- USS Reaper (MSO-467)
USS "Reaper" (MSO-467) 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.The second ship to be named "Reaper" by the Navy, "MSO-467" was laid down
15 May 1952 by Wilmington Boat Works,Wilmington, California ; launched25 June 1954 ; sponsored by Mrs. John A. Snackenherg; and commissioned10 November 1954 , Lt. Clayton L. Robertson in command.WestPac operations
After shakedown, "Reaper" sailed for the western
Pacific Ocean 1 May 1956 . Departing Sasebo,Japan , she participated in training exercises atTaiwan with theRepublic of China , and helped to search for a P4M aircraft shot down byCommunist China .Arriving at
Long Beach, California ,15 November , she trained offCalifornia in1957 and early1958 . Deployed to the western Pacific3 November 1958 , she visited Sasebo, Japan;Kaohsiung ,Taiwan ;Chinhae ,Korea ;Sattahip ,Thailand ;Subic Bay ,Philippines ; andBuckner Bay ,Okinawa , before arriving at Long Beach31 May 1959 .Joint exercises with various nations
During an amphibious exercise in November
1959 , she operated out ofKodiak, Alaska , with Canadian minesweepers. After training in1960 , she deployed to the western Pacific4 January 1961 , and participated in separate exercises with thePhilippine Navy , and theNationalist Chinese Navy , before arriving via Japan at Long Beach17 July . Departing Long Beach16 November 1962 for western Pacific deployment, she joined exercise in the Philippines and Taiwan, including aSEATO exercise offManila Bay , Luzon, before returning to Long Beach22 June 1963 .Supporting Vietnam operations
After exercises off
California , she remained active with theU.S. Pacific Fleet in1964 and1965 . Sailing for the western Pacific21 September 1966 , she participated in "Operation Market Time " patrol duty offVietnam during November and December, and in February and March1967 , before reaching Long Beach27 July . Deployed to the western Pacific again in April1968 , she patrolled offVietnam and visited Chinhae, Korea; and Sattahip, Thailand, arriving Long Beach3 December . Deployed to the western Pacific in1969 , she remained active with the Pacific Fleet until2 May 1970 when she returned to theU.S. West Coast .Training ship assignment
Upon her return, she was assigned duty as a
U.S. Naval Reserve training ship and remained so engaged until being decommissioned22 September 1972 .Decommissioning
After decommissioning she was transferred to the Ships Inactivation and Maintenance Facility at
Vallejo, California . "Reaper" was stricken from theNavy list 28 February 1975 and disposed of by Navy sale1 November 1976 .References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*Minesweeper (ship) External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r3/reaper-iii.htm USS Reaper]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02467.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Reaper (MSO 467) - ex-AM-467]
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