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HISTORY
The third Conquest (AM-488) was launched 20 May 1954 by Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Wash.;
sponsored by Mrs. C. D. Henderson; reclassified MSO-488, 7 February 1955; and commissioned 20 July 1955, Lieutenant E. L.
Davis in command.
One of a new type of nonmagnetic minesweepers, Conquest remained operating out of Long Beach on
trials and training until 2 October 1956. She sailed to Acapulco, Mexico, for a good will visit from 10 to 14 October, then
returned to Long Beach to prepare for her first tour of duty in the Far East. Sailing 4 March 1957, Conquest visited Chinhae,
Korea; Kaohsuing, Formosa, for operations with the Navy of the Republic of China; Hong Kong, British Crown Colony; and various
ports in Japan before returning to Long Beach 13 September 1957 for overhaul. During 1958 she operated locally out of Long
Beach and conducted a series of minesweeping exercises at Esquimalt, Nootka Sound, and Vancouver, British Columbia, from 6
October to 19 November. Between 17 August 1959 and 13 March 1960, she again served in the Far East, returning to local operations
through June 1960.
SHIP'S HISTORY The CONQUEST is a 172 foot long, 840 ton minesweeper hull built in 1953 and first
commissioned in 1955 at Long Beach, California. Powered by four Waukesha Diesel Engines rated at 600 horsepower apiece, the
ship is fully "Ocean Capable" with respect to both speed and endurance. The ship is assigned to the Naval Reserve Force and
is manned with five active duty officers and sixty enlisted men; and has a reserve component of two officers and twenty enlisted
men. From commissioning until October 1970, the CONQUEST was homeported in Long Beach, California as a unit of MINE FLOTILLA
THREE. During this period the ship completed six Western Pacific deployments. Her assignments included Market Time Patrols
along the coast of Vietnam and joint excerdses with naval forces from Korea, Japan, Thailand and the Phillipines. In November
1970 the CONQUEST was decommissioned for as extensive modernization at the Harbor Boat Company in Long Beach. During this
rehabilitation the main engineering plant was improved, the communications suite updated, and major improvement to crew habitability
made. CONQUEST was recommissioned on October 21, 1971 and commenced an extensive period of refresher training, prior to the
Naval Reserve Force and a new homeportPearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the fall of 1972 the ship arrived in Pearl Harbor to assume
duty as the flagship for the reserve operational commander, COMMANDER MINE DIVISION FIVE FOUR. Shortly thereafter she was
joined by the USS ESTEEM (MSO-438) and the first Hawaii based Reserve Mine Division began operations. Reserve Operations were
interrupted, however, when, in January 1973 the CONQUEST was reactivated and ordered to prepare for immediate deployment to
the Western Pacific. From February until September 1973 the ship participated in "Operation End Sweep"the United States mine
clearance effort in North Vietnam. With a crew augumented by Charleston based volunteers, the CONQUEST assisted in clearing
minefields in Haiphong, Vinh, and other coastal areas in Vietnam. Steaming more than 20,000 miles in seven months, the ship
visited ports in Guam, the Phillipines, and Taiwan while in transit to the mine clearance operations. In September 1973 CONQUEST
returned to Pearl Harbor and rejoined the Naval Reserve Force. The ship operated as a unit of MINE DIVISION FIVE FOUR until
September 1975 when her homeport changed to Seattle, Washington. The CONQUEST now operates as a unit of MINE DIVISION FIVE
THREE and is homeported in Seattle, Washington. She now patrols the Puget Sound and Northwestern Coastline of the United States
and Canada. Her reserve component embarks once per month and sails with the active duty crew for two-and-one-half days. USS
CONQUEST (MSO-488) is under the administration and operational command of COMMANDER MINE GROUP ONE, Naval Station, Seattle,
Washington.Decommissioned June 29 1994 at Naval Station Everett,Wa.
Agent Orange Alert-1967-1968.USS Conquest was sprayed with agent orange while at DaNang.Contact Gene
E. Reinbolt at g1reinbolt@msn.com for more information.
An Important part of "Sweep"history went down in 1961/62.I served in the "Conquest MSO 488" at that
time and we were deployed to Vietnam for military operations;we established control in the "Tonkin Gulf"(as Advisors,maintaining
stations and using Vietnamese Liaison Officers).We swept/secured the Saigon River,allowing larger Naval traffic up to Saigon.If
my memory isn't failing,we were part of Mine Division 073."Our operational orders Issued by the Commodore were quite unique....Being
in CIC,I smiled then and still do now when I reflect on navigational chores with French maps.Even DaNang on the map was called
Tourane.
