USS Enhance (AM-437)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Enhance.
History
United States
BuilderMartinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California
Laid down12 July 1952
Launched11 October 1952
Commissioned16 April 1955
Decommissioned31 December 1991
ReclassifiedMSO-437, 7 February 1955
Stricken21 February 1992
HomeportLong Beach, California
FateSold for scrapping, 6 March 2000
General characteristics
Displacement620 tons
Length172 ft (52 m)
Beam36 ft (11 m)
Draught10 ft (3.0 m)
PropulsionFour Packard ID1700 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers
Speed16 knots
Complement74
Armamentone 40 mm mount

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.

Enhance was launched 11 October 1952 by Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California; sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Martinolich; reclassified MSO-437, 7 February 1955; and commissioned 16 April 1955.[1]

West Coast operations

From her home port, Long Beach, California, Enhance operated along the U.S. West Coast on training and exercises in mine warfare. She sailed from Long Beach 1 October 1956 for her first tour of duty with the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Far East. During that fall's crisis over the Suez Canal, Enhance patrolled in the Sea of Japan, recording the movement of shipping, as part of the intensified alertness required of the Navy during periods of international tension anywhere in the world. She returned to Long Beach 12 April 1957 and resumed her west coast operations.[1]

During her second Far Eastern deployment, from 2 April 1959 to 16 October, Enhance joined in exercises with minecraft of the navies of the Republic of China and the Republic of Korea. Returning to west coast operations, on 8 January 1960 she rescued four men from an overturned sailboat off Long Beach. In June 1960 she visited Portland, Oregon. Enhance spent the remainder of the year conducting type training and undergoing overhaul at San Diego.[1]

Left Long Beach, California in 1971 after an overhaul for operations in Vietnam in December 1972. Swept mine fields of Vietnam to clear Harbors.[citation needed]

On 17 March 1973, during Operation End Sweep, Enhance had an engine room fire which seriously damaged the ship. Enhance was towed to Subic bay. Repair cost was $294,000.[2] Enhance was also disabled by an engine room fire on 5 January 1975 off San Diego.[3]

Enhance was decommissioned in 1991 and struck from the Navy list in 1992. She was sold for scrapping in 2000.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Enhance". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
  2. ^ "MSO Casualties, USS ENHANCE Fire March 17, 1973, during Operation Endsweep". 102msos.8m.net. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  3. ^ Arkin, William M.; Handler, Joshua (1989). Naval accidents, 1945-1988 (PDF). Washington, DC: Greenpeace/Institute for Policy Studies. p. 48. LCCN 91182987.
  4. ^ "Enhance MSO-437". US Navy Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 14 June 2015.