- USS Affray (MSO-511)
USS "Affray" (AM-511/MSO-511) was an "Acme"-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 "Affray" by the Navy was laid down on
24 August 1955 atBoothbay Harbor, Maine , by Frank L. Sample, Jr., Inc.; launched on18 December 1956 ; sponsored by Mrs. John A. Click; and commissioned on8 December 1958 , Lt. Comdr. Charles I. Williams in command.East Coast operations
After fitting out, "Affray" devoted the first six months of
1959 to shakedown and type training. At the end of June, she entered theCharleston Naval Shipyard for post-shakedown overhaul. Complicated by the addition of modernization alterations, the repair period lasted into1960 .North Atlantic/European operations
After completing final acceptance trials, the minesweeper joined the
Atlantic Fleet Mine Force and, for almost a decade, alternated between deployments to theMediterranean with theU.S. 6th Fleet , extended tours of duty in theWest Indies , and a variety of assignments out of her home port. Her duties during cruises to the Mediterranean and theWest Indies consisted mainly of exercises andgoodwill visits to various ports. Her operations out of Charleston took a number of forms. In October1962 , "Affray" provided support for aProject Mercury space shot. Later in1966 , she participated in a succession of tests for such organizations as theBureau of Ships , the Mine Warfare School, the David Taylor Model Basin, and the Naval Ordnance Laboratory Test Facility.Training ship assignments
At the end of October
1969 , the minesweeper concluded her final deployment to theMediterranean Sea . Assignments in theWest Indies , however, remained an important feature on her agenda as did support services for the Mine Warfare School and for Navy research and development activities. In1973 , "Affray's" assignment was changed significantly. On1 July , she received orders reassigning her to naval reserve training duty. On1 October , thewarship reported for duty at her new home port --Portland, Maine . Since that time, the minesweeper has served as a drill platform for naval reservists. In addition, she has continued to participate in major exercises emphasizing minesweeping andamphibious warfare . On1 October 1981, after being based eight years at Portland, "Affray" was reassigned toNewport, Rhode Island . As of the end of1986 , she was training naval reservists from her base at Newport.Decommissioning
"Affray" was decommissioned on
20 December 1992 and struck from theNavy list on28 June 1993 . She was sold in the year2000 for scrapping.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*Minesweeper (ship) External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a3/affray-ii.htm USS Affray]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02511.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Affray (MSO-511)]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.