John Pearson, July, 2003
RD2, USS CONQUEST MSO 488
Mine Division SEVENTY-THREE is composed of the USS ESTEEM (MSO 438), USS ACME (MSO 508), USS CONQUEST (MSO
488), USS GALLANT (MSO 489) and USS PLEDGE (MSO 492). Four ships were constructed on the West Coast and one on the East Coast
of the United States. They were commissioned in the summer of 1955, spring and summer of 1956. Mine Division SEVENTY-THREE
came into being in January 1957. In February 1957, Mine Division SEVENTY-THREE was making preparation for deployment to the
Western Pacific, departing Long Beach on 4 March 1957. Routine minesweeping operations and several joint minesweeping exercises
with the Chinese and Korean navies were conducted while deployed. The division left the shipyard in February 1958 and underwent
refresher and mine countermeasures training.
US Navy Mine Division 73 with a tender and five mine sweepers is operating from Tourane Harbor in conjunction
with the Vietnamese Navy conducting maritime surveillance patrols south of the 17th parallel.Jan 09 1962.Joint Chiefs of Staff
letter to the U.S.President.
Mine Division Ships:USS Conquest MSO-488,USS Esteem MSO-438,USS Galllant MSO-489,USS Illusive
MSO-448 and USS Pledge MSO-492(Flagship).The Tender was USS Epping Forest LSD-4/MCS-7.(Mine Countermeasures Support Ship)
The Conquest and the rest of the division was one of the first ships involved in the Vietnam war.
Saigon was attacked by the VC and our division had to run a block on the Saigon river. We ran out our sweep gear to check
for mines. We visited Bangkok Thailand and Sataheap prior to going into Saigon. We left Saigon in a rush. Then we proceeded
back to Japan when we received orders to return to DaNang for Market time Patrol and sweep the DaNang harbor. The Long Beach
Newspaper of April 21,1962 tells a story of our division returning from Vietnam. Monte Bowthorpe was on the Conquest with
me in Vietnam. Also John Pearson. At 71 it's some times hard to remember everything. But this is to my best recollection.
Onboard 08 1960 to 01 1965.Ron Greene EN2
That brings back memories, I was on the Esteem from Nov. 1960 through 14 Sep. 1964. Mine Div. 73 consisted
of USS Illusive, USS Esteem, USS Gallant, USS Conquest, and USS Pledge
I clearly remember going up the Saigon river, Tonkin
Gulf patrol at one to five knots, our LST Support ship, picking up stores and mail from USS Epping Forest on 4 Feb. 1962,
Vietnamese Liaison Officers, training Vietnamese Midshipmen, operating with Vietnamese PCs Papa 4, Papa 6, and Papa 8, standing
pier guard in Saigon, Typhoons, Monsoons...............we were later listed in the US Naval Institute's official history on
the Navy in Vietnam as the first major US Naval units in Vietnam.
Eike H.Hohendl EM2 USS Esteem MSO
438
For you old salts who were on the 65-66 West Pac deployment aboard CONQUEST , I have been wondering about
the "Zipper" incident for years and hoping someone with a better memory or perhaps a higher security clearance can shed some
light on the events of that night.
To my recollection, CONQUEST was on patrol South of Danang when we encountered
a radar contact in a restricted area sometime after midnight. The contact was plotted as Dead in Water (DIW). I don't
remember the exact date or time. The contact was later ID'd as the coastal freighter MV Zipper, supposedly of French
registry. When we
approached, the radar operator detected several small contacts splitting from the larger and heading
towards shore. Zipper got underway and as we approached we lit her up with the searchlight and signaled for her to stop.
When she didn't comply we fired , I believe , two 40mm rounds across her bow. Those topside on CONQUEST could see the
Zipper's crew throwing cargo overboard. We radioed
our command for instructions and were informed of suspicions
that Zipper was suspected of comms . jamming and smuggling. We let her go ! Does anyone know any more details
or why we failed to board and search her ?
Thanks, Don Dunagan ex-RD3, USS Conquest (MSO-488)
Assurance to Conquest to Assurance
In mid to late 1972 Assurance went to Hampton Roads to test the mines, or at least the detonators, being
used in Haiphong Harbor. We were to sweep them with our Magtail to see how and when they would detonate. The testing
was done on a range at Old Point Comfort in the shadow of Fort Monroe and the Chamberlain Hotel, our track bringing us to
within 50 feet of the hotel’s swimming pool patio.
The detonators had been placed on the bottom in known locations. We went up and down the range pulsing,
based on instructions from the beach. Those in charge would record our location and the pulse magnitude when the detonator
went off. I remember we thought it interesting that we set them off about 800 feet ahead of the end of the Magtail,
or roughly right underneath where a helo would be during helo sweeping. Don’t know if the detonators or sweep
procedures were changed to keep from blowing MH-53’s out of the sky.
For some reason, we also did some tests dropping hand grenades over the fantail to see what affect they
had on our shaft packing. This was done as we passed the Chamberlain patio close aboard to starboard, giving the swimmers
and other guests a little show.
