- USS Guide (AM-447)
USS "Guide" (AM-447/MSO-447) was an 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.The second ship to be named Guide by the Navy, "AM-447" was launched
17 April 1954 by the Seattle Shipbuilding & Drydocking Corp.,Seattle, Washington ; sponsored by Miss Ann L. Larson; and commissioned15 March 1955 , Lt. John E. Lowell in command. Her hull classification changed from "AM-447" to "MSO-447" on7 February 1955 .West Coast operations
"Guide" spent the first year of her career in coastwise operations off
California . This duty included surveys for the NavyHydrographic Office in the San Diego-Long Beach area and inSan Francisco Bay approaches. She departedLong Beach, California ,1 October 1956 and arrived inYokosuka 31 October for minesweeping exercises that took her off the coast ofKorea , theMarianas Islands , and along the coast ofJapan . She returned to Long Beach15 April for 2 years of training along the western seaboard. On2 April 1959 she again deployed for theFar East , expanding duties to include joint mine exercises with the naval forces of Japan, Korea andNationalist China ."Guide" returned to Long Beach from her second Asian tour
15 October 1959 and resumed operations along the California seaboard for the next 2 years. On1 May 1961 she sailed on her third tour of duty with theU.S. 7th Fleet , arriving inYokosuka, Japan ,29 May 1961 . Following amphibious and other mine warfare exercises to the coasts of Korea and thePhilippines , she returned to Long Beach14 November . The next 16 months were filled with mine countermeasure and minesweeping training that took her as far north as Seattle andEsquimalt, British Columbia .Continued Far East operations
"Guide" was again underway for the Far East
5 April 1963 , touchingMidway Island and the Marianas on her way to Japan. She again swept to the shores ofTaiwan , Korea, and the Philippines before returning to Long Beach5 November 1963 . Coastwise training occupied her until5 April 1965 when she sailed forGuam , Marianas Islands, arriving3 May 1965 .Supporting Vietnam crisis operations
"Guide" underwent a 3-week upkeep period at Guam. She arrived off the coast of
Vietnam 1 June to begin the first of three periods of "Operation Market Time " anti-infiltration patrols to deny movement of war supplies to theViet Cong . Her first patrol terminated30 June . Subsequent patrols were carried out25 July -12 August 1965 and18 September -5 October 1965 . Following a liberty call atHong Kong , she paid a 2-day visit toIloilo City ,Panay ,Republic of the Philippines . She opened for general visiting 25-28 October and contributed books and food to assist in America's people-to-people program of international friendship.Joint naval exercises in the Philippines
"Guide" joined in combined mine warfare exercises with units of the
Philippine Navy before setting course for the Marshalls,Hawaii , and back to Long Beach, arriving14 December 1965 . The minesweeper operated along theU.S. West Coast throughout 1966 and sailed for the Far Fast early in 1967. On1 March she was off the coast of Vietnam laboring to keep clear the shipping lanes which supply Allied fighters in that war-torn land. She continued to perform this vital duty past mid-year, reaffirming her right to the proud name "Guide".Final status
"Guide" was struck from the
Navy list on9 July 1972 . Her fate is uncertain: she was either sold toSpain 1 January 1973 or sold for scrapping on27 January 1974 in California.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g9/guide-ii.htm
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02447.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive = Guide (MSO-447) = ex-AM-447]
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