Conquest (MSO 488) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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Aifn 5 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 ber 1944 he served on the USS MacKENZIE QDD 6141 as she escorted convoys across the North Atlantic and later participated in Mediterranean operations off Sicily, Ital and Southern France. LCDR WILSON attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School, Bainbridge, Maryland, in 1944-45 and reported to the U. S. Naval Academy in 1 June 1945. He received his commission in june 1949 and was ordered to the USS F. D. ROOSEVELT QCVA 421 In 1950 he was ordered to the USS MISSOURI QBB 631 which immediately 'lgployed for Korean Waters to act as flagship for COM7TI-IFLT. In 1952 LCDR WILSON- reported to Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he served for the next 18 months with the scientific testing group, joint Task Force 7, on two series of atomic tests. His next two years duty were as operations officer, USS TURNER QDDR 8341 and then he reported to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in 1955. In April 1958 LCDR WILSON was ordered to the USS CQNQUEST QMSO 4881 and after a short course in M.ine ':Warfa.re at Yorktown, Virginia, took command in June 1958. Russell E. WILSON, LcDR, USN ln this , the most modern Navy in the World, with its great aircraft carriers, its nuclear- powered submarines, and its guided-missile Cruisers, there still remain a few wooden ships with their iron-men crews. This cruise book is testimony to the fact that not only do these vessels exist, but also that they still ply the oceans, The finest of these ships, I'm convinced, is the USS CONQUEST. The cruise pictured herein took seven months to complete, during which the CONQUEST and her crew traveled almost twenty thousand miles, visiting six foreign countries and a dozen or more foreign cities. These statistics are impressive, but they take on real significance only when one realizes the purpose of the cruise itself. As we traveled and worked and played, we served our country and the Free World by acting as a deterrent to further Communist aggression. We were, so to speak, junior ambassadors , representing the United States and the American way of life to the hundreds of people with whom we came into contact. You men of the CONQUEST ' sensed the importance of each man's influence, and each did his utmost to make our overall im- pression a good, lasting one. You established for yourselves, the ship, and those to follow a most enviable record, not only in exemplary conduct ashore, but also in winning friends for America. The achievement of any ship depends on the individual efforts and contributions of each member of the crew. The fact that the CONQUEST performed all her assignments, and per- formed them well, is a tribute to every man on board. I will long remember the CONQUEST, this cruise, and each of you. Moreover, I am indeed proud to have served with you. master school there also. From june 1943 until Septem-