USS Albatross ( MSC - 289 ) USS Albatross ( MSC - 289 ) was an " Albatross " - class coastal minesweeper acquired by the U . S . Navy for clearing coastal minefields . The sixth ship to be named " Albatross " by the navy , " MSC - 289 " was laid down on 26 February 1959 by Tacoma Boat Building Inc . , Tacoma , Washington , launched on 22 March 1960 ; sponsored by Mrs . S . A . Peters , and commissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 20 April 1961 , Lt . William H . Green in command . West Coast operations . " Albatross " spent the next 14 months homeported at Long Beach , California , conducting shakedown and type training off the U . S . West Coast . On 2 July 1962 , " Albatross " got underway with the other ships of Mine Division ( MinDiv ) 92 , bound for the western Pacific Ocean . En route to Japan , the ship stopped briefly at Pearl Harbor , Midway Island , and Guam . She reached her new home port Sasebo , on 13 August and , after two months of upkeep , spent the rest of the year in training . Operations in Korea and Japan . Refresher training occupied her during the first six weeks of 1963 . While conducting an exercise on 16 February , " Albatross " suffered damage to her port reduction gear which idled the ship under repairs until 5 March . " Albatross " then joined an exercise with naval forces of the Republic of Korea at Chumunjin , Korea . She paid a brief visit to Kure , Japan , on 19 March , and took part in a mine exercise from 20 to 25 March off Iwakuni , Japan . The minesweeper next stopped at Beppu , Japan , and then returned to Sasebo on 30 March . Drydock period in Sasebo . On 13 May , " Albatross " sailed for Buckner Bay , Okinawa , and a mine test which lasted until 30 May when she headed back to ward Sasebo for upkeep and training . Another exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy occurred from 4 to 10 September at Yosu - Haeman , Korea . When she returned to Sasebo , " Albatross " entered drydock for two weeks . Following further repairs " Albatross " left Sasebo on 24 October and joined a U . S . 7th Fleet exercise , " Yellow Bird , " off Subic Bay , Philippines , on 5 November . On 13 November , the ship got underway for Hong Kong and a period of rest and relaxation . " Albatross " arrived back at Sasebo on 27 November and spent the next six weeks in leave and upkeep . Kaohsiung exercises . The minesweeper resumed her duties on 22 February 1964 when she sailed for Taiwan . She reached Kaohsiung on 26 February and began steaming with MinDiv 31 off the southwest coast of that island . A brief stop at Keelung preceded her return to Sasebo on 13 March and four months of local operations and upkeep . Vietnam War operations . In response to the growing American involvement in Vietnam " Albatross " departed Japan on 9 July bound for Camranh Bay . After an intermediate stop at Subic Bay , she entered Camranh Bay on 16 July . Besides her duties there , she also operated from Nha Trang and Ben Goi . On 1 August , " Albatross " was detached from her Vietnamese service and sailed for the Philippines . She reached Subic Bay on 4 August and began upkeep . Late in August , the minesweeper made a trip to Hong Kong for a rest and relaxation period before returning to Sasebo on 3 September . " Albatross " next assignment took her to Korea from 9 to 17 November for visits to Chinhae and Tolsan Do and joint exercises with Korean naval forces . On the 18th , " Albatross " was back at Sasebo . The minesweeper took part in training exercises with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force from 3 to 5 December then remained at Sasebo for the rest of the year . 