My “End Sweep” remembrances start with the message coming to Assurance early one week discussing
the need for 2 XO’s and two half crews to man the NRF ships Conquest and Esteem in Pearl Harbor. I figured the
Navy, in its inimitable wisdom and ass-backward logic, would assume a bachelor was easier to send than a married person, so
even if I didn’t volunteer I’d be sent anyway. I volunteered and got Conquest. The XO of the Alacrity
got Esteem. Things happened quickly. We were given our shots on a Thursday, had about two days to get our affairs
in order, got put on a plane on Sunday, and were on the job Monday morning. The ships were in the midst of a mini yard
overhaul in the Naval Shipyard. We were quickly assimilated into the crew. The yard work took about a week.
We then had a few days of REFTRA and were off for Guam. We had a blob on the fantail but still needed to transit with
an ATF (Moctobi?) in order to make it. Even that wasn’t enough and at one point the ATF had to leave us and dash
up to Wake Island for fuel so she and we could complete the trip.
In Guam we were immediately drydocked and our bottom cleaned. That done, we removed all the extraneous
ferrous material, got degaussed, and were soon on our way to Subic Bay, waving to Cdr. Lloyd Bucher of Pueblo fame as we cast
off the last line.
It was on this leg of the trip that we got word of Force burning and sinking. We were her relief ship,
so the news was sobering and caused no end of interesting dinner conversations in the wardroom. For me the transit through
the islands in the Philippines was a thrill. My father was a TBM pilot in Air Group 15 off the Essex in WWII, so steaming
through the San Bernardino Straits and the Sibuyan Sea where he saw a lot of action and earned a Navy Cross during Leyte Gulf
was exciting (if you watch History Channel, he was featured on a show about Adm. Halsey ).
After we arrived in Subic, life became a series of trips to Haiphong and back to the PI. We were pawns
in the peace process game. If the N. Vietnamese were giving Kissinger a hard time, he’d pull us out. When things
went well, he’d send us back. We spent enough time in Subic for our softball team to take the second spot
in the Philippines Forces Afloat Championship. We also spent enough time to blow our paychecks in the officers’club
on San Miguel, Irish coffee and nickel slot machines while the men were cruising Magsaysay Blvd. in Olongapo. When we did
get to Haiphong to sweep, we’d be anchored out near the mine field tracking the helo’s on radar acting as an air
traffic controller, telling them where to go while N. Vietnamese patrol boats would cruise around us. Never did any
actual sweeping ourselves. I still wonder if there even were that many actual mines, as the helo’s didn’t
sweep too many either. I have a photo of one exploding taken from the back door of an MH-53, given to me by a friend
on the MOMCOM Staff. Was that “the mine”? We also were sent down south into the Strauss-Warrington
area to sweep there.
We managed to survive Typhoon Anita in the S. China Sea. The weather guessers on the staff managed
to keep the task force in the storm for 2 or 3 days, great work on their part. Conquest took a 47° roll but suffered
little damage, riding over the waves like a cork, not that we didn’t worry, especially as we got lighter and lighter.
The big ships suffered a lot more damage.
When “End Sweep” was all over, we headed back to Pearl via Guam. Conquest was in much
better shape than Esteem (we called her the “No Steam”). We were under our own power while she was under
tow. At one point she lost steering, got way out of line, took a 51° roll, parted the tow cable and ripped the bullnose
clean out of the ship. There was a big hole to the outside where the front bulkhead of the boatswains’ locker
once had been. She got things patched up in Guam, and we both eventually made it back in one piece. We got back
to Hawaii early but weren’t allowed in because they had a welcome ceremony with a band planned for us, and those plans
couldn’t be changed. While we were boring holes in the ocean, I got a call to go to radio because somebody was
asking for me personally. Turns out it was the Chief of Staff of the Naval District, Capt. King, who had been a roommate
of my uncle’s at the Academy, inviting me to his house for dinner that night. I was sort of embarrassed.
I stayed an extra week in Hawaii so the skipper could take some leave with his wife (who was none too happy
to see him deploy in the first place). I flew home on a MAC charter to Travis AFB near San Francisco. I figured
I had cleared customs in Hawaii so my carry-on luggage contained some pirated record albums ( those round black things we
used to get music out of) picked up on our visit to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Once on the ground, I was in the customs line
with everybody else, watching their luggage being inspected. I was getting nervous. As I got to the inspector,
I expected him to find the albums and clap me in irons. He looked me in the eye and asked “Where are you coming
from?” I replied “From sweeping the mines in Haiphong Harbor.” He asked “Got some orders?”
I nervously showed them to him. He said “Welcome back!” I grabbed my luggage and made a bee-line for
the bus to the airport.
