USS Fearless (MSO-442)

Last updated
USS Fearless (MSO-442) underway in 1956 (0018 101572).jpg
Fearless in 1956
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameUSS Fearless
Builder Higgins Industries, New Orleans, Louisiana
Laid down23 July 1952
Launched17 July 1953
Commissioned22 September 1954, as AM-442
Decommissioned23 October 1990
ReclassifiedMSO-442 (Ocean Minesweeper), 7 February 1955
Stricken28 October 1990
FateSold for scrap, 1 December 1992
General characteristics
Class and type Aggressive-class minesweeper
Displacement853 long tons (867 t) full load
Length172 ft (52 m)
Beam35 ft (11 m)
Draft10 ft (3 m)
Propulsion
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement
  • Active: 7 officers, 70 enlisted
  • Naval Reserve Force: 5 officers, 52 enlisted plus 25 reserve
Sensors and
processing systems		AN/SQQ-14 mine countermeasures sonar
Armament

USS Fearless (AM/MSO-442) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper. She was the third United States Navy ship to carry the name.

Contents

Fearless was launched on 17 July 1953 by Higgins, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana; sponsored by Mrs. A. J. Higgins, Jr.; and commissioned on 22 September 1954. Authorized as AM-442; she was reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-442, 7 February 1955.

Service history

USS Fearless (MSO-442) USS Fearless (MSO-442) underway in the Mediterranean Sea c1988.jpeg
USS Fearless (MSO-442)

With Charleston, South Carolina as her home port, Fearless operated through 1960 on training operations, experiments and tests, and in exercises along the coast and in the Caribbean. Every other year from 1955 she sailed to the Mediterranean for duty with the 6th Fleet, joining in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercises and visiting European ports. In the spring of 1956, she conducted joint exercises with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy, and through that summer experimented with controllable pitch propellers and mine-countermeasures equipment at Charleston and Port Everglades, Florida.

In August 1987 Fearless was towed by Grapple (ARS-53) to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Earnest Will, arriving in mid-September. Full scale mine countermeasures operations began in November of that year. Fearless remained in theatre at least into 1988, clearing mines in the Persian Gulf. Her eligible crew earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for her service.

Fearless operated out of Charleston, South Carolina during her entire career. She decommissioned on 23 October 1990, and was struck five days later. She was sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for scrapping, 1 December 1992 to Seawitch Salvage, Baltimore, Maryland for $6,000.

Fearless received four Navy "E" Ribbons, one Meritorious Unit Commendation, one Navy Unit Commendation and two Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendations during her career.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Vital</i> (MSO-474) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Vital (AM-474/MSO-474) was an Agile-class minesweeper in service with the United States Navy from 1955 to 1972. She was sold for scrap in 1979.

USS <i>Swerve</i> (MSO-495) U.S. Navy minesweeping ship

USS Swerve (MSO-495) 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 <i>Conquest</i> (AM-488) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Conquest (MSO-488) was an Agile-class minesweeper in the United States Navy.

USS <i>Exploit</i> (AM-440) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Exploit (MSO-440) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper. The ship was laid down on 28 December 1951 at Higgins Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana and launched on 10 April 1953. The vessel was commissioned USS Exploit (AM-440) on 31 March 1954 and redesignated as an ocean minesweeper MSO-440 on 7 February 1955.

USS <i>Fidelity</i> (AM-443) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Fidelity (AM-443/MSO-443) was an Agile-class minesweeper. Laid down on 15 December 1952 at Higgins Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana; launched on 21 August 1953; commissioned on 19 January 1955; redesignated as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-443, 7 February 1955.

USS <i>Pinnacle</i> (MSO-462) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Pinnacle (AM-462/MSO-462) 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 <i>Valor</i> (AM-472) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Valor (AM-472/MSO-472) was an Agile-class minesweeper in service with the United States Navy from 1954 to 1970. She was sold for scrap in 1971.

USS <i>Dominant</i> (AM-431) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Dominant (MSO-431) was an Agile-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy.

USS <i>Esteem</i> Minesweeper of the United States Navy

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.

USS <i>Exultant</i> (AM-441) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Exultant (AM-441/MSO-441) 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 <i>Fortify</i> (AM-446) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

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 <i>Impervious</i> (AM-449) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

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 <i>Inflict</i> (AM-456) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

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 <i>Nimble</i> (AM-459) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Nimble (AM-459/MSO-459) was an Agile-class minesweeper in service with the United States Navy from 1955 to 1970. She was sold for scrap in 1981.

USS <i>Notable</i> (MSO-460) U.S. Navy minesweeper

USS Notable (AM-460/MSO-460) 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 <i>Observer</i> (MSO-461) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Observer (AM-461/MSO-461) 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 <i>Leader</i> (MSO-490) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

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 <i>Stalwart</i> (MSO-493) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Stalwart (MSO-493) 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 <i>Venture</i> (MSO-496) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Venture (AM-496/MSO-496) 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 <i>Adroit</i> (MSO-509) Minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Adroit (AM-509/MSO-509) was an 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.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.