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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive

AM / MSO-438 Esteem


Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

Aggressive Class Minesweeper: Laid down as Esteem (AM-438), 1 September 1952 at Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA,; Launched, 20 December 1952; Redesignated an Ocean Minesweeper MSO-438, 7 February 1955; Commissioned USS Esteem (MSO-438), 10 September 1955; Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1991; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton Group; Disposed of through the Maritime Administration, 6 March 2000; Sold for scrapping to Crowley Marine Services, Long Beach, CA.

Specifications: Displacement 775 t; Length 172'; Beam 35'; Draft 12'; Speed 14 kts; Complement eight officers, 70 enlisted; Armament, as built, one single 40mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns, final configuration, bow gun replaced by one twin 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns remain; Propulsion, four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, replaced by four Waukasha Motors Co. diesels, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.


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Size Image Description Source
Esteem 42k - Dick Lewis
102 Minesweepers (MSO)
Oceangoing Minesweepers web site
Courtesy Ron Schwab, RMCS, USN, Ret.
Esteem 167k - Dick Lewis
102 Minesweepers (MSO)
Oceangoing Minesweepers web site
Courtesy Sam McCrow
Esteem 29k - Dick Lewis
102 Minesweepers (MSO)
Oceangoing Minesweepers web site
Courtesy Ron Schwab, RMCS, USN, Ret.
Esteem 58k c. October 1955.
Post-commissioning shakedown off San Diego. Note original MSO configuration with short stack and boom for handling motor whaleboat. In march 1956 Long Beach Naval Shipyard removed boom and installed Wellin davit for launching motor whaleboat.
Dick Lewis
102 Minesweepers (MSO)
Oceangoing Minesweepers web site
Courtesy Stan Cochran
Esteem 228k c. mid-1958.
Off San Diego
Dick Lewis
102 Minesweepers (MSO)
Oceangoing Minesweepers web site
Courtesy Stan Cochran
Esteem 102k c. fall 1989.
Esteem, Conquest (MSO 488)and Enhance (MSO 437) inport at Basrac Shipyard, Bahrain towards the end of Operation Earnest Will.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 92k c. fall 1989.
Basrac Shipyard Drydock, Bahrain.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 65k c. fall 1989.
Basrac Shipyard worker repairs deck on port side O1 level
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 106k c. fall 1989.
LT Dave Bruin, Esteem's Chief Engineer. Basrac Shipyard.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 48k c. Winter 1989.
Esteem's Wardroom. LCDR Steve Johnson (CO), LT Russ Harris (XO), LT Dave Bruin (Chief Engineer), ENS Wes Spence (Deck), ENS Tom Womble (Supply), LTJG Pete Petrucione (Operations), ENS Steve Powell (Communications), on port side of Pilot House while ship was inport Basrac Shipyard, Bahrain.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 88k c. Winter 1989.
LT Dave Bruin, LTJG Pete Petrucione, ENS Wes Spence in the Wardroom after hours.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 91k c. Winter 1989.
LTJG Pete Petrucione enjoys a humorous tape on an off duty night in the Arabian Gulf.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 182k c. Winter 1989.
Port propeller, in dry dock, Basrac Shipyard, Bahrain.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 107k c. Winter 1989.
Starboard quarter, in dry dock, Basrac Shipyard, Bahrain.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 102k c. Winter 1989.
Stern view, in dry dock, Basrac Shipyard, Bahrain.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
MSO-437/438/488 78k c. November 1989.
Esteem, Enhance (MSO 437) and Conquest (MSO 488) in the Arabian Gulf
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
MSO-437/438/488 75k c. April 1990.
Esteem, Enhance and Conquest return to Seattle aboard the Super Servant 3 from the Arabian gulf. This apparently was the first multiship lift for the Navy.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
MSO-437/438/488 63k c. April 1990.
Esteem, Enhance and Conquest return to Seattle aboard the Super Servant 3 from the Arabian gulf.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 75k c. Summer 1990.
Pilot House of Esteem while in a maintenance period at Lake Union Drydock Company, Seattle, WA.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR
Esteem 58k c. fall 1990.
Open bridge.
Lake Union Drydock Co, Seattle, WA.
Tom Womble,
LCDR, USNR

View the Esteem (MSO-438)
DANFS History entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Navy MSO Association Email Addresses
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Esteem (MSO-438)
102 Minesweepers (MSO) Oceangoing Minesweepers
Naval Minewarfare Association
Association of Minemen
Navy MSO Association
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Mine Warfare Ship Photo Index Back to the Ocean Minesweeper (MSO) Photo Index

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