USS Leyte Gulf

Last updated

US Navy 040222-N-8053S-067 The guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) is shown underway.jpg
USS Leyte Gulf on 22 February 2004
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameLeyte Gulf
Namesake Battle of Leyte Gulf
Ordered20 June 1983
Builder Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down18 March 1985
Launched20 June 1986
Commissioned26 September 1987
Homeport Norfolk
Identification
MottoArrayed For Victory
Statusin active service
Badge USS Leyte Gulf CG-55 Crest.png
General characteristics
Class and type Ticonderoga-class cruiser
DisplacementApprox. 9,600 long tons (9,800 t) full load
Length565 feet (172 meters) She lost 2 feet after colliding with USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
Beam55 feet (16.8 meters)
Draft34 feet (10.2 meters)
Propulsion
Speed32.5 knots (60 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Complement30 officers and 300 enlisted
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS Mk III helicopters.

USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser in the United States Navy. She was named in memory of the World War II Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific. She is powered by four large gas-turbine engines, and she has a large complement of guided missiles for air defense, attack of surface targets at sea and ashore, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). In addition, she carries two "Seahawk" LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters, whose primary mission is ASW.

Contents

On 14 October 1996, Leyte Gulf collided with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt while conducting operations off the coast of North Carolina. The incident occurred as the carrier, without prior warning, reversed her engines while Leyte Gulf was behind her and slammed into the cruiser's bow. There were no personnel casualties or injuries reported, [1] and damage to the Leyte was only $2 million. [2]

In 2002, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.

In late 1992 Leyte Gulf was assigned to Carrier Group 2. [3] In March 2003 Leyte Gulf was assigned to Carrier Group Eight. [4]

USS Leyte Gulf steams under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the parade of ships on the opening day of New York Fleet Week 2008. USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.jpg
USS Leyte Gulf steams under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the parade of ships on the opening day of New York Fleet Week 2008.

On 15 September 2007, there was a fire aboard Leyte Gulf as she underwent an extensive modernization program in BAE Systems Shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. Initially the fire received national attention due to the possibility that it was a terrorist incident, however, it was quickly revealed to be an industrial accident. Five shipyard workers were injured in the incident, one seriously, but no naval personnel were involved. [5]

In February 2011, Leyte Gulf was involved in an incident with Somali pirates after they captured the United States flagged yacht Quest. [6]

U.S. sailors from USS Leyte Gulf's Vessel Board Search and Seizure Team return to their ship US Navy 040501-N-7586B-122.jpg
U.S. sailors from USS Leyte Gulf's Vessel Board Search and Seizure Team return to their ship

The cruiser returned to Norfolk on 15 July 2011. During her deployment, she had participated in operations which had captured 75 Somali pirates and had missile strikes by her carrier strike group against the Libyan government. [7]

In January 2015, Leyte Gulf returned from a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship served as flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 for much of the deployment. [8]

In August 2022 Leyte Gulf was again deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. [9] She returned to Norfolk on 09 June 2023.

29 January 2024: The Leyte Gulf deployed Sunday from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to the 4th Fleet area of operations, which includes the Caribbean and Central and South America. It will host HSM-50, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 and Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 404 and is expected to conduct passing exercises with regional partners and make port visits to counter threats such as illegal drug trafficking. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Virginia</i> (CGN-38) CGN-38 class guided missile cruiser ship of the United States Navy

USS Virginia (CGN-38) was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, the lead ship of her class, and the eighth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was commissioned in 1976 and decommissioned in 1994.

USS <i>Dwight D. Eisenhower</i> US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the 34th President of the United States and General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USS Eisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class, Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970. The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia, with the same design as the lead ship, although the ship has been overhauled twice to bring her up to the standards of those constructed more recently.

USS <i>Enterprise</i> (CVN-65) Decommissioned United States Navy aircraft carrier

USS Enterprise (CVN-65), formerly CVA(N)-65, is a decommissioned United States Navy aircraft carrier. In 1958, she was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth United States naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed "Big E". At 1,123 feet (342 m), she is the longest naval vessel ever built and the only ship of a class that was originally planned to have five other ships. Her 93,284-long-ton (94,781 t) displacement ranks her class as the third largest carrier class, after the Nimitz class and the Gerald R. Ford class. Enterprise had a crew of some 4,600 service members.

USS <i>Ramage</i> American guided missile destroyer

USS Ramage (DDG-61) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. The ship is named for Vice Admiral Lawson P. Ramage, a notable submarine commander and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II.

USS <i>Bunker Hill</i> (CG-52) US Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser

USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) was a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy constructed by Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation at Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched on 11 March 1985. The Ticonderoga-class cruisers are equipped with the Aegis Combat System and Bunker Hill is the first of the class to be equipped with the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) in place of the previous ships' twin-arm Mark 26 missile launchers, which greatly improved the flexibility and firepower of the ships by allowing them to fire BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles for land attack missions. Other missions include ballistic missile defence and capital ship escort for anti-aircraft defense. The ship was commissioned on 20 September 1986 and was homeported at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California.

USS <i>Cape St. George</i>

USS Cape St. George (CG-71) is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser laid down by the Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation at Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 19 November 1990, launched on 10 January 1992, and commissioned on 12 June 1993. Cape St. George operates out of San Diego, California, and administratively reports to the Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific.

USS <i>Leahy</i> (DLG-16) Leahy class Guided missile cruiser

USS Leahy (DLG/CG-16) was the lead ship of a new class of destroyer leaders in the United States Navy. Named for Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, she was commissioned on 4 August 1962 as DLG-16, a guided missile frigate, and reclassified as CG-16, a guided missile cruiser, on 30 June 1975.

