USS Impervious ( AM - 449 ) USS " Impervious " ( AM - 449 / MSO - 449 ) was an " Aggressive " - class minesweeper acquired by the U . S . Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships . " Impervious " ( " AM 449 " ) was launched by Martinolich Shipbuilding Co . , San Diego , California , 29 August 1952 ; sponsored by Miss Mary Lin Moore ; and commissioned 15 July 1954 , Lt . Comdr . A . T . Ford in command . First Far East tour . Following shakedown and mine warfare training off the California coast , " Impervious " was reclassified " MSO - 449 " on 7 February 1955 . She sailed 1 July with her division for duty in the Far East with the U . S . 7th Fleet , arriving Sasebo via Pearl Harbor 5 August . During this deployment , she operated with ships of the Republic of Korea Navy and visited Taiwan before returning to her home port , Long Beach , 15 February 1956 . During the next two years she operated out of Long Beach . Her second cruise to the Far East . " Impervious " sailed for her second U . S . 7th Fleet deployment 3 January 1958 , and during the next 6 months trained in Japan ese waters . She also helped train Nationalist Chinese crews during April and May , preparing them to help to preserve the freedom and independence of Taiwan . The minesweeper returned to Long Beach 15 July 1958 , and during September took part in a giant amphibious exercise off Camp Pendleton , California . Joint U . S . - Canadian exercises . In April 1959 " Impervious " interrupted her regular training schedule to take part in a joint mine warfare exercise with Canadian ships , and spent the rest of the year on training exercises in California waters . In early 1960 the ship prepared for another deployment to the Far East , sailing 3 May for Japan . During August she participated in maneuvers with Korean and Nationalist Chinese ships , and in October " Impervious " operated with units of the Philippine Navy in similar operations off Corregidor . She sailed via Guam and Pearl Harbor to Long Beach , arriving 16 November . Supporting nuclear testing at Johnston Island . The ship spent 1961 and early 1962 on important readiness operations , visiting several West Coast ports , and sailed again for U . S . 7th Fleet duty 7 April 1962 . After training in the Philippines the minesweeper spent part of July on patrol with Vietnamese Naval units off Danang , and the Navy supported the South Vietnam ese people in their fight for freedom . She visited Hong Kong and Yokosuka before arriving Pearl Harbor 8 September 1962 . During October and November , " Impervious " took part in atomic tests at Johnston Island , and arrived Long Beach 21 November . In March 1963 the ship took part in another large amphibious operation , " Operation Steelgate " , then worked out of Long Beach before again joining Canadian ships for mine warfare exercises off British Columbia in November . She got underway for the western Pacific again 8 May 1964 , and after stopping at various islands moved to the coast of South Vietnam in September for special operations supporting the American Advisory unit . After mine exercises off the Philippines she returned Long Beach 7 December 1964 . The following 12 months were spent in tactics and exercises along the coast of southern California , overhaul at Los Angeles , California , and readiness operations to prepare her for another Far Eastern deployment assisting Allied forces to defend freedom in Southeast Asia . Persian Gulf War service . " Impervious " was lifted to the Persian gulf following Iraq ' s invasion of Kuwait . She was loaded aboard the Dutch heavy lift ship Super Servant 3 on 19 August 1990 at Norfolk along with USS Leader ( MSO - 490 ) , USS Adroit ( MSO - 509 ) and USS Avenger ( MCM - 1 ) . She was offloaded 5 October 1990 in the middle east . " Impervious " returned to Norfolk on 14 November 1991 with USS Leader ( MSO - 490 ) and USS Adroit ( MSO - 509 ) aboard " Super Servant 4 " . Impervious was lifted to the Persian gulf following Iraq ' s invasion of Kuwait . She was loaded aboard the Dutch heavy lift ship Super Servant 3 on 19 August 1990 at Norfolk along with USS Impervious ( MSO - 449 ) , USS Adroit ( MSO - 509 ) and USS Avenger ( MCM - 1 ) . She was offloaded 5 October 1990 in the middle east . Impervious returned to Norfolk on 14 November 1991 with USS Impervious ( MSO - 449 ) and USS Adroit ( MSO - 509 ) aboard Super Servant 4 . She participated in minesweeping operations to clear mines for anticipated d - day style landing by US Marines as part of the diversionary force which allowed land forces to take Iraqi Artillery positions from behind . On 28 February 1991 at 0500 they were ordered to storm the beaches at 0300 they were ordered to stand down as Iraq had surendered and the war was over . She also did escort duty for the battleships USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin . as part of two naval battle groups built around the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D . Eisenhower and USS Independence to the Gulf , where they were ready by 8 August . She did