USS Vital (MSO-474)

USS Vital (AM-474/MSO-474) 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.

"Vital" was laid down as "AM-474" on 31 October 1952 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by the Burger Boat Co.; launched on 12 August 1953; sponsored by Mrs. Edwina Smith; redesignated "MSO-474" on 7 February 1955; and commissioned on 9 June 1955 at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Lt. Bruce E. Prum in command.

Mediterranean and North Sea operations

Following shakedown and an availability at Charleston, South Carolina, "Vital" was deployed to the Mediterranean late in the spring of 1956. In addition to normal U.S. 6th Fleet operations and Mediterranean port visits, she participated in a special NATO minesweeping exercise conducted in the North Sea during September and October. The minesweeper returned to Charleston later that fall and began operations along the southern Atlantic seaboard of the United States. In March 1957, she moved to the Gulf of Mexico for a three-month training period at the conclusion of which she returned to Charleston and resumed normal duty.

Panama City homeport operations

In July 1958, "Vital's" home port was changed from Charleston to Panama City, Florida. From the latter port, she participated in experimental work with the Operational Test and Evaluation Force under the auspices of the Naval Mine Defense Laboratory. She remained based at that port for the next 12 and one-half years, departing periodically for deployments in foreign waters. The first break in her experimental work schedule came in August 1960 when she embarked upon a three-month cruise in the Caribbean.

Second Mediterranean tour of duty

After returning to Panama City in November and resuming duty with the Naval Mine Defense Laboratory, she remained so occupied until February of 1962, at which time the minesweeper headed across the Atlantic Ocean with the other units of Mine Division (MinDiv) 81 for a six-month tour of duty with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.

Miscellaneous deployments

She arrived back in Panama City in August and resumed services to the Naval Mine Defense Laboratory. Following 14 months of normal operations in the Gulf of Mexico, "Vital" headed south for a four-month assignment in the West Indies which she concluded at Panama City, Florida on 9 February 1964. Upon the conclusion of that Caribbean deployment, "Vital" settled down to a routine of operations out of Panama City broken only by three Mediterranean deployments and an ascent of the Mississippi River in May of 1967 to participate in the Cotton Carnival at Memphis, Tennessee. On 1 January 1971, "Vital" received word that her home port had changed back to Charleston. She arrived there on the 27th and, for the next 20 months, operated from that base as a unit of the Atlantic Fleet Mine Force.

Decommissioning

On 22 September 1972, "Vital" was decommissioned at Charleston. She was towed to Hampton Roads, Virginia, late in November and, on the 30th, placed in the Norfolk Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She remained there until struck from the Navy list in September 1977. At that time, she was scheduled to be sold; but no word of her final disposition was available as of May 1978.

References

See also

* List of United States Navy ships
* Aggressive class minesweeper
* World War II
* Minesweeper (ship)
* Minesweeping

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/2170/vital2.html USS VITAL-A Salute to the Minesweeper USS VITAL(MSO-474)]
* [http://www.scearce.net/u_s__navy.htm Change of Command USS Vital (MSO-474) in Charleston, SC]
* [http://okees.150m.com/submarines/page3.htm A Navy Minesweeper, the U.S.S. VITAL (MSO-474) dispatched from Panama City, Florida, soon arrived on the scene and with almost effortless ease, the VITAL]
* [http://www.multied.com/navy/Minelayer/vitalI.html Vital I MSO-474]
* [http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=mso_474 USS Vital (MSO 474) Crew List]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~telawson/mso474/ USS VITAL MSO 474]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~telawson/mso474/id2.html USS Vital photos]