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U.S.S. FIRM

(MSO-444)


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USS FIRM (MSO-444) - an Aggressive-class minesweeper

In Commission 1954 to 1972

MSO-444 Deployments - Major Events

Add a MSO-444 Shellback Initiation Add a MSO-444 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
APR1952-Keel Date: 16 APR 1952
at J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. Tacoma Washington
APR1953-Launch Date: 15 APR 1953
OCT1954-Commissioned: 12 OCT 1954
JAN1965-JUL1966market time patrol 1965
APR1965-AUG1966West Pac-Viet Nam
JUL1969-FEB1970West Pac-Viet Nam
JUL1972-Decommissioned: 5 JUL 1972

MSO-444 General Specifications

Class: Aggressive-class minesweeper

Complement: 74 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 620 tons

Length: 172 feet

Beam: 36 feet

Draft: 10 feet

Final Disposition: Sold for scrapping 8 July 1977



USS FIRM (MSO-444)



The second Firm (AM-444) was launched 15 April 1953 by J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Wash.; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph S. Martinac; and commissioned 12 October 1954, Lieutenant J. E. Renn in command. She was reclassified MSO-444 on 7 February 1955.

From her home post at Long Beach, headquarters for Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, Firm sailed for training and exercises along the west coast, interrupted during 1955 for her conversion to flagship for Mine Division 94. Between 1 March 1956 and 2 November 1956, and again between 3 November 1958 and 31 May 1959, she served in the Far East with the 7th Fleet, exercising with ships of the Korean, Chinese Nationalist, and Thai navies, as well as visiting a wide number of Oriental ports and taking part in fleet training schedules. Through 1962, she continued her west coast operations out of Long Beach.

[Note: The above USS FIRM (MSO-444) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS FIRM (MSO-444), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]