History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Builder | Fulton Shipyard, Antioch, California |
Laid down | 16 August 1951 |
Launched | 14 February 1953 |
Acquired | 7 September 1954 |
Commissioned | 8 September 1954 |
Decommissioned | 30 September 1992 |
Reclassified | MSO-427, 7 February 1955 |
Stricken | 9 March 1994 |
Fate | Scrapped, 1 April 2001 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Aggressive class minesweeper |
Displacement | 775 tons |
Length | 172 ft (52.43 m) |
Beam | 36 ft (10.97 m) |
Draught | 10 ft (3.05 m) |
Propulsion | Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers |
Speed | 14 knots |
Complement | 6 Officers, 74 Enlisted |
Armament | 1 40 mm., 2 .50 cal (12.7 mm) mg |
USS Constant, (AM-427/MSO-427) was an Agile class minesweeper vessel in the United States Navy.
Constant was laid down on 16 August 1951 at Fulton Shipyard, Antioch, California and launched on 14 February 1953. She was commissioned as Constant, AM-427) on 8 September 1954 and later reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper MSO-427 on 7 February 1955.
Constant operated on the west coast until she cleared Long Beach, California, 4 January 1956 for Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, Japan, arriving 4 February. She joined in amphibious exercises at Iwo Jima, made repairs to cables and conducted minesweeping and local operations from her base at Sasebo until 28 March. Between 2 April and 19 May, she sailed in training exercises with naval forces of the Republic of China based on Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She returned to Sasebo 20 April to resume operations in Japanese waters until 19 May, when she cleared Yokosuka, Japan, for Long Beach, California, arriving 15 June.
After overhaul and west coast operations, Constant sailed from Long Beach, California, 2 June 1958, for Sasebo and duty in minesweeping off Okinawa, as well as other local operations from 3 July to 30 August. She stood by at Taiwan from 2 September until 27 October during the Quemoy Crisis, then called at Hong Kong, before returning to Japan. She cleared Yokosuka, Japan, 12 December for Long Beach, California, arriving 6 January 1959. Through the remainder of 1959, and the first half of 1960, she operated locally from Long Beach. On 31 August Constant sailed for duty in the Far East, where she remained into 1961. In the mid-1980s, she participated in one or more extended endurance Naval Reserve summer training cruises (with reservists embarked) from her homeport in San Diego to as far away as the Naval Air Station in Adak, AK. In June, 1985, USS Constant called at the following ports: U.S. Coast Guard Station Juneau, AK, and at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak Island, AK.
Constant was decommissioned, 30 September 1992; struck from the Naval Register, 9 March 1994; sold for scrapping to Crowley Marine, removal date 29 September 1999; scrapped, 1 April 2001.
USS Gallant (MSO-489), an Aggressive-class minesweeper, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named Gallant. The ship served in the US Navy from 1954 until 1994, when it was sold to Taiwan under the Security Assistance Program and renamed to Yung Ku.
USS Lucid (AM-458/MSO-458) is an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing naval mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships. She was launched soon after the Korean War, sailed on five Western Pacific (Westpac) cruises and served four tours in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Lucid was decommissioned at the end of 1970 and placed in mothballs after only 15 years of service, as the Vietnam War was winding down and there was no longer a need for a large fleet of minesweepers. She was purchased by civilians and served as a houseboat for ten years, before being sold again in 1986 and used as a warehouse by a scrap metal dealer on Bradford Island, in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The scrap metal dealer was murdered in 2004 over a property dispute, and in 2005, Lucid was acquired by a foundation seeking to save a ship of its class. In 2011, the ship was moved to the Stockton Maritime Museum to be restored for use as a museum ship. Lucid is the last Aggressive-class minesweeper afloat in the United States.
USS Peacock (AMS/MSC-198) was a Bluebird-class minesweeper in the United States Navy for clearing coastal minefields.
USS Redstart (AM-378/MSF-378) was an Auk-class minesweeper commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War II. Her task, as a fleet minesweeper, was to clear mines as the fleet proceeded into battle areas.
USS Ruddy (AM-380) was an Auk-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. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the North American ruddy duck.
USS Impeccable (AM-320) was an Auk-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally ordered as HMS Brutus (BAM-7) for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy under Lend-Lease, but was acquired and renamed by the United States Navy before construction began. She was commissioned in 1944 and served in the Pacific before being decommissioned in 1947. After the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, Impeccable was recommissioned in 1952 and served off Korea through 1952. She was decommissioned for the final time in October 1955 and placed in reserve. She was sold for scrapping in 1974.
USS Murrelet (AM-372) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy to remove mines from minefields laid to prevent ships from passing. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the murrelet, a small sea bird found chiefly on islands in the northern Pacific Ocean.
USS Waxwing (AM-389) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. She was the only U.S. Navy ship named for the waxwing, any of several American and Asiatic songbirds which are for the most part brown and are characterized by predominant crests and velvety plumage.
USS Shoveler (AM-382) was an Auk-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.
USS Acme (MSO-508) was an Acme-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Conflict (AM-426/MSO-426) was an Agile-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.
USS Force (AM-445) was an Agile-class minesweeper. She was laid down 26 August 1952 at J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington, sponsored by Mrs. T. D. Wilson. She was launched 26 June 1953, commissioned 4 January 1955. She was redesignated an Ocean Minesweeper (MSO-445) on 7 February 1955.
USS Kite was a YMS-1-class minesweeper of the YMS-135 subclass built for the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Guide (AM-447/MSO-447) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Impervious (AM-449/MSO-449) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Inflict (AM-456/MSO-456) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Loyalty (AM-457/MSO-457) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Reaper (MSO-467) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Leader (AM-490/MSO-490) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Woodpecker (AMS/MSC-209) was a Bluebird-class minesweeper of the United States Navy, that saw service during the Vietnam War, and was later sold to the Republic of Fiji where she served as HMFS Kikau (MSC-204).
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.