Conquest (MSO 488) - Naval Cruise Book

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I U.S.S. CONQUEST MSO-488 SHIPS HISTORY The USS CONQUEST KMSO-4881, is a vital part of the Navys answer to the serious threat of mine warfare which might possibly be conducted against the United States of America. Built of wood and non-magnetic ma- terials the CONQUEST is constructed to enable her to safely sweep many types of mines available to an enemy. Her 171 foot long, 700 ton hull is powered by four Packard diesel engines of B00 horsepower each. There are normally SU enlisted men and live officers serving on board. Lieutenant E. L. DAVIS USN took first command at the birthplace of the CONQUEST which was Tacoma Washington in the yards of Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. Construction began in March of 1953 and the CONQUEST was commissioned as a unit of the U.S. Navy on 20 luly 1955. She Joined the Mine Force Pacific Fleet and was home ported at Long Beach California Most of the water passing under her keel since that time has been in the Southern California operating areas but several extended cruises have already carried her to distant corners of the Pac fic In the early fall of 1955 a trip was made to Acapulco Mexico March 1957 found the CONQUEST de ploying to the Far East as a unit of the US Seventh Fleet The CONQUESTS second birthday was celebrated 20 Iuly 1957 in Sasebo lapan with her new commanding officer LT Stansfield TURNER US Navy Upon returning to the United States the CONQUEST underwent her first shipyard overhaul in San Diego California Operations off the coast of California continued through most of 1958 and LT Russell F WILSON USN relieved as Commanding Officer in Iune of that year During October the CONQUEST took part in minesweeplng operations with Royal Canadian forces off Vancouver Island Br1t1sh Columbia The first part of 1959 was spent n operations near Long Beach and a shipyard overhaul during March and April prepared the CONQUEST for her second trip to lapan in August of that year What the future holds for this fine ship is of course unknown However in the future as in the past the fighting spirit of the men who man her will enable this ship to fulfill any mission to which she may be assigned thus living up to the highest tradition of the Navy and her proud name USS CONQUEST reign fnrmuX its? THE FLEET'S FINEST MINESWEEPER ALM LCDR WILSON enlisted in the Navy' in December 1942. He was ordered to Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois for recruit training and attended Quarter-' master school there also. From june 1943 until Septem- ber 1944 he served on the USS MacKENZIE QDD 6141 as ed convoys across the North Atlantic and later ed in Mediterranean operations off Sicily, Ital ern France. LCDR WILSON attended the Nava Preparatory School, Bainbridge, Maryland, in nd reported to the U. S. Naval Academy in L He received his commission in June 1949 'dered to the USS F. D. ROOSEVELT QCVA 421 g was ordered to the USS MISSOURI QBB 631 nediately Qfeployedafor Korean Waters to act X 1 for COM7THFLT. In 1952 LCDR WILSON- 9 Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Iew Mexico, where he served for the next with the scientific testing group, joint Task n two series of atomic tests His next two were as operations officer, USS TURNER I and then he reported to the Bureau of Naval , in 1955 In April 1958 LCDR WILSON was 1 the USS CQNQUEST QMSO 4881 and after a re in Mine: Warfare at Yorktown, Virginia nand in June 1958 rcratt carriers, 1tS nuclear l remain a few wooden ships ie fact that not only do these mf these ships, I m convinced, uring which the CONQUEST foreign countries and a dozen y take on real significance only d and worked and played We 1 further Communist aggression ted States and the American way You men of the CONQUEST itmost to make our overall 1m ship, and those to follow a also in winning friends for 1 and contributions of each her assignments, and per r remember the CONQUEST ve served with you 1 . t I . 1 1 . . . I . . I - I . I . I I - . . I V . , , - I ' ' ' ' ' . . I ' D - - I 1 V 1 . - f , ' ' V ' . ' i . . . . , . D ' I i ,, U .. ' I I '. -f ' 1 - 1 , b'UIllyIIIlI 5 P ? 1 , A ' ,

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-Q diff! Hhlony The U.S. S. Conquest QMSO-4885 was born in Tacoma, Washington in the yards of Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. The keel was laid in March of 1953 and com- missioned as a unit of the U. S. Navy on july 20, 1955. Lt. E. L. Davis USN took first command of the..Conquest. Most of the water passing under her keel since that time has been in Southern California operating areas except for the early Fall of 1956 with a trip to Acapulco, Mexico. In March 1957 found the Conquest on her first deployment to Westpac. The Conquest's second birthday was celebrated on july 20, 1957 in Sasebo, japan with her second Commanding Officer, LT. Stansfield TURNER USN. Upon returning to the United States the Conquest underwent her first shipyard overhaul in San Diego, California. In june of 1958 her present Commanding Officer LCDR Russell F, WILSON USN relieved as Commanding Officer. ln October of 1958 found the Conquest off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, taking part in mine- sweeping operations with the Royal Canadian Forces. After returning to Long Beach for another shipyard overhaul the Conquest again pointed her bow toward WestPac in August of 1959 with visits to Yokosuka, Sasebo, Fukuoka, japan. Next she headed for Pusan and Chin Hae, Korea to conduct mine- sweeping operations with the Korean Navy. After which she returned to japan and a visit to Osaka. With a rough trip through the straits of Formosa the Conquest headed for Keelung, Formosa. Hong Kong, British Crown Colony was her anchorage during the Holiday Seasons. She then proceeded for another operation in Thailand almost half way around the world before heading on courses for Long Beach via Subic Bay, P.I. , Guam, Midway, Pearl Harbor and after due speculation on time of arrival finally Long Beach.

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The U S S Conque of Martmac Shlpbulldmg m1ss1oned as a un1t of tl' f1rst command of the Co Most of the Water p Cal1forn1a operatmg are Mex1co In March 1957 Conquest s second blrthc second Commandmg Off Upon returnlng to tl' overhaul 111 San D16gO C LCDR Russell F WILSC 1958 found the Conquest sweepmg operatlons W1tl After returmng to L pomted her bow toward Fukuoka japan Next s sweepmg operat1ons Wltl a v1s1t to Osaka W1th headed for Keelung Fort durmg the Hol1day Seasc almost half Way around I Bay P I Guam Mldw flnally Long Beach . Q00 I . I I - ' ! . ' 1 , . g C ! ,.., , 1 . i 1 f I Q , , . 5 k I I f I 9 I THE FLEET'S FINEST MINESWEEPER . U.S.S. CONQUEST MSO-488 MINE DIVISION SEVENTY-THREE MINE FORCE U. S. PACIFIC FLEET ni? U If' My B' llllllll 1