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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Cape (MSI 2)

Cape Class Inshore Minesweeper:

  • Laid down 29 April 1957 by Bellingham Shipyard, Bellingham, WA
  • Launched 5 April 1958
  • Delivered 21 February 1959
  • Placed in service 27 February 1959
  • Transferred in 1970 to John Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory for research
  • Returned to U.S. Navy custody in December 1984
  • Placed out of service 9 June 1992 and sold to the Squaxin Indian Tribe, Puget Sound, WA
  • Sold in 1994
  • Owned by Scott Wall of Olympia, WA in 2003
  • As of November 2014 Cape is still moored at the Swantown Marina in Olympia.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 120 t.
  • Length 112'
  • Beam 23'
  • Draft 8'
  • Speed 12 kts.
  • Complement 21
  • Armament: One .50 cal. machine gun
  • Propulsion: Four 225hp General Motors 6-71 diesel engines in a quad pack, one shaft.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Cape (MSI 2)
    Cape 48k Long Beach, CA USS Cape (MSI 2) Website
    Cape 94k .
    Cape/Cove 41k Cape alongside Cove (MSI 1)
    Cape 35k . Gunter Krebs
    Cape 77k c. 1960
    Photo courtesy Mr. W. H. Davis from the 1961/1962 edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships"    		 Robert Hurst
    Cape/Illusive 45k c. 1963
    Cape outboard of USS Illusive (MSO 448) at San Francisco, CA    		 USS Cape (MSI 2) Website
    Cape 107k c. 1968
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    Cape 74k c. 1984
    Welcome Aboard Pamphlet after being returned to Navy custody
    Courtesy Scott Wall    		 Larry Mortimer
    Cape 107k
    Cape 237k
    Cape 34k
    Cape
    Cape 285k 6 December 1977
    Longitudinal and deck plans
    Courtesy Scott Wall    		 Larry Mortimer
    Cape 310k
    Cape 58k c. 2004
    Seattle, WA    		 Joe Radigan
    Cape 46k
    Commanding Officers
    01LT Gordon Lewis Thorpe, USN1958 - May 1960
    02LT Robert Dean Frey, USNMay 1960 - 1962
    03LT Edward Jerome Benson, USN - USNA Class of 19601962 - 1964
    04LT Stephen William Lombardo, USN23 April 1965
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    View the Cape (MSI 2)
    DANFS History entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command Website
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    This page created by Gary P. Priolo and was maintained by Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory) & Michael Mohl.
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