Pinnacle II MSO-462

Pinnacle II

(MSO-462: dp. 755; 1. 172'; b. 35'; dr. 10'; s. 14 k.; cpl. 62; a. 1 40mm.; cl. Aggreseive)

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 MSO462, 7 Februnry 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 1957. On 6 February she returned to Charleston, then, through September, furnished services for the Offiee of Naval Researeh. 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 exercises in the Caribbean. In late January 1962, she steamed to Cape Canaveral, Fla., to aet 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 depIoyed 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.