USS Pledge (MSO-492)

History
United States
Name	USS Pledge (AM-492)
Laid down	24 June 1954
Launched	20 July 1955
Commissioned	20 April 1956
Decommissioned	31 January 1994
Reclassified	MSO-492, 7 February 1955
Stricken	31 January 1994
Homeport	Long Beach, California
Fate	sold to the Republic of China, 9 September 1994
Taiwan
Name	ROCS Yung Teh (MSO-1309)
Acquired	9 September 1994
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Displacement	775 tons (full load)
Length	172 ft (52 m)
Beam	36 ft (11 m)
Draught	10 ft (3.0 m)
Speed	15 knots
Complement	74
Armament	one 40 mm mount

USS Pledge (AM-492/MSO-492) was an Aggressive-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.

The second ship to be named Pledge by the Navy, MSO-492, a minesweeper, was laid down on 24 June 1954 by the J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington, launched 20 July 1955, sponsored by Mrs. T. F. Uitsch, and commissioned 20 April 1956, Lt. Thomas D. Pfundstein in command.

West Coast operations

After sea trials, Pledge joined her sister ships at Long Beach, California, 25 May 1956. Following training from July 1956 to February 1957 she operated in WESTPAC March to September 1957. She underwent modification from October 1957 to March 1958.

Vietnam operations

Deployed to WESTPAC 24 August 1961, she visited Bangkok, Thailand, in November, and Saigon, Vietnam, in December. In early 1962 she participated in special training operations at Da Nang, Vietnam until her departure 17 February. Her deployment to WESTPAC, 12 August 1963 included exercises with South Korean ships in October and Nationalist Chinese ships in November. On her next assignment to WESTPAC, 13 August 1965, She performed coastal surveillance duties off the Republic of Vietnam from 18 October to 16 November 1965 and from 18 December into early 1966.

Into 1970 Pledge remains active with the U.S. Pacific Fleet.