USS Condor, an 88-ton coastal minesweeper, was built in 1937 at Tacoma, Washington, as a civilian fishing boat. Under the name New Example, she was acquired by the Navy in October 1940 for conversion to a minecraft. Placed in service in April 1941, she arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in May to take up her duties protecting that vital fleet base from possible enemy minelaying activities. A few hours prior to the Japanese attack of 7 December 1941, Condor detected a Japanese midget submarine off the harbor entrance and reported it to the patrolling destroyer Ward. The ensuing attack by Ward represented the first shots of the great Pacific war between Japan and the United States.

Condor continued her service in the Hawaiian Islands area for the remainder of World War II. Sent back to the west coast in late 1945, she was placed out of service in January 1946 and stricken from the List of District Craft the following month. USS Condor was turned over to the Maritime Commission for disposal in July 1946.