History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Force |
Builder | J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington |
Laid down | 26 August 1952 |
Launched | 26 June 1953 |
Commissioned | 4 January 1955, as AM-445 |
Reclassified | MSO-445 (Ocean Minesweeper), 7 February 1955 |
Fate | Lost by fire off Guam, 24 April 1973 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Aggressive-class minesweeper |
Displacement | 620 long tons (630 t) full load |
Length | 172 ft (52 m) |
Beam | 35 ft (11 m) |
Draft | 10 ft (3 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
Complement | 74 |
Armament |
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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.
Force was armed with one single 40 mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns. Later, her bow gun was replaced with one twin 20 mm.
Force reported to Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, at Long Beach, California, 20 January 1955, and sailed along the California coast in training exercises until 1 May 1956. She departed then for her first tour of duty in the Far East, during which she made a good will cruise of ports in the northern islands of Japan, as well as training with ships of the Chinese Nationalist Navy. Damaged by typhoons in August, she was repaired at Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan, and returned to Long Beach 15 November.
Special operations took Force to the Panama Canal Zone between 30 August and 6 December 1957. She returned to Long Beach for exercises and preparations for her next deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet, completed between 3 November 1958 and 1 June 1959. During this time, she again trained with the Chinese, Korean, and Thai navies.
On 2 November, she sailed with her division and Greer County (LST-799) for combined amphibious and minesweeping exercises out of Kodiak, Alaska; in these operations, her group was joined by ships of the Royal Canadian Navy. During these maneuvers, Force collected hydrographic data and served as home base for an explosive ordnance demolition team. She returned by way of Vancouver, British Columbia, and San Francisco, California, to Long Beach 16 December 1959. In February, 1960 Force was on station for missile nose cone recovery duty and during the balance of the year participated in exercise "Steeple Jack," a "Phiblex 60" exercise, and local operations.
"Force" served in the Vietnam War on coastal patrol during the 1960s (Operation "Market Time".)
On 24 April 1973 Force was lost off Guam, when a fuel leak was ignited by the No.1 Engine turbocharger and spread rapidly throughout the ship, despite the efforts of the crew. The ship was abandoned, and sank. There were no casualties, but one injury was reported. [1]
USS Engage (MSO-433), an Agile-class minesweeper, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named Engage.
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 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 Avenge (MSO-423) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the task of clearing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
USS Dominant (MSO-431) was an Agile-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy.
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 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 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 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 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 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.