USS Acme (MSO-508) - Experimental Equipment Operations

Experimental Equipment Operations

Acme spent the year 1962 conducting tests and operational evaluations of her new mine countermeasures equipment which took her to various points along the California coast. This routine was broken by periods of upkeep and drydocking before the vessel ended the year anchored in Long Beach.

The first two months of 1963 saw her continuing experimental work. From 2 to 23 March, she participated in "Operation Steelgate", with Canadian forces off the California coast near Camp Pendleton. After a week of liberty in San Francisco, Acme returned to Long Beach for an overhaul which was followed by three weeks of refresher training out of San Diego. Upon her return to Long Beach on 2 August, Acme took part in an operational evaluation of Seanettle, an underwater electronic system. From mid-September through 10 November, she held type training and returned to Long Beach on the 21st.

Acme got underway for type training on 6 January 1964 and spent most of February assisting in the evaluation of the Seanettle system. From 24 February to 10 March, she conducted mine countermeasures operations off Santa Rosa Island, California and then devoted the next seven weeks to a tender availability. On 27 April, she commenced training operations in the area off Huntington Beach, California, and Santa Catalina Island. Following completion of shakedown, she began alternating mine recovery operations off the California coast with periods of upkeep at Long Beach. The sweeper completed her operations on 7 December and entered a holiday leave and upkeep status.

Acme entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 11 January 1965 for the installation of a new sonar system. She was underway on 8 March and sailed to the naval electronics laboratory at San Diego for tests and evaluations of her newly installed equipment. The ship returned to Long Beach on 27 May and began preparations for major yard work. On 7 June, she arrived at the Harbor Boat Building Company in Long Beach for repairs which lasted until 19 August. Then came two months of exercises. On 22 November, Acme began further evaluation of experimental equipment. In mid-December, she spent one week in mine hunting operations before returning to Long Beach on 20 December.

From mid-January until May 1966, Acme evaluated her mine hunting and surveillance system before sailing north and participating in the Portland Rose Festival in Portland, Oregon, from 8 until 13 June. The minesweeper participated as a unit of Mine Squadron 7 in a mine exercise at Santa Rosa Island from 18 to 28 July. Following a month of restricted availability at Long Beach, she took part in Exercises "Eager Angler" and "Baseline II." During November, the ship conducted type training and closed the year at Long Beach in a leave and upkeep status.

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