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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Competent (AM-316, later MSF-316), 1943-1972

USS Competent, an 890-ton Auk class minesweeper, was built at Alameda, California. Commissioned in November 1943, she served in the Pacific during the remainder of World War II, taking an active part in the Palaus and Okinawa Campaigns. Following Japan's surrender in mid-1945, she supported occupation activities until returning to the United States in April 1946. Competent was decommissioned in January 1947.

Competent came back into active service in February 1952, during the Korean War defense buildup. She made one combat tour off Korea in 1952-53, and a second Far Eastern deployment in 1953-54. After operating off the U.S. West Coast, Competent was again decommissioned in April 1955, two months after she was reclassified as a fleet minesweeper and redesignated MSF-316. After seventeen years in "mothballs", she was sold to Mexico in September 1972. She served in the Mexican Navy as Ponciano Arriaga until 1988.

This page features our only view of USS Competent (AM-316) and provides information on others that may be available from the National Archives.

If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 68589

USS LST-735
(at right)

Serving as "mother ship" for seven minesweepers, probably in a Japanese port, circa 1952-54.
Ships nested alongside are (from left):
USS Gull (AMS-16);
USS Firecrest (AMS-10);
USS Condor (AMS-5);
USS Merganser (AMS-26);
USS Osprey (AMS-28);
USS Competent (AM-316) and
USS Chief (AM-315).

Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute, James C. Fahey Collection.

Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold at least a few other views of USS Competent (AM-316), taken during the 1950s. The following list features these images.

The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".



  • Photo #: USN 1045495
    USS Competent (AM-316) underway during the early 1950s.
    Starboard bow aerial view. This photograph was received in December 1959.

  • Photo #: USN 1045499
    USS Competent (AM-316) underway during the early 1950s.
    Port bow aerial view, with signal flags flying. This photograph was received in December 1959.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions ".


  • If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    21 September 1999