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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive
Courtesy of Al Grazevich

"Fortune Favors the Bold"


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Gallant (MSO 489)
ex-AM-489



Call sign:
November - Echo - Whiskey - Kilo


Gallant served the Navies of the United States and the Republic of China.
Aggressive Class Minesweeper:

  • Laid down as AM-489, 21 May 1953 at J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington
  • Launched 4 June 1954
  • Sponsored by Mrs. Walter Meserole, daughter of J. M. Martinac
  • Reclassified an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-489, 7 February 1955
  • Commissioned USS Gallant (MSO-489), 14 September 1955
  • Decommissioned 29 April 1994 and struck from the Navy Register
  • Sold to Taiwan 8 September 1994 under the Security Assistance Program and renamed Yung Ku (M 1308)
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 775 t.
  • Length 172'
  • Beam 35'
  • Draft 12'
  • Speed 14 kts.
  • Complement 78
  • Armament: As built, one 40mm gun mount and two .50 cal. machine guns; Final configuration, 40mm bow gun replaced by one twin 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns remain
  • Propulsion: Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, replaced by four Waukasha Motors Co. diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Gallant (AM 489)
    Gallant 284k 4 June 1954
    Spectators awaiting the launching of the Gallant at J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding in Tacoma, Washington. The Gallant is one of nine minesweepers that the company is building for the Navy
    Tacoma Public Library, Richards Studios, Photo D83003-3    		 Mike Green
    Gallant 37k 4 June 1954
    Launching. In the background is Firm (AM 444)    		 J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp.
    USS Gallant (MSO 489)
    Gallant 443k Original photo: Dick Lewis - 102 Minesweeper Website
    Replacement photo: Robert Hurst
    Gallant 141k Chet Morris, Portland, ME
    Gallant 681k U.S. Navy photo David Buell
    MINDIV 72 617k Ocean minesweepers of Mine Division 73 steam together in Pacific. Top to Bottom: Illusive (MSO 448), Conquest (MSO 488), Esteem (MSO 438), Gallant and Pledge (MSO 492). The sweepers are working out of their home port at Long Beach, CA.
    U.S. Navy photo from the August 1965 edition of All Hands magazine    		 Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory)
    Gallant 321k 27 March 1971
    Steaming in company with Pluck (MSO 464) and an unidentified MSO
    U.S. Navy photo VBP-02491-3-71 by PH2(AC) J. B. Land    		 Charles Lamm
    Gallant 73k c. 1972 Richard Miller, BMCS, USNR, Ret.
    Gallant 303k c. 1980's Ron Reeves
    Gallant 402k
    Gallant
    110248935    		 303k Gallant searches the waters of the Sacramento Deep Water Channel after phoned in threats of the waters being mined, 10 January 1980. The threat was made to prevent the depature of the Soviet freighter Nikolay Karamzin, which had been loading corn at the Port of Sacramento. Several such threats were made against the ship in the light of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
    Photo by Erhardt Krause, Sacramento Bee, 11 January 1980    		 Dave Wright
    Gallant 250k c. July 1980
    Naval Air Station Alameda, CA
    Moored astern of Excel (MSO 439) (Bottom photo)    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Excel 146k
    Gallant 63k U.S. Navy photo from the March 1984 edition of All Hands magazine Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory)
    Gallant 335k c. 1987
    Off Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Photo by Rick Garcia    		 Chris Howell
    Gallant 405k 6 June 1990
    Off Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Photo by Rick Garcia
    Gallant 283k 29 April 1994
    Treasure Island, CA
    Decommissioning ceremony
    Photos by Ron Reeves    		 Ron Reeves
    Gallant 216k
    Gallant 239k
    Gallant 242k
    Gallant 260k
    Gallant 289k
    Gallant 252k
    Gallant 251k 29 April 1994
    Treasure Island, CA
    Under tow to Mare Island, CA
    Photo by Ron Reeves
    Gallant 416k Decommissioning article from the 29 April 1994 Volume 53, Number 10 edition of "The Masthead," newspaper Naval Station Treasure Island, CA Robert M. Cieri
    Gallant 391k
    Yung Ku (M 1308)
    M-1307/M-1308 61k Yung Ku (M 1308), and Yung Tzu (M 1307), ex-Conquest (MSO 488). Chinese Navy
    M-1307/M-1308 33k c. 1997
    Yung Tzu (M 1307) and Yung Ku (M 1308).

    Honorary Minesweeperman Certificate, Change of Command Program, Welcome Aboard Pamphlet and Decommissioning Program

    Contributed by Ron Reeves


    1. Honorary Minesweeperman Certificate

    2. Change of Command Program
    21 October 1977

    3. Change of Command Program

    4. Welcome Aboard Pamphlet
    c. 1986 - 1988

    5. Invitation to Decommissioning Ceremony

    6. Decommissioning Program
    29 April 1994

    7. Decommissioning Program

    8. Decommissioning Program

    9. Decommissioning Program

    10. Decommissioning Program

    11. Decommissioning Program
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Dixon Lademan, USN - USNA Class of 194614 September 1955 - 21 December 1956
    02LT James Harold Fluhart, USN21 December 1956 - 4 August 1958
    03LCDR Lawrence Jeremiah Fay, USN4 August 1958 - 12 April 1960
    04LCDR Leroy Ripley Brown, USN12 April 1960 - 17 November 1962
    05LT/LCDR Gilbert Edward Schmidt, USN17 November 1962 - 2 July 1964
    06LCDR Richard Glenn Murphy, USN2 July 1965 - 25 May 1966
    07LCDR Ronald William Kerslake, USN25 May 1966 - 25 July 1968
    08LCDR Robert Louis Freehill, USN - USNA Class of 196025 July 1968 - 21 August 1970
    09LCDR Jerry Scott Jones, USN21 August 1970 - 14 August 1972
    10LCDR Ralph Edward (Ed) Zunich, USN14 August 1972 - 9 December 1973
    11LCDR Walter Browne Woodson, III, USN9 December 1973 - 14 December 1975
    12LT Karl Arthur Mahumed, USN - USNA Class of 196814 December 1975 - 21 October 1977
    13LCDR Gary Lanar Bier, USN21 October 1977 - 19 November 1979
    14LCDR Larry Virgil Herrman, USN19 November 1979 - 24 April 1982
    15LCDR Thomas Wayne Coward, USN24 April 1982 - 11 August 1984
    16CDR Michael Patrick Bahnmiller, USN11 August 1984 - 24 May 1986
    17LCDR Gregory R. Ostrowski, USN24 May 1986 - 5 April 1988
    18LCDR Steven Paul Johnson, USN5 April 1988 - 1 August 1988
    19LCDR James Edgar Keys, Jr., USN1 August 1988 - 6 October 1988
    20LT Steven Arthur McLaughlin, USN6 October 1988 - 9 January 1989
    21LCDR Steven Paul Johnson, USN9 January 1989 - 7 October 1989
    22LT Martin Bradley Bodzin, USN7 October 1989 - 9 November 1989
    23LCDR Michael Stewart O'Bryan, USN - Awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Seven Legions of Merit and the Bronze Star
    Retired as Rear Admiral    		9 November 1989 - 18 January 1991
    24CDR Jan Maarten Van Tol, USN18 January 1991 - May 1993
    25LCDR Robin Alexander Linn, USNRMay 1993 - 29 April 1994
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves, Peter M. Leenhouts and Bill Gonyo
    View the Gallant (MSO-489)
    DANFS History entry located on the Naval History & Heritage Command Website
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