riggings for MH 53 Airborne Mine Countermeasures minesweeping helicopters stationed aboard the USS Tripoli LPH 10 http : / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / USS _ Tripoli _ ( LPH - 10 ) This was the minesweeping gear use to clear anchored mines such as the one that hit Tripoli . Tripoli proceeded into the northern Persian Gulf and assumed duties as flagship for Airborne Mine Countermeasures operations there with MH 53 deployed aboard . On the morning of 18 February 1991 , at 0436 ( 4 : 37 a . m . ) Tripoli was rocked by a mine explosion on her starboard bow . The explosion ripped a 16 by 20 ft hole in the ship ' s hull and injured four sailors . The Tripoli was towed off of three other unexploded mines by two MCM ships . After 20 hours of damage control , the ship was stabilized and was actually ready to resume operations . However her HM - 14 fuel tanks were damaged by the mine hit and she was unable to deploy her HM - 14 ' s due to a lack of fuel . The Impervious and sister MSO ' s were her escorts . USS Impervious was responsible for removing these mines that threatened the Tripoli . Soon after the Iraqi invasion , it became clear that Iraq was laying mines in international waters . U . S . ships discovered and des ' troyed six mines during December . The U . S . Mine Countermeasures Group ( USMCMG ) was established with the objective of cleanng a path to the beach for a possible amphibious landing and battleship gunflre support . The minesweepers USS Adroit ( MSO 509 ) , USS Impervious ( MSO 449 ) , and USS Leader ( MSO 490 ) along with the newly commissioned mine countermeasures ship USS Avenger ( MCM 1 ) arrived in the Gulf aboard the heavy - lift ship Super Servant III . More than 20 Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal ( EOD ) teams were also deployed to support the mine countermeasures force . Allied minesweepers from Saudi Arabia , Great Britain and Kuwait , and the MH - 53 Super Stallions of Mine Countermeasures Helicopter Squadron 14 joined the MCM effort . After months of training off Dubai , United Arab Emirates , USMCMG staff embarked in USS Tripoli ( LPH 10 ) on 20 January , and proceeded to the northern Gulf waters to perform their mission . As flagship for the combined operation , Tripoli ' s flight deck was the base for the mine - sweeping helicopters . Six British minesweepers joined their U . S . counterparts , with British and U . S . warships providing air defense . USMCMG began its work 60 miles east of the Kuwaiti coastline , working initially to clear a 15 - mile long , 1 , 000 - yard wide path . The mine - clearing task force spent the flrst few weeks of DESERT STORM pushing 24 miles to " Point FOXTROT , " a 10 - mile by 3 . 5 - mile box which became the battleship gunfire support area south of Faylaka Island . While sweeping further toward shore , the task group was targeted by Iraqi fire control radars associated with Silkworm missile sites inside Kuwait . Task force ships moved out of Silkworm range and worked to locate the radar site . During those maneuvers on 18 February , Iraqi mines found their mark . Within three hours of each other , Tripoli and USS Princeton ( CG 59 ) were rocked by exploding mines . As damage control teams successfully overcame flres and flooding aboard Tripoli and Princeton , Impervious , Leader and Avenger searched for additional mines in the area . Adroit led the salvage tug USS Beaufort ( ATS 2 ) toward Princeton to tow her to safety . Tripoli was able to continue her mission for several days before she was relieved by USS La Salle ( AGF 3 ) and USS New Orleans ( LPH 11 ) and proceeded to Bahrain for repairs . New Orleans provided the helicopter deck while the mine group staff moved aboard La Salle to coordinate the operation . Princeton restored her TLAM strike and AEGIS anti - air warfare defense capabilities within fifteen minutes of the mine strike , whereupon she reassumed duties as local anti - air warfare coordinator and remained on station , providing defense for the mine countermeasures group for an additional 30 hours , until relieved . Charts and intelligence captured from Iraq showed the mine field where Tripoli and Princeton were hit was one of six laid in a 150 - mile arc from Faylaka Island to the Saudi - Kuwaiti border . Within that arc , there were four additional mine - lines — a total of more than 1 , 000 mines — laid over a five - month period . Three days later , the massive 31 - ship amphibious task force moved north to assist in battlefield preparation as the deadline for the ground offensive neared . As Wisconsin and Missouri steamed in the vicinity of recently - cleared " Point FOXTROT , " their gun crews continued to pound Iraqi targets . Marine AV - 8B Harriers launched from the flight deck of Nassau conducted strikes ashore . Final status . " Impervious " decommissioned 12 December 1991 and was stricken 18 March 1992 . She was sold for scrapping 15 April 1995 , but the purchaser defaulted and the contract for sale was cancelled 8 October 1996 . She was ultimately sold for scrap 4 December 2000 .