The second USS Tern (AM-31) 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. Tern was laid down on 7 September 1918 at Morris Heights, New York, by the Gas Engine & Power Co. and the C. L. Seabury Co.; launched on 22 March 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Bruce Scrimgeour; and commissioned on 17 May 1919 as Minesweeper No. 31.