View source for USS Exploit (AM-440)

{{short description|Minesweeper of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Exploit}}

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|Ship image=USS Exploit (MSO-440).jpg
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1993}}
|Ship name= ''Exploit''
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|Ship builder=[[Higgins Industries|Higgins]] Inc., [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]
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|Ship laid down=28 December 1951
|Ship launched=10 April 1953
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|Ship commissioned=31 March 1954
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=16 December 1993
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|Ship reclassified=MSO-440 7 February 1955
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|Ship struck=28 March 1994
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|Ship identification=AM-440
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|Ship fate=Sold, 4 December 2000
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class={{sclass|Aggressive|minesweeper}}
|Ship displacement=775 tons
|Ship length={{convert|172|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|36|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draft={{convert|10|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=4 × [[Packard]] ID1700 [[diesel engines]], replaced by 4 [[Waukasha Motors]] Co. diesels, [[Driveshaft|two shafts]], two [[Propeller|controllable pitch propellers]].
|Ship speed={{convert|14|kn|lk=in}}
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|Ship complement=70
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|Ship armament=* 1 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm]] gun
* 2 × [[M2 Browning|.50 cal (12.7 mm)]] mg
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|}

'''USS ''Exploit'' (MSO-440)''' was an {{sclass|Aggressive|minesweeper}}. The ship was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 28 December 1951 at [[Higgins Industries|Higgins]] Inc., [[New Orleans, Louisiana]] and [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 10 April 1953. The vessel was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] USS ''Exploit'' (AM-440) on 31 March 1954 and redesignated as an ocean minesweeper MSO-440 on 7 February 1955.

As built the vessel was armed one single 40&nbsp;mm [[gun mount]] on the [[Bow (ship)|bow]] and two .50&nbsp;caliber [[machine guns]]. The ship's final weapons configuration replaced the bow gun with one twin 20&nbsp;mm gun mount while maintaining the two .50&nbsp;caliber machine guns.

==Service history== 
USS ''Exploit'' arrived at [[Charleston, South Carolina]], her home port on 13 March 1955, and began her participation in major [[Military exercise|fleet exercises]], and local and [[Caribbean Sea]] training. In 1954, 1957, and 1958, she served with the [[U.S. 6th Fleet]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], participating in exercises and visiting a variety of ports. Her stateside schedule through June 1960 included work in experimental development of mine warfare and defense in [[Florida]] waters. On 28 October 1960 USS ''Exploit'' again sailed for duty with the [[U.S. 6th Fleet]] and remained there through the end of the year.

''Exploit'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] on 16 December 1993 and laid up in the [[Atlantic Reserve Fleet]], Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]. The ship was struck from the [[Naval Register]] on 28 March 1994 and sold on 4 December 2000 to Baltimore Marine Industries, [[Baltimore, Maryland]], for [[ship breaking|scrapping]].

==References==
* {{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e6/exploit-ii.htm}}
* {{Naval Vessel Register|{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=MSO440}}}}

==External links==
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02440.htm NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Exploit (MSO 440) - ex-AM-440]

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{{Aggressive class minesweeper}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Exploit}}
[[Category:Aggressive-class minesweepers]]
[[Category:Ships built in New Orleans]]
[[Category:1953 ships]]