With only nine years of active service with the Seventh Fleet, Albatross had a relatively short career. Earlier "Falcon" and "Redwing" class MSCs built in the mid 1950s were powered with the time-tested U.S. built Packard and General Motors diesels while the newer Albatross -- and her sister, Gannet (MSC-290) -- were produced with four 8-cylinder Harischfeger engines of German design. Over time, both Albatross and Gannet suffered from recurring engine failures and electro-hydraulic issues which kept tech reps busy whenever we weren't on long patrols. By 1970, the expense had become too much and the Navy retired both vessels long before their anticipated service life of 30-35 years. http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/MSC-289/88724503_2UNCZ-Ti.jpg http://albatross.smugmug.com/gallery/1852114_ynkKD/ 2008-11-24T13:43:36Z Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. SmugMug <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />USS Albatross MSC 289 was first of her class -- built by the Tacoma Boat Building Company. Her keel was laid in 1959, the ship was launched in 1960 and commissioned in 1961. This is believed ...</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#88724503_2UNCZ" title="USS Albatross MSC 289 was first of her class -- built by the Tacoma Boat Building Company. Her keel was laid in 1959, the ship was launched in 1960 and commissioned in 1961. This is believed ..."><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/MSC-289/88724503_2UNCZ-Th.jpg" width="150" height="116" alt="USS Albatross MSC 289 was first of her class -- built by the Tacoma Boat Building Company. Her keel was laid in 1959, the ship was launched in 1960 and commissioned in 1961. This is believed ..." title="USS Albatross MSC 289 was first of her class -- built by the Tacoma Boat Building Company. Her keel was laid in 1959, the ship was launched in 1960 and commissioned in 1961. This is believed ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T16:07:42Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/MSC-289/88724503_2UNCZ-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Former C.O., Edward Cole Jr., recently gave me one of only a few ship's plaques ever made. I a feel very fortunate to have one. Thanks, Captain!</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#92621088_XLrc5" title="Former C.O., Edward Cole Jr., recently gave me one of only a few ship's plaques ever made. I a feel very fortunate to have one. Thanks, Captain!"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Albatross-Plaque/92621088_XLrc5-Th.jpg" width="107" height="150" alt="Former C.O., Edward Cole Jr., recently gave me one of only a few ship's plaques ever made. I a feel very fortunate to have one. Thanks, Captain!" title="Former C.O., Edward Cole Jr., recently gave me one of only a few ship's plaques ever made. I a feel very fortunate to have one. Thanks, Captain!" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T12:15:54Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Albatross-Plaque/92621088_XLrc5-Th.jpg 2006-08-24 09:36:27 <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Commissioning photo</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#89318570_r8ond" title="Commissioning photo"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/289-Underway/89318570_r8ond-Th.jpg" width="146" height="150" alt="Commissioning photo" title="Commissioning photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T15:16:10Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/289-Underway/89318570_r8ond-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a> </p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#424119153_TTWKw" title="Albatross' photo"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Call-Sign-Flags/424119153_TTWKw-Th.jpg" width="150" height="60" alt="Albatross' photo" title="Albatross' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-11-24T13:51:10Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Call-Sign-Flags/424119153_TTWKw-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Albatross as I first saw her in November 1967 moored at India Nine in Sasebo.</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#92897051_CXMyf" title="Albatross as I first saw her in November 1967 moored at India Nine in Sasebo."><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/6711-289-Sasebo/92897051_CXMyf-Th.jpg" width="150" height="120" alt="Albatross as I first saw her in November 1967 moored at India Nine in Sasebo." title="Albatross as I first saw her in November 1967 moored at India Nine in Sasebo." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T10:50:06Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/6711-289-Sasebo/92897051_CXMyf-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />The plaque of Mine Flotilla One.</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#189365594_pMTUg" title="The plaque of Mine Flotilla One."