All of the sweeps

MINE WARFARE SHIPS

«» 85 Agile class oceangoing minesweepers

Bldr Laid down Launched In serv. Dispostion
MSO 421 AGILE 22-2-54 19-11-55 21-6-56 70 decomm.
MSO 422 AGRESSIVE Luders Marine, Stamford 25-5-51 4-10-52 25-11-53 70 decomm; transferred to Peru
MSO 423 AVENGE 15-3-53 10-69 lost to fire
MSO 424 BOLD Norfolk Navy SY 14-3-53 25-9-53 70 decomm; transferred to Taiwan
MSO 425 BULWARK Norfolk Navy SY 14-3-53 12-11-53 70 decomm; transferred to Taiwan
MSO 426 CONFLICT Fulton Shipyard, Antioch, CA 16-12-52 23-3-54 71 transferred to Spain; scrapped 12-1-73
MSO 427 CONSTANT Fulton SY 16-8-51 14-2-52 8-9-54 stricken before 93
MSO 428 DASH 20-9-52 14-8-53 1-10-82 decomm.
MSO 429 DETECTOR 5-12-52 26-1-54 1-10-82 decomm.
MSO 430 DIRECT 27-5-53 9-7-54 1-10-82 decomm.
MSO 431 DOMINANT 5-11-53 8-11-54 1-10-82 decomm.
MSO 432 DYNAMIC 17-12-52 1-7-71 transferred to Spain
MSO 433 ENGAGE Colberg Boat Wks 7-11-51 18-6-53 29-6-54 stricken before 92
(ex-Elusive)
MSO 434 EMBATTLE 27-8-53 16-11-54 15-5-70 decomm; transferred to Peru
MSO 435 ENDURANCE 9-8-52 19-5-54 1-7-72 decomm.
MSO 436 ENERGY 13-2-53 16-7-54 5-7-72 transferred to the Philippines
MSO 437 ENHANCE Martinlock SB, San Diego 12-7-52 11-10-52 16-4-55 stricken before 92
MSO 438 ESTEEM Martinlock SB, San Diego 1-9-52 20-12-52 10-9-55 stricken before 92
MSO 439 EXCEL Higgins, New Orleans 4-2-53 25-9-53 24-2-55 stricken before 93
MSO 440 EXPLOIT Higgins, New Orleans 28-12-51 10-4-53 31-3-54 27-7-88 decomm.
MSO 441 EXULTANT Higgins, New Orleans 22-5-52 6-6-53 22-6-54 sked for decomm by 7/94
MSO 442 FEARLESS Higgins, New Orleans 23-7-52 17-7-53 22-9-54 stricken before 92
MSO 443 FIDELITY Higgins, New Orleans 15-12-52 21-8-53 19-1-55 stricken before 92
MSO 444 FIRM 15-4-53 12-10-54 5-7-72 transferred to the Philippines
MSO 445 FORCE 26-6-53 4-1-55 24-4-73 lost to fire
MSO 446 FORTIFY Seattle, SB & DD 30-11-51 14-2-53 16-7-54 19-11-88 decomm.
MSO 447 GUIDE 17-4-54 71 transferred to Spain
MSO 448 ILLUSIVE Martinlock SB, San Diego 23-10-51 12-7-52 14-11-53 stricken before 92
MSO 449 IMPERVIOUS Martinlock SB, San Diego 18-11-51 29-8-52 15-7-54 stricken before 92
MSO 450 MDAP built for France
MSO 451 MDAP built for France; subsequently transferred to Uruguay (1970)
MSO 452 MDAP built for France
MSO 453 MDAP built for France
MSO 454 MDAP built for France
MSO 455 IMPLICIT Wilmington Boat Wks. 29-10-51 1-8-53 10-3-54 8-7-89 decomm.
MSO 456 INFLICT Wilmington Boat Wks. 29-10-51 6-10-53 11-5-54 stricken before 92
