USS Fidelity (AM-443)

USS Fidelity (AM-443/MSO-443) was an Agile-class minesweeper. Laid down on 15 December 1952 at Higgins Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana; launched on 21 August 1953; commissioned on 19 January 1955; redesignated as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-443, 7 February 1955.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Fidelity.
USS Fidelity (MSO-443)
History
United States
NameUSS Fidelity
BuilderHiggins Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
Laid down15 December 1952
Launched21 August 1953
Commissioned19 January 1955, as AM-443
Decommissioned19 May 1989
ReclassifiedMSO-443, 7 February 1955
Stricken16 June 1989
FateSold for scrapping, 10 September 1990
General characteristics
Class and typeAggressive-class minesweeper
Displacement775 tons
Length172 ft (52.43 m)
Beam36 ft (10.97 m)
Draft10 ft (3.05 m)
Propulsion
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement8 officers, 70 enlisted
Armament

Service history

North Atlantic operations

Fidelity first arrived at her home port, Charleston, South Carolina, 1 May 1955, and through the next year ranged widely in the western Atlantic, serving with the Mine Countermeasures Station at Panama City, Florida, participating in fleet exercises, and calling at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Between 29 August 1957 and 13 February 1958, she served her first tour of duty in the Mediterranean with the U.S. 6th Fleet, joining in sweeping exercises as well as a large scale NATO training operation.

Supporting Middle East Crisis

The minesweeper sailed directly to Beirut, Lebanon, on her 1958 deployment to the Mediterranean, arriving 15 August to support the U.S. Marines landed a month earlier to stabilize the critical Middle Eastern situation. After an eight-day visit, she took up a regular Mediterranean tour schedule, which included visits to ports in Greece, Crete, and the Balearic Isles before her return to Charleston, South Carolina, 3 November.

Between 24 July 1959 and 11 February 1960, Fidelity completed a third tour of duty in the Mediterranean, returning to coastwise operations through 1962.

Decommissioning

Fidelity was decommissioned, 19 May 1989; struck from the Naval Register, 16 June 1989; sold for scrapping, 10 September 1990 to Wyns Hoggs for $13,775.

References
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