History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Builder | Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California |
Laid down | 1 September 1952 |
Launched | 20 December 1952 |
Commissioned | 10 September 1955 |
Decommissioned | 20 September 1991 |
Reclassified | MSO-438, 7 February 1955 |
Stricken | 30 September 1991 |
Homeport | Long Beach, California, Seattle, Washington |
Motto | First in the Field |
Fate | Scrapped in 2000 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Agile-class minesweeper |
Displacement | 853 tons (full load) |
Length | 172 ft (52 m) |
Beam | 36 ft (11 m) |
Draft | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
Propulsion | 4 Waukesha Main Propulsion Diesel Engines, 2 shafts, controllable pitch propellers |
Speed | 14 knots |
Complement | 72 |
Sensors and processing systems | AN/SQQ-14 Minehunting Sonar, AN/SPS-64 Surface Search Radar |
Armament | 2 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns |
USS Esteem (AM-438/MSO-438) 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.
The first ship to be named Esteem by the Navy, AM-438 was launched 20 December 1952 by Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California; sponsored by Mrs. C. H. Davis; reclassified MSO-438, 7 February 1955; and commissioned 10 September 1955.
Deployed to Persian Gulf from 1987 to 1990 under President Reagan's direction to protect the world's oil supply from the threat of Iranian mines (the "Tanker War"). Participated in Operation EARNEST WILL.
Esteem sailed out of Long Beach, California, her first home port, for training in mine warfare and minesweeping exercises along the U.S. West Coast until 4 March 1957, when she departed for her first tour of duty with the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Far East. Along with visiting Japanese and Korean ports and Hong Kong, she exercised with the mines of the navies of the Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, aiding in the training of friendly forces in new techniques.
Returning to Long Beach in September 1957, Esteem resumed her west coast operations for the next year, then sailed 6 October 1960 for exercises with the Royal Canadian Navy off Nootka Sound, British Columbia. During the next month, she circumnavigated Vancouver Island, and visited several Canadian ports, returning to Long Beach 5 November.
During her 1961-62 tour of duty in the Far East, she again exercised with ships of the Chinese Navy, and also visited Bangkok, Thailand, to train with the Royal Thai navy. In December 1961, she went to Saigon, Vietnam and worked with the Vietnamese navy. Based out of Danang she provided patrol off the coast of Vietnam through May 1962. On June 27th of 1962, she began an overhaul which continued through most of the remainder of the year.
Esteem was decommissioned in Seattle, Washington on 20 September 1991 and stricken on 30 September 1991. She was sold for scrapping in 2000.
17 unit awards, [1] including:
USS Fearless (AM/MSO-442) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper. She was the third United States Navy ship to carry the name.
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 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 Firm (AM-444/MSO-444) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.
USS Conquest (MSO-488) was an Agile-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.
USS Excel (MSO-439) was an Agile-class minesweeper: laid down, 9 February 1953 as AM-439 at the Higgins Corp., New Orleans, Louisiana; launched, 25 September 1953; reclassified an Ocean Minesweeper (non-magnetic) MSO-439, 7 February 1955; commissioned USS Excel (MSO-439), 24 February 1955.
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 Endurance (AM-435/MSO-435) was an Agile-class minesweeper in service with the United States Navy from 1954 to 1972. She was scrapped in 1974.
USS Energy (AM-436/MSO-436) 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 Enhance (AM-437/MSO-437) 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 Fortify (AM-446/MSO-446) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing Contact, Magnetic, and Acoustic mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
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 Illusive (AM-448/MSO-448) 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 Implicit (AM-455/MSO-455) 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 Pledge (MSO-492) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.