|
WOODEN SHIPS & IRON MEN
Aggressive Class Minesweeper: Laid down 1 September 1952 as Esteem (AM-438)by the Martinolich
Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA,; Launched, 20 December 1952; Redesignated as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-438, 7 February 1955;
Commissioned USS Esteem (MSO-438), 10 September 1955; Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1991;
Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton Group; Disposed of through the Maritime Administration, 6 March 2000; Sold
for scrapping to Crowley Marine Services, Long Beach, CA.
Specifications: Displacement 775 t; Length 172'; Beam 35'; Draft 12'; Speed 14 kts; Complement eight officers, 70
enlisted; Armament, as built, one single 40mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns, final configuration, bow gun replaced
by one twin 20mm gun mount (Later removed when SQQ-14 installed), two .50 cal. machine guns remain; Propulsion, four Packard
ID1700 diesel engines, replaced by four Waukasha Motors Co. diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.
These new minesweepers were smaller and built primarily of wood , with bronze and stainless (non-magnetic) steel
fittings to minimize their magnetic signature. All of the 1950 era MSOs had UQS-1 mine-locating sonar, later updated with
SQQ-14 sonar. MSOs were capable of sweeping for moored, bottom contact, magnetic and acoustic mines.
Esteem was decommissioned Sept 30, 1970 in preparation for extensive modernization. Recommissioned Aug 27,
1971.
| CALL SIGN |
|
| November Delta Foxtrot Hotel |
WOODEN SHIPS AND IRON MEN a book by CDR David D.Bruhn USN RET.The history of our MSO's from 1953
to 1994. To learn more about this excellent minesweeper book please visit CDR Bruhn's website at the link below.
David Bruhn
|
