USS ''Intrigue'' (AM-253) was an built for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She served in the Atlantic during World War II. She was decommissioned in May 1946 and placed in reserve. While she remained in reserve, ''Intrigue'' was reclassified as MSF-253 in February 1955 but never reactivated. In October 1962, she was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM ''DM-19''. In 1994, she was renamed ARM ''Vicente Suárez'' (C61), and, later converted to a training ship with

pennant number In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that iden ...

A06. She was stricken in July 2001, but her ultimate fate is not reported in

secondary source In Scholarly method, scholarship, a secondary sourcePrimary, secondary and tertiary ...

U.S. Navy career

''Intrigue'' was laid down 17 December 1943 by Savannah Machine & Foundry Co.,

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

; launched 8 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Henry R. Keller; and commissioned 31 July 1944. Following exhaustive

shakedown Shakedown may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational * Extortion, ...

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

, ''Intrigue'' departed

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, 28 September 1944 for coastal convoy duty. She sailed with cargo ships from American ports to the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

and as far north as

Argentia, Newfoundland Argentia ( ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which re ...

, before returning to Norfolk 5 December 1944. In January 1945 she served as a target-towing vessel off the coast, and in June ''Intrigue'' sailed to

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, to train student officers on the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

coast. She arrived 23 September at Yorktown, Virginia, to act as training ship at the Mine Warfare School, ''Intrigue'' was decommissioned 31 May 1946. ''Intrigue'' subsequently joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at

Orange, Texas Orange is a city and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,324. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Houst ...

, and reclassified MSF-253 on 7 February 1955. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 May 1962 and sold to Mexico on 1 October 1962.

Mexican Navy career

The former ''Intrigue'' was acquired by the Mexican Navy in October 1962 and renamed ARM ''DM-19''. In 1994, she was renamed ARM ''Vicente Suárez'' (C61) after

Vicente Suárez Vicente is an Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese name. Like its French variant, Vincent, it is derived from the Latin name ''Vincentius'' meaning "conquering" (from Latin ''vincere'', "to conquer"). Vicente may refer to: Location *São Vicente, Cap ...

. She was later converted to a training ship and assigned the new

of ''A06''. She was stricken on 16 July 2001, but her ultimate fate is not reported in

secondary source In Scholarly method, scholarship, a secondary sourcePrimary, secondary and tertiary ...

Notes

NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - ''Intrigue'' (MSF 253) - ex-AM-253
{{DEFAULTSORT:Intrigue (Am-253) Admirable-class minesweepers Ships built in Savannah, Georgia 1944 ships World War II minesweepers of the United States Admirable-class minesweepers of the Mexican Navy