Ocean Going Minesweeper

USS IMPERVIOUS (MSO-449)

15 July 1954 - 12 December 1991

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Welcome aboard the USS IMPERVIOUS web site.
This is the first website dedicated to the officers and crew of the USS IMPERVIOUS.

 
 Builder Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif. 
 Keel Laid 18 November 1951
 Launched 29 August 1952
 Commissioned 15 July 1954
 Decommissioned 12 December 1991
 Stricken 18 March 1992
 Homeports 1954-1968: Long Beach, CA
   1968-1971: Pearl Harbor, HI
 1971-1974: Guam
 1974-1991: Mayport, FL
 Ships Complement 74 Enlisted, 6 Officers
 Length 172 feet
 Max Beam Width 36 feet
 Displacement 716 tons light
 853 tons full load
 Standard Armament One 40-mm bow gun and
 Two .50 cal machine guns. The 40-mm
 was removed during a modernization in 1969
 and replaced with a smaller 20-mm mount to
 accommodate the new sonar winch.
 Desert Storm Armament Four .50 cal machine guns, two M19 chain-fed grenade 
 launchers, one on the forecastle port side and one
 starboard aft on the 01 level.  Both outside the 
  pilot house and on the fantail port and starboard 
 side were 60-mms.  On the 04 level at forward 
 lookout and on the 02 level behind the stack
 were Stinger missile mounts, each armed 
 with 3 missiles (Thanks to Jim Wilson for the Desert
 Storm information)
 Draft 13.75 Ft 
 Maximum Speed 14 Knots 
 Propulsion Pre-1969:Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines
 4 cycle, 12 cylinder engines
 Post-1969: Four Waukesha L-1616 diesel engines
 1,140 Hp per shaft, 2 shafts, 
 with controllable pitch propellers.
 Cost to build $3.5 million
 

Ship's History

The IMPERVIOUS was under construction by Tampa Shipbuilding Company in Tampa for service as (AM-449) during WWII, but was cancelled on June 6, 1944.  With the outbreak of the Korean War her keel was laid down on November 18 1951 at the Martinolich Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, and she was launched  on August 29th the following year.  She was commissioned on July 15th, 1954 and following shakedown and mine warfare training off the California coast, IMPERVIOUS was reclassified MSO-449 on 7 February 1955 and assigned to MINDIV 92. She sailed 1 July with her division for duty in the Far East with the 7th Fleet, arriving Sasebo via Pearl Harbor 5 August. During this deployment, she operated with ships of the Republic of Korea and Nationalist Chinese navies. Following visits to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, IMPERVIOUS departed Yokosuka, Japan in January 1956 and arrived at her homeport of Long Beach via Midway Island and Pearl Harbor on 15 February 1956. During the next two years she operated out of Long Beach.

IMPERVIOUS sailed for her second 7th Fleet deployment 3 January 1958 with MINDIV 71 and arrived in Yokosuka, Japan via Pearl Harbor and Midway on 31 January.  During the next 5 months she took part in exercises with the Nationalist Chinese Navy and a goodwill tour of various ports in Japan, as well as Hong Kong and Manila.  She departed Yokosuka on June 20th and returned to Long Beach via Midway and Pearl Harbor on 15 July 1958.  During September 1958 IMPERVIOUS took part in a giant amphibious exercise off Camp Pendleton, Calif.

In April 1959 IMPERVIOUS interrupted her regular training schedule to take part in a joint mine warfare exercise with Canadian ships, and spent the rest of the year on training exercises in California waters. On 3 May,1960 the ship departed Long Beach with MINDIV 71 and arrived in Yokosuka via Pearl Harbor and Midway on 1 June.  During the following five months she participated in exercises with the Chinese, Korean and Philippine navies.  Port visits included Hong Kong and Japan.   She sailed 10 October via Guam and Pearl Harbor to Long Beach, arriving 16 November.

Ship's History Continued . . .

USS IMPERVIOUS photos and other interesting information

IMPERVIOUS on Christening Day at Martinolich Shipbuilding   (Official US Navy Photo)

Miss Mary Lin Moore christens the IMPERVIOUS   (Official US Navy Photo)

IMPERVIOUS underway (pre-modernization)     (Courtesy of Bill Platz)

Doc and Robert Sterling Jr. try our new 20-mm

Robert Sterling Jr. at the helm and Don Barto as the engineman

Underway in the Tonkin Gulf  - taken from the deck of USS Ponchatoula AO 148 (Courtesy of Barry Litchfield)

Pictures of ship and crew 1970-1972     (Courtesy of Ken Williams)

Pictures of ship and crew 1971-1972     (Courtesy of Robert Sterling Jr.)

Pictures of ship and crew 1970-1972     (Courtesy of Ron Turner)

Market-time around Cam Rhan Bay

In Pearl at a short pier just to the right as you enter the harbor in June of '70.

Night time in Subic

Pictures of ship and crew 1972-1974     (Courtesy of Stephen Brown)

IMPERVIOUS Operation End Sweep Patch

Poems by Stephen Brown - Operations Officer - 1972-74

Poem by James Weatherford

Pictures of ship and crew 1980      (Courtesy of Andy (Mel) Handerson)

IMPERVIOUS passing the Statue of Liberty  (Midshipman's Cruise 81)

IMPERVIOUS & hovercraft off of Panama City

USS IMPERVIOUS Underway (post-modernization)

IMPERVIOUS beltbuckle, softball jerseys 82-85

"McPervious" sticker from Savannah, GA St. Patrick's Day '85

IMPERVIOUS anchored during Desert Storm     (Courtesy of Chuck Bell)

IMPERVIOUS Desert Shield TShirt Design

IMPERVIOUS Docked (Desert Storm-era)

Desert Storm MCM Group Moored Together

USS IMPERVIOUS in DESERT SHIELD/STORM

NavSource Online IMPERVIOUS Photo Index

Navy & MSO links

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The Chain Locker The definitive minesweeper site - Links to all known Minecraft

102 Minesweepers A site dedicated to the 102 MSOs built by the United States

Navy MSO Association Join today!  Support the MSO Museum Project

Navy CyberSpace Navy Enlistment, Military Pay and Benefits

U.S. Navy The Official Website of the United States Navy

Due to the large volume of spamming we were experiencing we had to temporarily disallow submissions to the ship's log. Steps have been taken to resolve this problem and the Ship's Log is accepting submissions again. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

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Last Updated on 07/13/2010 by Steve Metzler