|
The second Pinnacle was laid down as AM-462 by Higgins Inc., New Orleans, La.,
24 August 1953 launched 3 January 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Harry Saunders; reclassified MSO-462, 7 February 1955. and commissioned
21 October 1955, Lt. Orval K. Hallam in command.
Pinnacle, a wooden hull minesweeper (ocean)
assigned to MinDiv 84 completed shakedown in Chesapeake Bay and post shakedown overhaul at Charleston and in June, 1956 began
preparations for her first deployment to the Mediterranean. Sailing east 4 September, she visited the U.K. and the Netherlands,
took part in NATO maneuvers in the North Sea then operated with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean from 20 October to 21 January
19.57. On 6 February she returned to Charleston, then, through September, furnished services for the Office of Naval Research.
Overhaul and local operations followed and in May, 1958, Pinnacle again sailed for the Mediterranean.
As tension in the Middle East rose to a new height, Pinnacle steamed directly
to the eastern Mediterranean and for most of that deployment cruised off the Levantine states. Between 1 August and 2 October
she spent six weeks off Beirut as the 6th Fleet answered Lebanese President Chamoun's request for aid. Enroute home a series
of engineering casualties resulted in the loss of the use of her main engines. Taken in tow by Nimble (MSO-459), she arrived
at Charleston 3 November.
Overhaul, local operations and Caribbean amphibious exercises took up 1959 and in January
1960, Pinnacle deployed to the Mediterranean for another tour with the 6th Fleet. Returning in June, she resumed a
series of local operations Mine Warfare schoolship duties and amphibious exercise in the Caribbean. In late January 1962 she
steamed to Cape Canaveral, Fla., to act as a back up ship during the Mercury 6 space shot. In April she reported for duty
with the Mine Defense Laboratory Panama City and, after upkeep at the end of the summer sailed north to participate in joint
U.S.-Canadian exercises in the North Atlantic
In May 1963, Pinnacle again deployed to the Mediterranean and since that time,
into 1970, has regularly rotated between duty with the 6th Fleet, local operations and training exercises off the east coast,
and extended deployment with amphibious forces in the Caribbean.
Atlantic 01/20/56: The USS James V. Forrestal (CVA-59) collides with the USS Pinnacle (MSO-462) at Norfolk, Virginia,
slightly damaging the Pinnacle.
I was radioman on board Pinnacle late 58/59 I was on the Agile when a 2nd class radiomanon
the Pinnacle wanted to swap at Gibralter.So I swapped with him on the outward bound trip from Gib.Should have stayed on board
Agile, didn't know if Pinnacle would make it home or not.. If I remember right we had
to be towed most of the way back
as all 4 engines went out.???
Loren H. Dudley RM1/USN/Retired.
I was on Pinnacle from 1960 to 1962 (ping jockey)
Anybody remember the guy who was standing messenger
watch (in Charleston, I think) who shot & killed the
watch on the ship tied up alongside?
Pinnacle had engine troubles in 1961? I kinda
remember being in Fernandez Juncos in PR for six weeks
until they could replace a main engine.
Joseph Gross
It wasn't just the name, a crowd-control chemical used in the late 60s, that made Captain
Mace such a character. He had rituals. He was in marvelous physical shape, and had a punching bag rigged on the
forward edge of the stack. Just before he'd hold Captains Mast, Captain Mace would be down to skivvies, punching the
bejeesus out of that bag. The XO (Bob Sutton, later to become a rear admiral ) would hold his XO's mast, the preliminary
round, on the main deck, starboard side, near the ladder going up to CIC. The Captain was up on the stack deck punching
away, and would look down at the hapless sailor about to come before him, stare at the kid and snarl, and then really give
his all to the destruction of his punching bag. The episode was over in less than a minute, but it sure put the kid
in a broken spirit.
Jack Kennedy
LINKS
CREW LIST
NMSO EMAIL
PINNACE E-GROUP
Pinnacle at Military.Com
SEA STORIES BY MARK PETERSEN-OVERTON
USS Lucid Project
|
