Operations in the Far East
Phoebe became flagship of Mine Division 31, Mine Squadron 3, on 6 January 1956. She departed Long Beach 4 March, for the Far East, touched the Hawaiian Islands, and arrived Yokosuka, Japan, 4 April. Six days later she shifted to Sasebo, her permanent base of operations. A unit of Mine Squadron 3, Phoebe spent the next eight years in a rigorous schedule of minehunting and warfare tactics with the US 7th Fleet. Much of her time was taken for maneuvers with minesweeping units of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, the Chinese Nationalist Navy, the Republic of Korea Navy, and the Republic of the Philippines Navy. This duty took her to the principal ports of Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Okinawa, and the Philippines.
Early 1964, was spent operating out of Japan and Okinawa In July, Phoebe sailed for Subic Bay, the South China Sea, and Vietnam, returning to Subic Bay in August. A U.S.-Korean mine exercise was held in October, and a US-Japanese mine exercise in December.
Supporting Operation Market Time
Phoebe spent five months of 1965, on "Operation Market Time" in Vietnam. She spent the beginning, middle, and end of the year in Japan. During the year she steamed 24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi), reaching as far from her homeport as Bangkok.
In March 1967, Phoebe resumed "Market Time" operations in Vietnam waters. Most of the rest of the year she operated out of Sasebo, with a combined US-Republic of China mine exercise in September, and more "Market Time" service in November.
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