USS Owl (AM-2) was an Lapwing-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. The first Owl to be so named by the Navy, AM-2 was laid down 25 October 1917 by the Todd Shipbuilding Corp., Brooklyn, New York; launched 4 March 1918; sponsored by Miss Ruth R. Dodd; and commissioned 11 July 1918.