the bow of the submarine while the tow was in progress, tested as a method of taking a submarine to a designated position through possible hostile waters without detection of a submarine not under her own power. Her only other major departure from her routine came in June 1972 when she participated in NATO Exercise "Pink Lace" before beginning a scheduled deployment to Holy Loch and the Mediterranean in July. That deployment in the summer and fall of 1972 saw Skaylark deploy with the submarine tender USS Fulton, and virtually the entire Submarine Squadron 10 for which Fulton served as flagship. During the early part of the deployment, Skylark performed operational exercises with both U.S. and U.K. boats out of Faslane, Scotland, and researched alternate egress possibilities from Holy Loch into the North Sea. In the Mediterranean, she participated in the founding of the NATO naval base in La Madellena, Italy, where she, Fulton and members of Submarine Squadron 10 created a permanent mid-Mediterranean base of operations. Skylark also performed joint submarine rescue practice four-point moor operations with an Italian Navy ASR out of Sicily. She returned to New London on 18 November 1972, completing the last deployment of her career. Skylark received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the period 1 March 1971 to 1 December 1972. Decommissioning and sale On 30 June 1973, Skylark was decommissioned, and her name was struck from the Navy List. On that same day, she was sold to Brazil through the Security Assistance Program (SAP). In Brazilian service, 1973–1996 Skylark was commissioned into the Brazilian Navy as Gastao Moutinho (K.10) in 1973. In 1989, Gastão Moutinho was reclassified as an auxiliary ship, and redesignated U.20. Based at the naval base of Aratu, it was placed under the control of the Commandant of the 2nd Naval District, carrying out coastal patrols, supporting other ships, and restocking the radio beacon of Abrolhos, amongst other missions. On 18 September 1996, Gastão Moutinho was deactivated, having sailed and spent 1,626 days at sea during her service in the Brazilian Navy. Awards Meritorious Unit Commendation National Defense Service Medal (two awards) References External links Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: USS Skylark Penguin-class submarine rescue ships Ships built in Charleston, South Carolina 1946 ships Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Brazilian Navy Auxiliary ships of the Brazilian Navy