Broward Minesweepers

Broward Marine’s 20-acre facility started with service and repair work. In 1954, and for the next four years during the Korean War, Frank Denison landed a large United States Navy contract, with the first flight of four, 144′ wooden Minesweepers, for the Royal Dutch Navy under a NATO contract.

Broward Marine subsequently added seven more AMS-Class, 173′ Minesweepers for the U.S. Navy. At the height of the Minesweeper program, Broward Marine became the largest private employer in Broward County, Florida. Broward Marine was building a 144’ minesweeper every 45 days and a 173’ minesweeper every 90 days.

Discover Broward Minesweepers

BOLSWARD

Adjutant Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down as AMS-109 by Broward Marine Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Completed 26 October 1953, transferred to The Netherlands
Commissioned Bolsward (M 846), 5 November 1953
Reclassified by the U.S. Navy as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-109, 7 February 1955
Struck from the Naval Register 1 November 1971
Returned to U.S. Navy custody 18 September 1972 (on paper) and sold for scrap to Pounds Marine Shipping, Havant, Hampshire, England.

Specifications:

Displacement 405 t.
Length 144'
Beam 27'
Draft 9'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 40
Armament: Two twin 20mm mounts
Propulsion: Two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts.

BEILEN

Adjutant Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down as AMS-110 by Broward Marine Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Launched 14 February 1953
Completed 9 April 1954, and transferred to The Netherlands
Placed in service 26 April 1954 and named Beilen (M 848)
Reclassified by the U.S. Navy as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-110, 7 February 1955
Placed out of service 29 November 1974
Struck from the Navy Register 13 August 1975
Sold 13 April 1976 to Bruczak, Canada
Fate unknown.

Specifications:

Displacement 405 t.
Length 144'
Beam 27'
Draft 9'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 40
Armament: One twin 20mm mount
Propulsion: Two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts.

BRUMMEN

Adjutant Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down as AMS-111 by Broward Marine Inc., Fort Lauderale, FL
Completed 4 February 1954, transferred to The Netherlands and named Brummen (M 851)
Reclassified by the U.S. Navy as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-111, 7 Feb 1955
Placed out of service 21 May 1973
Struck from the Naval Register 14 August 1974
Sold for scrap 30 March 1976 to Motorbedrijf (Motor Company) Kerkhovenin, Zwijndrecht, Holland.

Specifications:

Displacement 405 t.
Length 144'
Beam 27'
Draft 9'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 40
Armament: One twin 20mm mount
Propulsion: Two General Motors diesel engines, two shafts.

BLARICUM

Adjutant Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down 29 September 1952 as AMS-112 by Broward Marine Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Launched 31 October 1953
Completed 21 May 1954
Transferred to The Netherlands 7 June 1954 and placed in service as HRNLMS Blaricum (M 853)
Reclassified by the U.S. Navy as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-112, 7 February 1955
Placed out of service 8 July 1972
Struck from the Naval Register in 1975
Sold for scrap in 1979 to W. Mantel of Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom.

Specifications:

Displacement 405 t.
Length 144'
Beam 27'
Draft 9'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 40
Armament: Two twin 20mm mounts
Propulsion: Two General Motors diesel engines, two shafts.

LIMPKIN

Falcon Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down 17 April 1953 as AMS-195 by Broward Marine Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Launched 21 May 1954
Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-195, 7 February 1955
Commissioned USS Limpkin (MSC 195), 26 March 1955
Decommissioned 26 September 1968 and placed in service as a Naval Reserve training ship, based at Perth Amboy, NJ
Transferred to Indonesia in 1971 and renamed Pulau Anjer
Struck from the Naval Register 1 May 1976
Disposed of for scrap through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service 1 September 1976.

Specifications:

Displacement 362 t.
Length 144' 3"
Beam 27' 2"
Draft 12'
Speed 13.6 knots
Complement 40
Armament: One twin 20mm mount
Propulsion: Four 600shp Packard diesel engines, two shafts.

