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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Courtesy of Al Grazevich

Avenge (MSO 423)
ex-AM-423

Call sign:
November - Charlie - Alpha - India

Aggressive Class Ocean Minesweeper:

Laid down 1 August 1951 by Luders Marine Construction Co., Stamford, Connecticut

Launched 15 March 1953

Commissioned USS Avenge (AM-423), 13 May 1954

Reclassified as a Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-423, 14 January 1955

Heavily damaged by fire of unknown origin at Bethlehem Steel Corp., Fort McHenry Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland on 6 October 1969

Decommissioned 31 January 1970

Struck from the Naval Register 1 February 1970

Sold for scrap 6 October 1969 to Steve B. Clemons of Miami Shores, FL for $2,789.

Specifications:

Displacement 630 t.(lt), 755 t.(fl)

Length 172'

Beam 35'

Draft 10'

Speed 14 kts.

Complement 80

Armament: One 40mm gun mount and two .50 cal. machine guns

Propulsion: Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.

Click on thumbnail for full size image	Size	Image Description	Source
Avenge (MSO 423)
110242310	525k	The U.S. Navy minesweeper Avenge (MSO-423) was sponsored by Mrs. A. E. Luders, Jr., at Luders Marine Construction, Stamford, Connecticut, in 15 March 1954. I haven't found any photos of her yet, but her husband appears here & in a 1955 PAPER AD (the face that launched 942 ships) Luders Marine Construction Co Stamford Connecticut Boats.	Photo courtesy of ebay.com
110242300	525k	The U.S. Navy minesweeper Avenge (MSO-423) at Luders Marine Construction, Stamford, Connecticut, in March 1954.	National Archives Identifier: 6932563 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov, from the Bureau of Ships collection via Robert Hurst.
110242309	321k	19 April 1954	National Archives Identifier: 6932563 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov, from the Bureau of Ships collection via Robert Hurst.
USS Avenge (MSO 423)
	120k	Ship's of Mine Division Eighty Two prepare to leave Charleston, SC for a Mediterranean deployment. MINDIV-82 ship's from left to right are: Fearless (MSO 442), Avenge, Exultant (MSO 441), the Belgium Minesweeper F. Bovesse (M 909) (ex-MSO-516), and Fidelity (MSO 443) U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Leroy D. "Mo" Mahoney	Belgium MSO Web Site
	112k	Mediterranean Sea	Tom Peters EN2 via Tom Lawson
	96k	Dry docked at La Spezia, Italy	Tom Peters EN2 via Tom Lawson
	138k	Christmas card	Tom Lawson
	192k	Navy Yard Charleston, SC Avenge and Valor (MSO 472) in Dry Dock	Robert Hall
	480k	17 March 1955 Valor (MSO 472), Avenge and an identified MSO in dry dock	Michael Mohl
	184k	20 May 1956 mid-Atlantic	Larry Bohn
	162k	6 October 1969 Baltimore, MD On fire in dry dock ©Sunpaper photo by George H. Cook	Tommy Trampp

Commanding Officers
01	LT Waymon Taylor, USN	13 May 1954 - 1956
02	LT E. W. B. Jeffers, Jr., USN.	1956 - 1958
03	LCDR Robert Eric Comet, Sr., USN	1958 - 1960
04	LCDR Robert William Hall, USN	1960 - 1962
05	LCDR William Thomas Marin, USN	5 January 1962 - May 1963
06	LCDR John G. Shaw, USN	May 1963 - July 1963
07	LT Vernon Charles Smith, USN - Awarded five Legions of Merit, three Bronze Stars with Combat V, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal Retired as Rear Admiral	15 July 1964 - June 1966
08	LCDR Clarence Edward Lobb, USN	1966 - 1968

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joe Radigan

View the Avenge (MSO-423)
DANFS History entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Website

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
102 Minesweepers (MSO) Oceangoing Minesweepers

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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

Avenge (MSO 423)ex-AM-423

Avenge (MSO 423)
ex-AM-423