USS Belknap (CG-26)
USS Belknap (CG-26)
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Belknap |
Namesake |
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Ordered | 16 May 1961 |
Builder | Bath Iron Works |
Laid down | 5 February 1962 |
Launched | 20 July 1963 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. Leonard B. Cresswell, the grand-daughter and daughter of the RADMs Belknap |
Acquired | 4 November 1964 |
Commissioned | 7 November 1964 |
Decommissioned | 20 December 1975 |
Recommissioned | May 1980 |
Decommissioned | 15 February 1995 |
Reclassified | CG-26 on 30 June 1975 |
Stricken | 15 December 1995 |
Fate | Sunk as target on 24 SEP 1998
036° 31' 00.3" North 071° 58' 00.5" West 2050 fathoms |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Belknap-class cruiser |
Displacement | 8957 tons |
Length | 547 ft (167 m) |
Beam | 55 ft (17 m) |
Draft | 31 ft (9.4 m) (maximum navigational) |
Propulsion | Two sets GE or De laval steam turbines. total 85,000 shp (63 MW) |
Speed | maximum speed 34 knots (63 km/h) |
Complement | 64 officers and 546 enlisted |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Electronic warfare & decoys | AN/SLQ-32 |
Armament |
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USS Belknap (DLG-26/CG-26), named for Rear Admirals
On 22 November 1975, Belknap and the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy collided, killing seven sailors on the cruiser and one on the aircraft carrier.
Construction
Belknap, the first of a new class of guided missile frigates, was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corporation at Bath in Maine on 5 February 1962. She was christened by Mrs. Leonard B. Cresswell, the granddaughter and daughter of the RADMs Belknap and was launched by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine on 20 July 1963 and commissioned on 7 November 1964.
Collision, fire, and reconstruction
Belknap was severely damaged in a collision with the
Shortly after the fire began, boats from other vessels operating with John F. Kennedy and Belknap began to pull alongside the burning ship, often with complete disregard for their own safety. The
The
The fire and the resultant damage and deaths, which would have been less had Belknap's superstructure been made of
Later service and Malta
Belknap was converted to a flagship by Norfolk Naval Shipyard from May 1985 to February 1986. This conversion work entailed building out the superstructure forward to just aft of the missile launcher and three decks up to add flag spaces (accommodation and office), and additional communications gear. In addition, the helicopter hangar aft was turned into accommodation spaces for flag staff and a small detachment of Marines. After this conversion she sailed to Italy [Gaeta naval base] and became Sixth Fleet flagship, relieving Coronado.[citation needed] On 27 May 1986, she participated in a naval parade with ships from 10 countries at Barcelona.[4]
Belknap played a role in the
Decommissioning
Belknap was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 February 1995 and sunk as a target on 24 September 1998.
References
- ^ "Kennedy". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- ^ Plunkett, A.J. (21 May 1990). "Navy Learns From Disasters". Daily Press.
- ^ "Navy Reverting to Steel in Shipbuilding after Cracks in Aluminum". The New York Times. Associated Press. 11 August 1987. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Don Juan Carlos, pasará revista a buques de diez naciones". ABC (in Spanish). 27 May 1989. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ Dowd, Maureen (3 December 1989). "THE MALTA SUMMIT: Reporter's Notebook; Superpowers Cooperating, But Not Seas". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "The Malta Summit : Today's Schedule". Los Angeles Times. 2 December 1989. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Shanker, Thom (2 November 1989). "Ships Off Malta Site For Seaborne Summit". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
Bibliography
- Bellars, Robert A. (2007). "Question 41/88?: U.S. Naval Relics". Warship International. XLIV (2): 157–158. ISSN 0043-0374.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships – Belknap – II
- NVR CG26
- Photo gallery of USS Belknap at NavSource Naval History