MSO 457 LOYALTY 22-11-53 11-6-54 1-7-72 decomm.
MSO 458 LUCID 14-11-53 4-5-55 stricken before 73
MSO 459 NIMBLE 6-8-54 11-5-55 stricken before 73
MSO 460 NOTABLE 15-10-54 1-2-71 decomm.
MSO 461 OBSERVER 19-10-54 31-8-55 stricken before 73
MSO 462 PINNACLE 3-1-55 21-10-55 stricken before 73
MSO 463 PIVOT 9-1-54 1-7-71 transferred to Spain
MSO 464 PLUCK Wilmington Boat Wks. 31-3-52 6-2-54 11-8-54 23-12-88 decomm.
MSO 465 PRESTIGE 30-4-54 23-8-58 stranded, Inland Sea, total loss
MSO 466 PRIME 27-5-54 11-10-54 stricken before 73; transferred to Thailand
MSO 467 REAPER 25-6-54 10-11-54 15-5-70 decomm; transferred to Thailand
MSO 468 RIVAL 15-8-54 1-2-71 decomm.
MSO 469 SAGACITY 20-2-54 1-10-70 lost to grounding
MSO 470 SALUTE 14-8-54 1-2-71 decomm.
MSO 471 SKILL 17-8-53 23-4-55 7-11-55 stricken before 73
MSO 472 VALOR 13-5-53 1-2-71 decomm.
MSO 473 VIGOR 24-6-53 8-11-54 5-4-72 transferred to Spain
MSO 474 VITAL 12-8-54 9-6-55 stricken before 73
MSO 475 MDAP built for France
MSO 476 MDAP built for France
MSO 477 MDAP built for France
MSO 478 MDAP built for Portugal
MSO 479 MDAP built for Portugal
MSO 480 MDAP built for the Netherlands
MSO 481 MDAP built for the Netherlands
MSO 482 MDAP built for the Netherlands
MSO 483 MDAP built for the Netherlands
MSO 484 MDAP built for the Netherlands
MSO 485 MDAP built for the Netherlands
MSO 486 MDAP built for Portugal
MS0 487 MDAP built for Portugal
MSO 488 CONQUEST J. M. Martinac 26-3-53 20-5-54 20-7-55 sked for decomm by 7/94
MSO 489 GALLANT J. M. Martinac 21-5-53 4-6-54 14-9-55 stricken before 93
MSO 490 LEADER J. M. Martinac 22-9-53 15-9-54 16-11-55 stricken before 92
MSO 491 PERSISTANT 17-6-54 23-4-55 1-7-71 transferred to Spain
MSO 492 PLEDGE J. M. Martinac 24-6-54 20-7-55 20-4-56 stricken before 93
MSO 493 STALWART 22-6-54 3-12-55 1-3-67 capsized & sunk after fire, San Juan
MSO 494 STURDY 15-10-54 28-1-56 23-10-57 stricken before 73
MSO 495 SWERVE 20-12-54 1-11-55 27-7-57 stricken before 73
MSO 496 VENTURE 11-1-55 27-11-56 3-2-58 stricken before 73
MSO 497 cancelled prior to being built
MSO 498 MDAP built for Norway; subsequently transferred to Belgium
MSO 499 MDAP built for Norway; subsequently transferred to Belgium
MSO 500 MDAP built for France
MSO 501 MDAP built for France
MSO 502 MDAP built for France
MSO 503 MDAP built for Belgium
MSO 504 MDAP built for Belgium
MSO 505 MDAP built for France
MSO 506 MDAP built for Italy 13-11-54 56
MSO 507 MDAP built for Italy 19-2-55 56

