The USS BRAINE - DD630 returned to the United States after two cruises to the Mediterranean Sea and was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet. Destroyer Squadron 18 was redesignated as Destroyer Squadron 21 consisting of the USS BRAINE -DD630, USS MULLANY - DD528, USS HAZELWOOD - DD531, USS COWELL - DD547, USS STODDARD - DD566, USS COGSWELL - DD651, AND USS INGERSOLL - DD652 with San Diego as their home port. With the BRAINE as flagship of DesRon 21 and DesDiv 211, they immediately departed on a tour of duty in the Far East.
The Chinese Communists had launched repeated attacks on the Chinese Nationalist held Tachen Islands. In January and February 1955, the BRAINE along with the USS MIDWAY, USS WASP, USS YORKTOWN, USS ESSEX and many other famous WWII ships assisted in the evacuation of 25,000 Nationalist military personnel and 17,000 civilians from the Tachen Islands to Formosa. During the Formosa Patrol, EMFN Arthur Littlejohn was lost at sea during darken ship.
Following her assignment to the Formosan Patrol, the BRAINE returned to Japan, visiting the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima before sailing to Yokosuka for repair availability. The BRAINE left Japan, taking the Great Circle Route to San Diego via Midway Island and Pearl Harbor. She arrived in San Diego 19 June 1955. On 25 July CDR Mervin O. Slater, USN assumed command.
In January 1956 the BRAINE, with other ships of Destroyer Division 211, was deployed again to the Far East. During this cruise, she called at Yokosuka, Buckner Bay, Subic Bay and Hong Kong. The BRAINE along with the heavy cruiser COLUMBUS and the destroyer ISHERWOOD made a goodwill trip to the Malay Peninsula, stopping at Port Swettenham and Penang. Enroute to Port Swettenham a distress call was received from an Italian ship FERNANDO FOZZO out of Genoa. The seriously ill sailor was transfered to the BRAINE in the Straits of Malacca and taken to the Kuala Lunspur hospital. Upon returning to the United States in July 1956, the ship underwent a thorough overhaul in the shipyard and then returned to duty with the Pacific Fleet.
Again in 1957, the BRAINE, in command of Destroyer Division 212, made a cruise to the Far East. Ports of call included Melbourne, Australia, Guam, Yokosuka, Kobe and Hong Kong. The BRAINE returned to the states in October 1957 and participated with DesDiv 211 in local fleet operations. CDR Donald A. Henning, USN assumed command on 24 October 1957.
In May 1958 was again deployed to WesPac. The ship made ports of call at Pearl Harbor, Midway, Kobe, Yokosuka, Okinawa, Subic Bay, Singapore, Kao-shiung and Boko-ko. The BRAINE returned to the states in December 1958.
On 27 February 1959 the BRAINE entered the San Francisco Naval Shipyard at Hunter’s Point, San Francisco, California where she underwent an extensive overhaul and installation of SQ5-32(RDT) sonar. In June the ship sailed to San Diego to participate in local operations and underway training exercises with Destroyer Division 212.
On 15 August 1959 the BRAINE again deployed to WesPac with DesDiv 212 and joined the attack carrier USS HANCOCK at Pearl Harbor. The division then proceeded to Subic Bay, Philippines via Guam where they conducted air operations with the carrier. In mid-October the division, in company with the USS HANCOCK, proceeded to Hong Kong. She returned to Subic Bay and then proceeded to Sasebo, Japan. The BRAINE then joined the USS BAUER for a three day trip to Chinhae, Korea. Upon completion of ROKN training, she returned to Sasebo, Japan and then on to a Fastbreak Exercise with various units of the Pacific Fleet. During the exercise, typhoon weather damaged MT 51 by bending inward the gun port seal and gun shield. On 27 November CDR David A. Shonerd assumed command. Early in December the BRAINE returned to Yokosuka, Japan for repair availability and then departed for the United States.
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