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Aggressive Class Minesweeper: Laid down, 26 August 1952 at J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma,
WA; Launched, 26 June 1953; Commissioned USS Force (AM-445), 4 January 1955; Redesignated as an Ocean Minesweeper MSO-445,
7 February 1955; Lost by fire off Guam, 24 April 1973; Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown).
Specifications:
Displacement 775 t; Length 172'; Beam 35'; Draft 12'; Speed 14 kts; Complement 8 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, two
.50 cal. machine guns remain; Propulsion, four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, replaced by four Waukasha Motors Co. diesels,
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.
Homeports:Long Beach,Ca. & Guam, M.I.
Do you have a story about USS Force,send it in for inclusion on the History page.Also need Commanding Officers
names and dates onboard.
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| November Oscar Victor Mike |
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
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