«» 11 Acme class oceangoing minesweepers

MSO 508 ACME Frank L. Sample, Jr. Inc, Boothbay Harbor, Maine 23-6-55 27-9-56 73 decomm.
MSO 509 ADROIT Frank Sample Inc, Boothbay Harbor 20-8-55 4-3-57 stricken before 93
MSO 510 ADVANCE Frank Sample Inc, Boothbay Harbor 12-7-57 16-6-58 73 decomm.
MSO 511 AFFRAY Frank Sample Inc, Boothbay Harbor 18-12-56 8-12-58 18-7-89 decomm.
MSO 512 MDAP built for France
MSO 513 MDAP built for France
MSO 514 MDAP built for France
MSO 515 MDAP built for Belgium
MSO 516 MDAP built for Belgium
MSO 517 MDAP built for Italy
MSO 518 MDAP built for Italy

«» 4 Ability class oceangoing minesweepers

MSO 519 ABILITY Petersen Builders Inc., Sturgeon Bay 5-3-56 29-12-56 14-8-58 1-2-71 decomm.
MSO 520 ALACRITY Petersen SB, Sturgeon Bay 3-5-56 8-6-57 2-10-58 reclassified as research ship, AGS-520
MSO 521 ASSURANCE Petersen SB, Sturgeon Bay 28-6-57 31-8-57 21-11-58 reclassified as research ship, AGS-521
MSO 522 MDAP built for Belgium Petersen SB, Sturgeon Bay 58 12-60

D: 716 tons light (853 fl) S: 14 kts Dim:52.42 x 10.97 x 4.2
A: 1-40 mm. see Remarks 2/12.7-mm mg (I x 2) Range: 2,400/10
Electron Equipt: Radar: SPS-53E or L--Sonar: UQS-1, later SQQ-14 minehunting sonars
M: 4 Packard or Waukesha L-1616 diesels; 2 CP props; 2,280/2,400 hp Fuel: 48 tons
Man: 8 officers, 70 men (Naval Reserve Force ships: 3 officers, 36 men + 3 officers and 44 men Reserves)
REMARKS: 100 of these vessels were originally built, cost $3.5 million in 1951. Designated as Wooden Minesweepers [AM], they were reclassifed to Minesweeper, Ocean (non-magnetic) in Feb. 1955. Wooden construction; nonmagnetic, stainless-steel machinery. Hoist machinery for the SQQ-14 minehunting sonar occupies the position of the former 40-mm AA gun. Hull nos. 450-454, 475-487, 498-507, 512-518 and 522 were built in the U.S. under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program; no U.S. names were allocated. 15 were transferred to France, 6 to the Netherlands, 4 to Portugal, 5 to Belgium, 2 to Norway, and 4 to Italy. Many of these ships have been transferred to other navies after having been paid off by their original service.

428,429,430,431 had 2 General Motors diesels at 1520 hp; 496, at 1,200 hp; 508-511 fitted with 2 GM diesels at 2,800 hp; 519-522 at 2,700 hp. 508-511, 519-521 had 2 diesels (Packard or GM) at 2,800/2,700 hp and were fitted out as division flagships.

Modernization commenced in 1968, the plan calling for all of the Ability class, Acme class and Agileclass being re-engined with four Waukesha diesels, SQQ-14 minehunting sonar to replace the UQS-1 and the 40 mm. gun and built up bridge structure for command and control. Thirteen of the Agile class (433, 437-438, 441-443, 445-446, 448-449, 456, 488 and 490) were re-engined with Waukesha diesels; the remainder of the survivors (MSO 427, 439, 440, 455, 464, 489, and 492) retained Packard lD1700 diesels, totaling 2,280 hp; those ships displace 684 tons light, 762 full load. All the survivors were given very thorough rehabilitations during the early to mid-1970s, receiving semi-enclosed bridges, and an enlarged superstructures abaft the bridge, SQQ-14 minehunting sonars, new communications gear, and upgraded accommodations. The SPS-53 radars were eventually replaced by SPS-64(V)9. Because of costs, the modernization plans were cancelled in 1970 for the Ability and Agile class.

Following construction of MSO-522 in 1960, more were planned, but never built in 1964 (523-526), in 1967 (523-531), and in 1971 (523-538) before plans changed to build the MCM class in 1979. The keel for MCM-1 was laid in 1983 and she was placed in commission in 1985.

In 1975 MSO 440 was equipped with the prototype SSN-2 precise-navigation system for the new MCM class, and in 1980 MSO 443 received the prototype SQQ-30 sonar, being developed for the MCM 1 class.

All MSO-class minesweepers have left service with the U.S. Navy, though a number remain in service in foreign navies. The names of the following foreign service ships of this class are as follows:

French Navy: Adelaide Class