><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Minflot/189365594_pMTUg-Th.jpg" width="150" height="142" alt="The plaque of Mine Flotilla One." title="The plaque of Mine Flotilla One." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-09T20:12:20Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Minflot/189365594_pMTUg-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />With the help of LtJG James Dillon, my father built a scale model of Albatross.</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#92897052_Pc5vR" title="With the help of LtJG James Dillon, my father built a scale model of Albatross."><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/289-Model/92897052_Pc5vR-Th.jpg" width="150" height="105" alt="With the help of LtJG James Dillon, my father built a scale model of Albatross." title="With the help of LtJG James Dillon, my father built a scale model of Albatross." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T10:49:43Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/289-Model/92897052_Pc5vR-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />View of Albatross from a replenishment ship in the South China Sea</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#89318571_g73wS" title="View of Albatross from a replenishment ship in the South China Sea"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Albatross-at-unrep/89318571_g73wS-Th.jpg" width="150" height="115" alt="View of Albatross from a replenishment ship in the South China Sea" title="View of Albatross from a replenishment ship in the South China Sea" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-15T08:23:53Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Albatross-at-unrep/89318571_g73wS-Th.jpg 2002-01-13 22:19:51 <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Sister ships Albatross and Gannet moored at India Nine in Sasebo 1968</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#89318568_FFkU9" title="Sister ships Albatross and Gannet moored at India Nine in Sasebo 1968"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Sisters-Albatross-Gannet/89318568_FFkU9-Th.jpg" width="150" height="99" alt="Sister ships Albatross and Gannet moored at India Nine in Sasebo 1968" title="Sister ships Albatross and Gannet moored at India Nine in Sasebo 1968" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T15:17:48Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Sisters-Albatross-Gannet/89318568_FFkU9-Th.jpg 2002-01-13 23:40:58 <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Albatross sits in drydock at Sasebo after my third cruise in Vietnam</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#89320760_RVw58" title="Albatross sits in drydock at Sasebo after my third cruise in Vietnam"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Albatross-in-drydock-June-1969/89320760_RVw58-Th.jpg" width="150" height="102" alt="Albatross sits in drydock at Sasebo after my third cruise in Vietnam" title="Albatross sits in drydock at Sasebo after my third cruise in Vietnam" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-15T08:14:38Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Albatross-in-drydock-June-1969/89320760_RVw58-Th.jpg 2002-01-13 22:31:02 <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Rudder indicator, helm, compass, engine tachs and throttles in the pilot house</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#89320763_Xvgsk" title="Rudder indicator, helm, compass, engine tachs and throttles in the pilot house"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Wheelhouse-Albatross/89320763_Xvgsk-Th.jpg" width="150" height="101" alt="Rudder indicator, helm, compass, engine tachs and throttles in the pilot house" title="Rudder indicator, helm, compass, engine tachs and throttles in the pilot house" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-17T15:13:59Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/Wheelhouse-Albatross/89320763_Xvgsk-Th.jpg 2002-01-13 23:39:02 <p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com">Albatross</a><br />Former C.O., Ed Cole, provided this great shot of Albatross underway (date and location unknown). Thanks, Captain!</p><p><a href="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/1852114_ynkKD#128415010_qE4zc" title="Former C.O., Ed Cole, provided this great shot of Albatross underway (date and location unknown). Thanks, Captain!"><img src="http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/USS-ALBATROSS-MSC-289/128415010_qE4zc-Th.jpg" width="107" height="150" alt="Former C.O., Ed Cole, provided this great shot of Albatross underway (date and location unknown). Thanks, Captain!" title="Former C.O., Ed Cole, provided this great shot of Albatross underway (date and location unknown). Thanks, Captain!" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-14T11:04:23Z Albatross http://albatross.smugmug.com http://albatross.smugmug.com/USS-Albatross-MSC-289/1-Our-Ship-1/USS-ALBATROSS-MSC-289/128415010_qE4zc-Th.jpg