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 . Operation Market Time participation . The minesweeper departed Sasebo on 5 January 1966 for an " Operation Market Time " deployment off the coast of Vietnam . On the 9th she paused briefly at Kaohsiung to take on fuel and provisions . She arrived on her station south of Vung Tau on 14 January and patrolled the sea lanes in her area until relieved on 22 February . The minesweeper returned to Sasebo on 5 March to begin one and one - half months of upkeep and training . On 21 April " Albatross " sailed in company with " Epping Forest " ( MCS - 7 ) , " Warbler " ( MSC - 206 ) , and " Peacock " ( MSC - 198 ) for Chinhae , Korea and an exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy . Following the five - day exercise , she visited Kure on 29 April before returning to Sasebo on 4 May . " Albatross " got underway on 20 May for the South China Sea in company with " Warbler " . Her station was located off the tip of the Camau peninsula , and her patrol lasted through 9 July . " Albatross " then sailed due south to visit Singapore from 12 to 16 July and made a port call at Hong Kong before among back in Sasebo on 30 July . Return to Japan for repairs . Tests and training occupied " Albatross " through 19 September at which time she got underway for another " Market Time " deployment . " Albatross " was assigned an area in the vicinity of the Phu Quoc Islands in the Gulf of Thailand . Her relief arrived on 7 November , and " Albatross " sailed to Kaohsiung for repairs to an inoperative air compressor system which hindered her maneuverability . The minesweeper reached Sasebo on 18 November for training and holiday leave . On 29 December 1966 she left Japan for another patrol in the South China Sea . Cryptographic and propulsion problems . " Albatross " was on patrol through 17 February 1967 , when she was relieved by " Peacock " . That same day , she suffered damage to her cryptographic equipment , necessitating a rendezvous with " Annapolis " ( AGMR - 1 ) for repairs . The minesweeper spent the next five months in overhaul at Sasebo . On 27 August , she was underway for Subic Bay and gunfire support training . She left the Philippines on 8 September for a " Market Time " patrol in the area of Nha Yang , Vietnam , and steamed on station through 12 October , when she was relieved and headed for Subic Bay . The ship entered the floating drydock " AFDM - 5 " on the 15th and , by 25 October , was underway for Sasebo . There , she spent the next three and one - half months working on and replacing a faulty main propulsion plant . Search and rescue operations . The ship took part in Exercise " Golden Shark " off " Hiroshima " , Japan , from 16 to 24 February 1968 . The exercise was held in conjunction with the Japanese Maritime Self - Defense Force . From 25 to 28 February , she paid a visit to Hiroshima , then sailed to Yokosuka for two weeks of upkeep . On 14 March " Albatross " was involved in a search and rescue operation in Tokyo Bay . A harbor craft located the downed airplane , and , the next day , " Albatross " headed for Sasebo where she spent the month of April in refresher training and upkeep . Return to Vietnam combat zone . She got underway on 25 April to begin a patrol off the Vietnamese coast . " Albatross " operated for 42 days in the combat zone and was relieved by " Widgeon " ( MSC - 208 ) on 6 June . After a brief pause at Sasebo , " Albatross " sailed for Buckner Bay , Okinawa , on 20 June . While en route , she held mine countermeasures training . Upon her return to Sasebo on 5 July , the minesweeper spent three months in upkeep and training . On 17 October , she commenced another stint off Vietnam . This patrol was hampered by heavy seas ; and , following her relief , her departure was delayed by steaming to evade a typhoon in the Gulf of Thailand . After a five - day rest period in Hong Kong , " Albatross " got underway on 10 December to return to Sasebo . Gulf of Tonkin operations . " Albatross " began her first " Market Time " patrol of 1969 on 5 March . She remained in the Gulf of Tonkin for 44 days before sailing to Hong Kong on 24 April for a rest and relaxation period . The ship spent the remainder of the year alternating periods of upkeep in Sasebo with training exercises in Japanese waters . " Albatross " began 1970 in upkeep at Sasebo . On 16 February she was en route to Subic Bay for a minehunting drill . On 19 February , the mission was cancelled and " Albatross " was called back to Japan to prepare for decommissioning . The ship arrived in Sasebo on 25 February , and the unloading of her equipment and supplies began . Decommissioning . On 1 April , " Albatross " was simultaneously decommissioned and struck from the Navy list . " Albatross " was sold in November 1970 to Kitajima Shokai Co . , Ltd . , Sasebo , Japan , for scrapping .