USS Capodanno

Last updated

USS Capodanno (FF-1093).jpg
USS Capodanno (FF-1093)
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameCapodanno
Namesake Vincent R. Capodanno
Ordered25 August 1966
Builder Avondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana
Laid down12 October 1971
Launched21 October 1972
Acquired18 October 1973
Commissioned17 November 1973
Decommissioned30 July 1993
Stricken11 January 1995
IdentificationFF-1093
MottoDuty with Honor
Nickname(s)Happy Cappy
FateLeased and then sold to Turkey
Flag of Turkey.svgTurkey
NameMuavenet
Acquired1993
Commissioned1993
Decommissioned2012
IdentificationF-250
General characteristics
Class and type Knox-class frigate
Displacement
  • 3,020 long tons (3,070  t) (standard)
  • 4,065 long tons (4,130 t) (full load)
Length438 ft (134 m)
Beam46.9 feet (14.3 m)
Draft24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × CE 1200psi boilers
  • 35,000 shp (26,000 kW)
Propulsion
  • 1 Westinghouse geared turbine
  • 1 shaft
Speedover 27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar
  • AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar
  • AN/SQS-26 Sonar
  • AN/SQR-18 Towed array sonar system
  • Mk68 Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare
& decoys
AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament
Aircraft carriedone SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter
Aviation facilities1 × Hangar

USS Capodanno (FF-1093) was the 42nd Knox-class frigate in the United States Navy. It was named after Fr. Vincent Capodanno, recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Contents

Design and description

The Knox class design was derived from the Brooke-class frigate modified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ships had an overall length of 438 feet (133.5 m), a beam of 47 feet (14.3 m) and a draft of 25 feet (7.6 m). They displaced 4,066 long tons (4,131 t) at full load. Their crew consisted of 13 officers and 211 enlisted men. [1]

The ships were equipped with one Westinghouse geared steam turbine that drove the single propeller shaft. The turbine was designed to produce 35,000 shaft horsepower (26,000 kW), using steam provided by 2 C-E boilers, to reach the designed speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). The Knox class had a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). [2]

The Knox-class ships were armed with a 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun forward and a single 3-inch/50-caliber gun aft. They mounted an eight-round RUR-5 ASROC launcher between the 5-inch (130 mm) gun and the bridge. Close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The ships were equipped with a torpedo-carrying DASH drone helicopter; its telescoping hangar and landing pad were positioned amidships aft of the mack. Beginning in the 1970s, the DASH was replaced by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter and the hangar and landing deck were accordingly enlarged. Most ships also had the 3-inch (76 mm) gun replaced by an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher in the early 1970s. [3]

Construction and career

Since breaking her commissioning pennant on 17 November 1973, Capodanno continued to gain new honors in memory of her name sake, Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno, CHC, USN. On her first Mediterranean Sea deployment, she conducted search and rescue operations on four occasions resulting in the saving of 22 lives. Subsequent deployments were to the Middle East Force in 1976 and to South America in 1977. [4]

Capodanno had her first extensive overhaul in 1978 in Bath, Maine. Following this overhaul she was assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Group FOUR with Newport, RI as her homeport. In 1979 she again deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and won the Battle Efficiency "E". In 1980 she participated in TEAMWORK "80" a major NATO Exercise and won another Battle "E". In 1981, the ship participated in her second UNTTAS deployment to South America. [4]

In November 1982, Capodanno started her third Mediterranean deployment. She participated as a Naval Gunfire Support Ship in support of the Multi National Peace Keeping Force in Lebanon and earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal. Returning from this deployment she again had a major overhaul and modernization at the Bath Iron Works. In 1983, CAPODANNO earned her third Battle "E". 1984 saw the completion of overhaul and Refresher Training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. [4]

In October 1985, Capodanno deployed on a Mediterranean/Indian Ocean deployment. This deployment included strike operations against Libya as part of the CORAL SEA Coral Sea Battle Group for which the ship was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. [4]

Returning in May 1986, Capodanno completed a short overhaul in Boston MA and completed Refresher Training in Cuba in March 1987. The remainder of 1987 was spent in Naval Gunfire Support and ASW Training. In September 1987, Capodanno participated in Ocean Safari 87 a Major NATO exercise in the Norwegian Sea and Fjords. On 29 February 1988, Capodanno started her fifth Mediterranean Sea deployment as an ASW line ship. [4]

Turkish service

USS Capodanno was given to Turkey by the United States Navy as part of the restitution for the accident on TCG Muavenet (DM 357) in 1992. Decommissioned on 30 July 1993, Capodanno was subsequently leased to Turkey where she was recommissioned as TCG Muavenet (F-250). Stricken from the Navy list on 11 January 1995, Capodanno was finally sold to Turkey on 22 February 2002. [5] The ship was removed from active service in 2012.

