USS Opponent

USS Opponent (AM-269) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters, and served the Navy in the Atlantic Ocean and then was transferred to the North Pacific Ocean before war’s end.

History
United States
Name	USS Opponent
Builder	Gulf Shipbuilding Company
Laid down	21 September 1942
Launched	26 June 1943
Commissioned	18 February 1944
Decommissioned	27 August 1946
Reclassified	MSF-269, 7 February 1955
Stricken	1 April 1960
Fate	Sold, 3 February 1961
General characteristics
Class and type	Admirable-class minesweeper
Displacement	650 tons
Length	184 ft 6 in (56.24 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Propulsion	2 × ALCO 539 diesel engines, 1,710 shp (1.3 MW) Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear 2 shafts
Speed	14.8 knots (27.4 km/h)
Complement	104
Armament	1 × 3"/50 caliber gun 2 × twin Bofors 40 mm gun 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 2 × Depth charge tracks
Service record
Part of:	US Atlantic Fleet (1944-1945) US Pacific Fleet (1945-1946) Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1946-1960)

Opponent was laid down 21 September 1942 by the Gulf Shipbuilding Co., Chickasaw, Alabama, launched 12 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. H. Key, Jr.; and, commissioned 18 February 1944.

World War II Atlantic operations

After shakedown along the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf Opponent departed Norfolk, Virginia, 12 April for Casco Bay, Maine. There she conducted antisubmarine exercises until she sailed for New York escorting USS Pontiac (AF-20), arriving Norfolk 29 April. Early the next month, Opponent's commanding officer was ordered to assume command of Mine Squadron 33 as well as to retain command of his ship. For the next year, the little minesweeper alternated between patrol work, type training and weather ship duties.

Transfer to the Pacific Fleet

On 16 March 1945 she sailed for the Pacific. Arriving San Diego, California, on 5 April, Opponent was assigned to Mine Division 44. She departed San Diego three days later and arrived Pearl Harbor on the 13th. For the remainder of the war, Opponent escorted convoys between Southeast Asia and Pearl Harbor. She continued this service until early 1946, when she sailed to Orange, Texas.

Post-war decommissioning

Opponent was decommissioned on 27 August 1946. She was reclassified MSF-269 on 7 February 1955. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 April 1960 and was sold to Ships & Power Inc., Miami, Florida, on 3 February 1961.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links

• "Opponent". DANFS. U.S. Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
• "Opponent". Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. NavSource Online. Retrieved 2008-02-18.