USS Rodman (DMS-21) and USS Emmons (DMS-22). The third kamikaze bomb caused some minor damage to Ransom. Relieved of sweeping duties 18 April, Ransom was assigned to antiaircraft and antisubmarine patrol. Although damaged again on the 22nd by a bomb from a “Val” she had splashed 10 feet off her port quarter, Ransom continued to patrol through June.
 

On 4 July Ransom resumed minesweeping operations. Throughout the month she operated in the East China Sea, sweeping a total of seven mines, then, on 6 August, she returned to Leyte for overhaul and repair. Returning to Okinawa at the end of the month, she continued on to Japan with task group TG 52.4, and on 9 September began sweeping mines at Nagasaki. On 21 September, she shifted to Bungo Suido, where she swept until the end of September. During the month Ransom swept 73 enemy mines. Ransom departed Kure, Japan, for the United States 20 November. Transiting the Panama Canal 30 December 1945, she continued on to New Orlean, Louisiana; underwent pre-inactivation overhaul; and decommissioned at Orange, Texas, 3 March 1947.

Mexican Navy Career
 

The former Ransom was acquired by the Mexican Navy in 1963 and renamed ARM-12. In 1994, she was renamed ARM Teniente San Juan de la Barrera (C-55) after Juan de la Barrera. She was stricken in 2000 but her ultimate fate was to become a dive site on Isla mujeres