USS Albatross (MSC-289) - Failure of An Engine Part

Failure of An Engine Part

For the first three months of 1965, Albatross was undergoing repairs at Sasebo. On 19 April, the minesweeper got underway for patrol duties off the coast of Vietnam. After a brief stop at Subic Bay, Albatross sailed on to Vietnamese waters which she reached on 25 April. The ship remained on duty in the combat zone through 30 May, when she was relieved and headed back to Subic Bay. The vessel remained in the Philippines from 2 to 9 June, then headed back to the Vietnam coast for further operations. On the 13th, she suffered a reduction gear casualty which necessitated the securing of her port engines. Leader (MSO-490) soon took Albatross under tow and headed for Subic Bay where they arrived on 17 June.

Following two months of repairs and upkeep at Subic Bay and Sasebo, Albatross arrived at Yokosuka on 14 August for a series of training exercises. She returned to Sasebo on 15 September but got underway a week later to resume her patrol off the Vietnamese coast. The ship made a brief stop at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 25 September. On 1 October, she began patrolling in the South China Sea. The minesweeper was relieved on 6 November and steamed to Hong Kong for a period of rest and relaxation. She reached Kaohsiung on 16 November and conducted mine warfare exercises off the coast of Taiwan before heading to Japan. The vessel arrived at Sasebo on 28 November and remained there through the end of the year.