USS <i>Vella Gulf</i> (CG-72) Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser

USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser that served with the United States Navy. She was the second ship named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II, the first being USS Vella Gulf (CVE-111), an escort carrier commissioned in 1945. The ship's keel was laid down on 22 April 1991 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, then a division of Litton Industries. She was launched on 13 June 1992, sponsored by Mary A. McCauley, wife of Vice Admiral William F. McCauley (Ret.), and commissioned on 18 September 1993 at Naval Station Norfolk.

USS <i>Thomas S. Gates</i> Ticonderoga class cruiser

The USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51) was a flight-I Ticonderoga-class cruiser that was used by the United States Navy. The warship was named after Thomas S. Gates, Secretary of Defense in the last years of the Eisenhower Administration (1959–1961).

USS <i>San Jacinto</i> (CG-56) Ticonderoga-class cruiser

USS San Jacinto (CG-56) was a Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.

USS <i>Philippine Sea</i> (CG-58) Ticonderoga-class cruiser

USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) is a Flight II Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser on active service in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of the Philippine Sea during World War II and is the second ship to bear the name. She has completed multiple deployments as part of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2001 to 2014.

USS <i>Normandy</i> US Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser

USS Normandy (CG-60) is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser in the service of the United States Navy. Armed with naval guns and anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine missiles, plus other weapons, she is equipped for surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. The cruiser was the first US warship since 1945 to go to war on her maiden cruise, and in 1998 was awarded the title "Most Tomahawks shot by a U.S. Navy Cruiser". She is named for the World War II Battle of Normandy, which took place in France on, and following, D-Day.

USS <i>Vicksburg</i> (CG-69) US Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser

USS Vicksburg (CG-69) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser serving in the United States Navy. She is named for the Siege of Vicksburg fought during the American Civil War.

USS <i>James E. Williams</i> US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

USS James E. Williams (DDG-95) is a Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship was named for Boatswain's mate Petty officer first class James Eliott Williams (1930–1999), a River Patrol Boat commander and Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War who is considered to be the most decorated enlisted man in Navy history. As of April 2023 the ship is part of Destroyer Squadron 26 based out of Naval Station Norfolk.

USS <i>Harry E. Yarnell</i>

USS Harry E. Yarnell (DLG/CG-17) was a Leahy-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. Named in honor of Admiral Harry E. Yarnell,, she was originally classified as a "destroyer leader" or frigate, in 1975 she was redesignated a cruiser in the Navy's ship reclassification. She was the second of the "double-end" Leahy-class guided missile frigates to join the fleet.

USS <i>Nicholson</i> (DD-982) Spruance-class destroyer

USS Nicholson (DD-982), a Spruance-class destroyer, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for a family which was prominent in early American naval history, including James Nicholson, the senior Continental Navy Captain, and Samuel Nicholson, the first captain of USS Constitution.

USS <i>Richmond K. Turner</i>

USS Richmond K. Turner was a Leahy-class cruiser destroyer leader in the United States Navy. The ship was named for Admiral Richmond K. Turner, who served during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 10</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 10, is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. As of August 2022, CSG-10 consists of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the strike group's current flagship, with Carrier Air Wing Seven embarked on board, as well as the Ticonderoga-class cruiserLeyte Gulf, and four ships of Destroyer Squadron 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 14</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 14 was a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. The group was for some time the only U.S. carrier strike group that did not have an assigned aircraft carrier or carrier air wing. As of December 2010, it directed the cruisers USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and USS Philippine Sea (CG-58). Carrier Strike Group 14 was seemingly last based at Naval Station Mayport. Without a carrier flagship, it did not conduct the typical deployments of other carrier strike groups; instead, its two cruisers made independent voyages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 12</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group Twelve is one of four U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. USS Gerald R. Ford is the aircraft carrier assigned as the strike group's flagship. Units currently assigned to Carrier Strike Group Twelve included Carrier Air Wing Eight; the Ticonderoga-class cruisersVicksburg and Normandy; and Destroyer Squadron 2.

References

  1. "USS Leyte Gulf at DCHM". Naval Sea Systems Command DC Museum. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2007.
  2. "Navy Officers Reprimanded for Role in Ships Collision".
  3. Polmar, Norman (1993). The Naval Institute Guide to The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 15th ed. Annapolis, Maryland: U.S. Naval Institute Press. pp. 36 (Table 6-5), 375, 377–381, 383, 386. ISBN   1-55750-675-2.
  4. Toppan, Andrew (10 March 2003). "World Navies Today: US Navy Aircraft Carriers & Surface Combatants". hazegray.org. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  5. "Fire on Navy cruiser in shipyard sends five to hospital". WAVY10 News, Hampton Roads. Retrieved 16 September 2007.[ dead link ]
  6. "Four American hostages killed by Somali pirates". NBC News. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  7. Wilson, Todd Allen (16 July 2011). "USS Enterprise Returns To Norfolk". Newport News Daily Press .
  8. "USS Leyte Gulf Returns to Home Port". US Navy News Service NNS150107-04. 7 January 2015.
  9. "Carrier USS George H.W. Bush Joins Truman Strike Group in Mediterranean, Two Guided-Missile Subs in 6th Fleet". USNI News. 25 August 2022.
  10. https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2024-01-29/uss-leyte-gulf-deploy-12833599.html

Further reading