MEADOWLARK

Falcon Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down 18 May 1953 as AMS-196 by Broward Marine Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Launched 28 August 1954
Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-196, 7 February 1955
Commissioned USS Meadowlark (MSC 196), 14 May 1955
Transferred to Indonesia in 1971 and renamed Pulau Alau (M 717)
Struck from the Navy Register 1 May 1976
Sold 1 September 1976
Fate unknown.

Specifications:

Displacement 362 t.
Length 144' 3"
Beam 27' 2"
Draft 12'
Speed 13.6 knots.
Complement 39
Armament: Two .50 cal. machine guns and one 81mm mortar
Propulsion: Two 600shp Packard diesel engines, two shafts.

PARROT

Falcon Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down as AMS-197, 23 December 1953 by the Broward Marine, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Launched, 27 November 1954
Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-197, 7 February 1955
Commissioned USS Parrot (MSC 197), 28 June 1955
Decommissioned and placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training Ship 26 September 1968
Struck from the Navy Register 1 August 1972
Sold for scrap by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, 1 December 1976.

Specifications:

Displacement 362 t.
Length 144' 3"
Beam 27' 2"
Draft 12'
Speed 13.6 knots
Complement 39
Armament: Two .50 cal. machine guns and one 81mm mortar
Propulsion: Two 600shp Packard diesel engines, two shafts.

STALWART

Aggressive Class Minesweeper

Laid down 22 June 1954 as AM-493 by Boward Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper MSO-493, 7 February 1955
Launched 3 December 1955
Commissioned USS Stalwart (MSO-493), 23 April 1957
Lost due to fire 25 June 1966 at San Juan, Puerto Rico
Decommissioned 24 August 1966
Struck from the Naval Register 1 March 1967
Sunk as an artificial reef off the Florida coast in 1971.

Specifications:

Displacement 630 t.(lt), 755 t.(fl)
Length 172'
Beam 35'
Draft 10'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 80
Armament: As built, one 40mm gun mount and two .50 cal. machine guns. Final configuration, bow gun replaced by one twin 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns remain
Propulsion: Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.

STURDY

Aggressive Class Minesweeper:

Laid down 15 October 1954 as AM-494 at Boward Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-494, 7 February 1955
Launched 28 January 1956
Commissioned USS Sturdy (MSO-494), 23 October 1967
Decommissioned 1 July 1972 at Charleston, SC and towed to Inactive Ship Facility, Norfolk, VA for storage
Struck from the Navy Register 1 September 1977
Sold for scrap 1 May 1987 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to C. B. Herter, Jr. of Hopewell, VA for $27,019.

Specifications:

Displacement 630 t.(lt), 755 t.(fl)
Length 172'
Beam 35'
Draft 10'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 80
Armament: As built, one 40mm gun mount and two .50 cal. machine guns. Final configuration, bow gun replaced by one twin 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns remain
Propulsion: Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.

SWERVE

Aggressive Class Minesweeper:

Laid down 20 December 1954 as AM-495 at Boward Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-495, 7 February 1955
Launched 1 November 1955
Commissioned USS Swerve (MSO-495), 27 July 1957
Decommissioned 1 July 1971 and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
Sold for scrap 1 February 1978 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service.

Specifications:

Displacement 630 t.(lt), 755 t.(fl)
Length 172'
Beam 35'
Draft 10'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 80
Armament: As built, one 40mm gun mount and two .50 cal. machine guns. Final configuration, bow gun replaced by one twin 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns remain
Propulsion: Four Packard ID1700 diesel engines, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.

VENTURE

Aggressive Class Minesweeper:

Laid down 11 January 1955 as AM-496 at Broward Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Reclassified as an Ocean Minesweeper, MSO-496, 7 February 1955
Launched 27 November 1956
Commissioned USS Venture (MSO-496), 3 February 1958
Decommissioned 2 August 1971 at Charleston, SC and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk Group
Struck from the Naval Register in September 1977
Sold for scrap 1 May 1978 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to C. B. Herter of Hopewell, VA for $27,019.

Specifications:

Displacement 630 t.(lt), 755 t.(fl)
Length 172'
Beam 35'
Draft 10'
Speed 14 knots
Complement 80
Armament: As built, one single 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, two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers.