Track Chart U.S.S. Ainsworth

A souvenir from the shakedown cruise of the U.S.S. Ainsworth.

This eye-catching color photograph, commemorative track map, and souvenir pennant were distributed to sailors aboard the Knox-class ocean escort U.S.S. Ainsworth (DE-1090) following her maiden deployment in 1973. While the base sheet features decorative elements overprinted in bold red, the ship’s actual track between June 6 and August 15 is meticulously plotted by hand in pencil.

The resulting piece offers a unique, intimate window into naval operations during the Détente era of the Cold War. Freshly commissioned, the Ainsworth departed her homeport of Norfolk in June 1973, bound for Port Everglades, Florida, to undergo critical sensor calibration and anti-submarine testing.

From there, she proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for rigorous shakedown training. The cruise quickly transitioned into a diplomatic “show-the-flag” mission through the Caribbean, including a visit to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and a deployment to La Guaira, Venezuela. There, she joined four international navies to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the historic Battle of Lake Maracaibo. Following a pair of recruitment stops in New Orleans and Miami, the Ainsworth returned to Norfolk on August 16 to prepare for overhaul.