Notes

  1. Friedman, pp. 357–60, 425
  2. Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598
  3. Friedman, pp. 360–61; Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Doehring, Thoralf. USS Capodanno (FF 1093).
  5. Naval Vessel Register FF1093

Decommissioning Naval Captain Mark Fischer

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Miller</i> (FF-1091) US Navy Knox class frigate

USS Miller (FF-1091), originally (DE-1091) was a Knox-class destroyer escort in the United States Navy. She was named for Cook Third Class Doris "Dorie" Miller, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions at the attack on Pearl Harbor.

USS <i>Fanning</i> (FF-1076)

USS Fanning (FF-1076), a Knox-class frigate, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Nathaniel Fanning.

USS <i>Elmer Montgomery</i> Knox-class frigate

USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy by Avondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana.

USS <i>Downes</i> (FF-1070)

USS Downes (DE-1070/FF-1070) was the 19th in the series of the Knox-class frigates. She was the third ship to be named for Commodore John Downes

USS <i>Harold E. Holt</i>

USS Harold E. Holt (FF-1074) was a Knox-class frigate of the United States Navy. She was named for Harold Holt, the Prime Minister of Australia, who had disappeared while swimming in December 1967. The ex-Harold E. Holt hulk was sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2002.

USS <i>Gray</i>

USS Gray (FF-1054) was a United States Navy Knox-class frigate. She was named for Marine Corps Sergeant Ross F. Gray, who was a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor.

USS <i>Connole</i>

USS Connole (FF-1056) was a Knox-class frigate, named for Commander David R. Connole, Captain of USS Trigger when the submarine was lost in battle in March 1945.

USS <i>Rathburne</i> (FF-1057)

USS Rathburne (FF-1057) was a Knox-class frigate of the US Navy. Despite the different spelling, she was named for Continental Navy officer John Rathbun (1746-1782).

USS <i>Meyerkord</i>

USS Meyerkord (FF-1058) was a Knox-class frigate in service with the United States Navy from 1969 to 1991. She was scrapped in 2001.

USS <i>Reasoner</i> United States Navy frigate

USS Reasoner (FF-1063) was a Knox-class frigate of the United States Navy, named in honor of 1st Lt. Frank S. Reasoner, awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in the Vietnam War.

USS <i>Lockwood</i>

USS Lockwood (FF-1064) was the 13th Knox-class destroyer escort, redesignated a frigate in 1975. She was named for Charles A. Lockwood.

USS <i>Marvin Shields</i>

USS Marvin Shields (FF-1066) was a Knox-class frigate of the US Navy. The ship was named after the only Seabee to receive the Medal of Honor. CM3 Marvin Glenn Shields was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.

USS <i>Francis Hammond</i> US Navy frigate

USS Francis Hammond (DE/FF-1067) is the sixteenth Knox-class frigate, named in honor of Hospitalman Francis Colton Hammond, a Medal of Honor recipient.

USS <i>Robert E. Peary</i> (FF-1073)

USS Robert E. Peary (FF-1073) was a Knox-class frigate that saw service with the United States Navy from 1972 until 1992. In 1992, the ship was decommissioned and loaned to the Republic of China. The ship was renamed Chi Yang and served in the Taiwanese navy until 2015.

USS <i>Joseph Hewes</i> (FF-1078)

ROCS Lan Yang (FFG-935) is a Chi Yang-class frigate of the Republic of China Navy. She was formerly in service as the USS Joseph Hewes (FF-1078), a Knox-class frigate of the United States Navy.

USS <i>Paul</i>

USS Paul (FF-1080) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy by Avondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana.

USS <i>Cook</i> (FF-1083)

USS Cook (FF-1083) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy by Avondale Shipyard, Bridge City, Louisiana.

USS <i>McCandless</i> USN Knox-class frigate

USS McCandless (FF-1084) was a Knox-class frigate of the US Navy. Commissioned in 1972, she served for 22 years before being decommissioned as a training frigate, and sold to the Turkish Navy as TCG Trakya (F-254). She also participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

USS <i>Donald B. Beary</i>

USS Donald B. Beary (FF-1085) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy.

USS <i>Brewton</i>

USS Brewton (FF-1086) is a Knox-class frigate of the United States Navy and the first ship of her name. She is currently in service with the Republic of China Navy as the ROCS Fong Yang (FFG-933).

References