When I returned to Charleston, Assurance had completed her conversion to a TASS platform (towed array surveillance
system), so “End Sweep” was technically the end of my minesweeping career. Assurance did certification tests
in the Bahamas, then did a Med cruise looking for Russian subs, during which time I changed my designator to Civil Engineer
Corps. I was XO of an AG on a semi-secret mission with CEC devices on my collar. It made for a lot of speculation
by the folks in Rota and elsewhere. It also meant that the CO (he and I didn’t get along too well) decided I was
no longer eligible for command, being a staff officer, so the TASS officer would take over if need be. Higher authority
assured him that would not be the case, and I was still second in command. At the conclusion of the operation, we returned
to Charleston. I left the ship immediately upon arrival to start my career in the Seabees.
Mike Cosgrove, CDR, CEC, USNR (ret)
XO Conquest, Jan-Oct 1973
Enroute Persian Gulf
Sept 1987
The gash was in the port side it also ripped off the
port bridge wing and a life jacket locker causing
great
confusion when we were trying to figure out if
anyone was knocked overboard, I believe we could
refuel on either side
although I believe that was the
only time in the four years I was onboard that we
tried to do it underway. We were in
Pearl for 10-14
days in drydock. It all kind of ran together as we
were working around the clock. As I said earlier
I was
repair 2 locker leader, Kevin Mullen was repair 3
locker leader and we were both on scene immediately
after
we got seperated from the LST. Both of us began
working on it right away before we could get our
repair lockers manned
up, which also added to the
confusion because we couldn't get an accurate man
count as we were ordering people around
(we were very
concerned about sinking, the gash was less than 1 foot
above the water line)with no regard as to where
they
were supposed to be.
Jerry Baldwin
Barbour County put to sea on 22 August and, after rendezvous with Enhance (MSO-437), Esteem (MSO-438),
and Conquest (MSO-488), the tank landing ship towed the minesweepers to Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 1 September. While
in port, a rescue and assistance detail went to Conquest to help put out a small fire on the 4th. Underway the next day, Barbour
County began escorting the three minesweepers, as well as Salvor (ARS-52), to the Philippines. While enroute, Conquest collided
with the tank landing ship during a refueling evolution. Although damage to Barbour County was minor, the minesweeper suffered
more and turned back to Pearl Harbor. The remaining ships continued steaming west and arrived in Subic Bay on the 26th
1990 USS Conquest,USS Enhance & USS Esteem
From:Abu Dhabi
To: Seattle,Wa.
Vessel:Super Servent
3
Cargo: 3 Minesweepers
Loading:Float-on
Discharge:Float-off
Transit Time:11,200 miles;55 days
Arrived April
1990
Persian Gulf
As far as the crew rotation go.What I remember starting it off was the President decided to send the
Minesweepers to the Persian Gulf because of the mine threat to the Oil Tankers.In early 1987 we sent 3 East Coast minesweepers
to the Persian Gulf via ship transport to save their engines.The West Coast Minesweepers were towed by an LST.The West
Coast Sweeps had a difficult time getting over with towing cables breaking and other hazards.Conquest had it's port side ripped
apart by the bridge area.Once the Sweeps were in the Persian gulf we were put on a crew rotation Schedule.The rotation was
for 5 months.I was out there when the USS Samuel B. Roberts hit a mine.I believe USS Conquest found 3 mines using her SQQ-14
Sonar.We were happy as all get out when those mines were found and destroyed.We had EOD onboard us so once a mine was located
we would send down this bright yellow diving camera .The camera had built in sonar and would be sent to the tracked
coordinate of what the Sonar Operator marked for the mine.We would be able to see the object underwater with color monitors
that were placed in CIC.
Once the object was positively identified as a mine the Eod would take the Z-bird boat and dive down
to it,place a satchel charge on it and we would back the ship up and it would explode.Iran was the one laying those old contact
mines at the time.Our support ship was the USS Mount Vernon (LST-39).I remember climbing this cargo ladder straight up from Conquest
to get on her deck when we wanted to workout,eat chow or watch a movie while we were tied up along side of her.The Navy Seal
Boat would come out in the morning and deliver our mail to us where we were anchored.The Seals and other important people
for that area operated from a Huge Crane Barge out in the gulf called Barge Hercules.The Main purpose of our Sweeps in the
gulf were to hunt mines and the big helicopters would actually pull the minesweep gear because of the danger level involved.I
hope this gives you some insight on how it was over there for the crew rotations.I believe there were 4 groups on this rotation
schedule.
David Jones IC1 (SW)
CREW ROSTER
OLD CREW ROSTER
NAVY MSO ASSOCIATION
MARKET TIME
END SWEEP
EARNEST WILL
Call Sign : November Tango Alpha Whiskey.
The fisrt C.O. was LT E.L.(Red)Davis who came up through the ranks.
The first X.O. was LT A.R.Yingling from July 1955 to August 1956.He retired a CDR USN.
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