USS Esteem (AM-438)

USS Esteem (AM-438/MSO-438) 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.

History
United States
Builder: Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California
Laid down: 1 September 1952
Launched: 20 December 1952
Commissioned: 10 September 1955
Decommissioned: 20 September 1991
Reclassified: MSO-438, 7 February 1955
Stricken: 30 September 1991
Homeport: Long Beach, California, Seattle, Washington
Motto: First in the Field
Fate: Scrapped in 2000
General characteristics
Class and type: Aggressive-class minesweeper
Displacement: 853 tons (full load)
Length: 172 ft (52 m)
Beam: 36 ft (11 m)
Draft: 10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion: 4 Waukesha Main Propulsion Diesel Engines, 2 shafts, controllable pitch propellers
Speed: 14 knots
Complement: 72
Sensors and
processing systems:		 AN/SQQ-14 Minehunting Sonar, AN/SPS-64 Surface Search Radar
Armament: 2 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns

The first ship to be named Esteem by the Navy, AM-438 was launched 20 December 1952 by Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California; sponsored by Mrs. C. H. Davis; reclassified MSO-438, 7 February 1955; and commissioned 10 September 1955, Lieutenant G. W. Bird in command.

Deployed to Persian Gulf from 1987-1990 under President Reagan’s direction to protect the world's oil supply from the threat of Iranian mines (the "Tanker War"). Participated in Operation EARNEST WILL.

West Coast and Far East operations

Esteem sailed out of Long Beach, California, her first home port, for training in mine warfare and minesweeping exercises along the U.S. West Coast until 4 March 1957, when she departed for her first tour of duty with the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Far East. Along with visiting Japanese and Korean ports and Hong Kong, she exercised with minecraft of the navies of the Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, aiding in the training of friendly forces in new techniques.

Returning to Long Beach in September 1957, Esteem resumed her west coast operations for the next year, then sailed 6 October 1958 for exercises with the Royal Canadian Navy off Nootka Sound, British Columbia. During the next month, she circumnavigated Vancouver Island, and visited several Canadian ports, returning to Long Beach 5 November.

During her 1959-60 tour of duty in the Far East, she again exercised with ships of the Chinese Navy, and also visited Bangkok, Thailand, to train with the Royal Thai navy. On 27 June 1960, she began an overhaul which continued through most of the remainder of the year.

Final status

Esteem was decommissioned in Seattle, Washington on 20 September 1991 and stricken on 30 September 1991. She was sold for scrapping in 2000.

Unit awards

17 unit awards,[1] including:

See also

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

Notes
  1. "Navy Department Awards Web Service (NDAWS)". Retrieved 25 December 2020.
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