USS Acme (MSO-508) was an acquired by the United States Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
Acme was laid down on 16 November 1954 by the Frank L. Sample Shipyard, Boothbay Harbor, Maine; launched on 23 June 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Cornelius M. Sullivan, the wife of Capt. Sullivan who was then serving as chief of staff of the 3rd Naval District; and commissioned on 27 September 1956.
First Far East deployment
Following shakedown along the U.S. East Coast, the ocean minesweeper proceeded, via the Panama Canal, to the west coast. She arrived at Long Beach, California, on 8 December and was assigned to Mine Division 73, Mine Squadron 7. After a short upkeep period, Acme got underway on 4 March 1956 for a deployment to the Far East, During this cruise, she visited Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, and various ports in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan before returning home on 20 August.
West Coast activities
On 7 October, the vessel entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for extensive sound reduction repair work which was completed on 6 March 1958. She next participated in a training program as a unit of Mine Force, Pacific Fleet. In October 1958, she took part in a joint operation with the Royal Canadian Navy off the coast of British Columbia.
The ship began the year 1959 operating in the Long Beach, California area. In April, she began a three-week period of refresher training at San Diego. Next, Acme undertook a mine countermeasures refresher training program at Port Hueneme, California.
Second Far East deployment
On 17 August, she deployed to the Far East with Mine Division 73. Following stops at Pearl Harbor and Midway Island, the minesweeper arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on 14 September. A fortnight later, she moved to Sasebo and continued to operate in Japanese and Korean waters through mid-December. She visited Fukuoka and Kure, Japan, and Pusan and Chinhae, Korea. She also participated in joint minesweeping operations with the Republic of Korea Navy at Chinhae and with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force at Kure. On 17 December, Acme got underway and proceeded independently to Hong Kong, where she arrived on 22 December and rejoined other sweepers of Mine Division 73. On 30 December, the ship arrived at Subic Bay, Philippines.
After beginning 1960 in an upkeep status at Subic Bay, Acme arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, on 13 January. Following five days of liberty in Bangkok, she got underway with units of the Royal Thai Navy and conducted tactical exercises en route to Sattahip. The exercises were completed on 22 January, and Acme returned to Subic Bay on 29 January. Following a week of voyage repairs, she sailed on 8 February for her home port, Long Beach, and made brief stops at Guam, Midway Island, and Pearl Harbor before reaching California on 13 March.
West Coast activities
The ship participated in a joint United States-Canadian mine-sweeping exercise in the Long Beach area from 18 to 23 April; then began four months of availability. On 15 August, she got underway for Esquimalt, British Columbia, to rendezvous with Canadian naval forces for joint exercises which continued into September. On the 10th, Acme returned to Long Beach and, from 26 October through 6 November, took part in exercises with Canadian units off Camp Pendleton, California. Acme returned to Long Beach on 15 November and remained there through the end of the year, 1960.
The minesweeper began another overhaul on 13 January 1961. Previously, she had been chosen to test special mine countermeasures equipment; and, during this yard period, it was installed. The ship got underway on 29 May, conducted refresher training at San Diego, and returned to Long Beach early in July. For the next two months, technical and operational checks were made on Acme's experimental equipment. From 28 August to 10 September, Acme held type training. On 13 September, the ship got underway to take part in Operation Gray Fox, a mine warfare exercise held along the California coast. She finished this task on 30 September and returned to Long Beach. From 2 to 27 October, Acme was in restricted availability for installation of more equipment and put to sea on 7 November for shakedown. She returned to her home port on 22 November and spent the remainder of the year in an upkeep and leave period.
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.