USS Avenge (AM-423) USS Avenge (MSO-423) was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of clearing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships. The second ship to be named Avenge by the Navy, AM-423 was laid down on 1 August 1951 at Stamford, Connecticut, by the Luders Marine Construction Co.; launched on 15 March 1953; sponsored by Mrs. A. E. Luders, Jr.; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 13 May 1954, Lt. Waymon Taylor in command. Avenge was reclassified as Ocean Minesweeper MSO-423 on 14 January 1955. Commissioned as a new minesweeper After completing shakedown training, the minesweeper sailed on 6 August for her home port, Charleston, South Carolina, and arrived there on 8 August. She conducted local operations until entering the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 14 January 1955 for conversion. During this period, her designation was changed to MSO-423, before she resumed her activities in April and began preparations for deployment. First “Med” cruise On 6 September, Avenge sailed for the Mediterranean. Her ports of call during that deployment with the U.S. 6th Fleet included Gibraltar; Barcelona, Spain; Nice, Cannes, and Toulon, France; Monaco; Valletta, Malta; Naples, Italy; and Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands. The ship left Gibraltar on 17 January 1956 and arrived back in Charleston on the 31st. Following leave and upkeep, the ship sailed on 9 April for the coast of Nova Scotia and participated in minesweeping operations off Halifax before getting underway on 14 May to return to her home port. North Atlantic operations The vessel operated for two months in the Charleston area, then left on 16 July to return to Canadian waters. She spent two months assisting in survey and beach clearance operations in connection with DEW line radar sites. The ship left St. Johns, Newfoundland, on 4 September, and arrived back in Charleston on 11 September. Second Med cruise Avenge returned to Argentia, Newfoundland, on 15 January 1957, took part in cold weather minesweeping operations, and then got underway for New York on 30 January. She touched at Charleston on 7 February and held local operations through 29 August. On that day, the minesweeper sailed for the Mediterranean. After reaching Gibraltar, she visited Valletta, Malta; Suda Bay, Crete; Kos Island, Greece; Gaeta and Naples, Italy; and Izmir, Turkey. While deployed with the 6th Fleet, she conducted joint exercises with the Italian Navy at Gaeta. She also held combined operations with the Royal Navy at Malta in January 1958. After five months in the Mediterranean, Avenge returned to Charleston on 13 February. East Coast operations In late March, the ship took part in amphibious exercises at Onslow Beach, North Carolina, and in mine exercises at Little Creek, Virginia. Avenge departed Charleston on 11 January 1959, bound for Savannah, Georgia, where she arrived on the 12th and entered the shipyard of the Savannah Machine and Foundry Co. for overhaul. The minesweeper returned to Charleston on 14 March for refresher training. During May and June, she took part in a mine test in the Charleston area before sailing once more on 24 July for the Mediterranean. Return to the Mediterranean While on duty with the 6th Fleet, Avenge took part in numerous exercises. The largest came in Octoter at La Spezia, Italy, when she joined units of the French, Greek, Turkish, Belgian, and Italian navies in Exercise "Gauge." She returned to Charleston on 11 February 1960. The ship departed Charleston on 23 May to participate in Operation Springboard, in the Caribbean. In July, she carried out an assignment off Cape