USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2018) |
USS Belleau Wood on 11 July 2005
| |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | Belleau Wood |
Namesake | USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) |
Ordered | 15 November 1969 |
Builder | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
Laid down | 5 March 1973 |
Launched | 11 April 1977 |
Commissioned | 23 September 1978 |
Decommissioned | 28 October 2005 |
Renamed | from Philippine Sea |
Stricken | 28 October 2005 |
Homeport | San Diego |
Identification |
|
Fate | Sunk as target, 13 July 2006 |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship |
Displacement | 40,000 tons |
Length | 820 ft (250 m) |
Beam | 106 ft (32 m) |
Draft | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
Propulsion | Steam turbine |
Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) |
Troops | 2,000 Marines plus equipment |
Complement | 930 officers and sailors |
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | 30 helicopters and Harriers |
USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), nicknamed "Devil Dog", was an amphibious assault ship and the second ship named after the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood. Her keel was laid down on 5 March 1973 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding. She was launched on 11 April 1977, and commissioned on 23 September 1978.
Belleau Wood was the third of five ships in a new class (Tarawa class) of general-purpose amphibious assault ships, which combined into one ship type the functions previously performed by four different types: the landing platform helicopter (LPH), the amphibious transport dock (LPD), the amphibious cargo ship (LKA), and the dock landing ship (LSD). She was capable of landing elements of a United States Marine Corps battalion landing team and their supporting equipment by landing craft, helicopters, or a combination of both.
Operational history
Homeported at Naval Base San Diego, California beginning in October 1978, Belleau Wood participated in her first full-scale operation in 1979 off the coast of Hawaii. In early 1979, she reported to Long Beach Naval Shipyard in Long Beach, California for a one-year engine overhaul.
Belleau Wood began her first major deployment in January 1981. The ship rescued 150
August 1982 marked the ship's second deployment where she participated in four major amphibious exercises in the Philippines, Thailand, Somalia, and Australia - including
The ship then completed an 11-month complex overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington from March 1985 to February 1986. Belleau Wood then traveled to her home base at Naval Station San Diego. After completing numerous exercises in 1986, the ship received the Battle-E, for Battle Readiness and was ready for deployment.
In January 1987, Belleau Wood got underway for her fourth deployment. The crew participated in four major exercises, including the first winter amphibious exercises conducted off the
Whilst in the
After the Crossing the Line Ceremony at the Equator, Belleau Wood lost power as both engines and one of the two generators stopped, causing her to drift for five days at sea and have to be towed by USS Anchorage. Destined for Tasmania, she limped into Sydney Harbor for repairs to the boilers while Anchorage replaced her off Tasmania. Both the Belleau Wood and Midway Battle Groups sailed into Sydney Harbour. After which, the Battle Groups participated with the Australian Navy in exercises.
Belleau Wood underwent repairs at the Long Beach Naval Ship Yards during 1987–1988. In January 1989, Belleau Wood departed for the Western Pacific. Over the next five months, the ship participated in Exercise
Belleau Wood entered her second complex overhaul at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1990. Major work included an upgrade to
On the night of 27 October 1992, two members of the Belleau Wood crew
On 24 November 1992, Belleau Wood became the last ship to sail out of the Philippines while conducting the final withdrawal of U.S. forces from Subic Bay Naval Base and Naval Air Station Cubi Point.
Following her move to Japan, Belleau Wood became a familiar sight at joint military exercises such as Valiant Usher in
From January to April 1995, Belleau Wood served as the Command Platform for Operation United Shield.[citation needed] In 1996, the Belleau Wood was one of several naval movements involved in the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.[3]
Belleau Wood was deployed to
In July 2000, Belleau Wood took part in the largest crew swap to date when she was relieved as a forward-deployed amphibious assault ship. The procedure started when USS Essex arrived in Sasebo on 13 July 2000. The swap was part of a planned rotation of forward-deployed naval forces in Japan and was the third crew-swap exchange. The ships’ crews simply switched ships, minimizing the impact of moving families from homeport to homeport. Sailors in Sasebo assigned to Belleau Wood, moved on to Essex, while sailors from San Diego assigned to Essex moved aboard Belleau Wood. Belleau Wood and the San Diego-based crew then returned to San Diego in mid-August to begin overhaul and maintenance cycles.
From 17 January to 16 June 2001 Belleau Wood conducted a five-month dry dock planned maintenance availability, during which time she had a fifth air conditioning system installed, upgraded collection holding and transfer systems, and revamped combat system and intelligence suites.
On 15 June 2002, the ship deployed to the Indian Ocean in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While deployed, she participated in exercises Infinite Moonlight in Jordan and Eager Mace in Kuwait. She also provided humanitarian assistance off the east coast of Djibouti in October and off East Timor in November before returning to San Diego on 15 December. During 2002, Belleau Wood was the backdrop for the making of the movie Antwone Fisher.
On 22 January 2003, Belleau Wood entered the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company Shipyard at San Diego for a complex overhaul that lasted till 8 October 2003. In November 2003, Belleau Wood was the site of another first when
In July 2004, Belleau Wood lead the
Significance of the name
The ship was named in memory of the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood, in which United States Marines of the Fourth Brigade, American Expeditionary Forces, defeated German forces after nearly four weeks of intense fighting. It is said that the Germans referred to them as Teufel Hunde (correctly "Teufelshunde")—Devil Dogs—and it was this moniker that became the ship's mascot, and one of the nicknames for US Marines (Devil Dog).
Coat of arms
The official seal of Belleau Wood is a blend of symbols. An image of a fighting U.S. Marine, in World War I battle dress, is at the center of the plaque. He carries a rifle with bayonet, and seems to be beckoning someone to follow him. Surrounding the figure are the gold cross, shield and swords of the Croix de guerre, the French medal awarded to the Marines who distinguished themselves at Belleau Wood. In that tradition, Marines of the Fourth Brigade are permitted to wear the French fourragère to this day.
Twelve gold battle stars in a field of blue line the top of the coat of arms. They stand for the World War II record of the first USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24). The gap between the sixth and seventh stars represents the ship's only break in her war record. On 30 October 1944, while off Leyte Gulf, Belleau Wood was struck by a kamikaze. The light aircraft carrier had to undergo repairs and an overhaul, hence the gap.
Blue and gold, prevailing hues of the coat of arms, are the traditional colors of the United States Navy. The tricolor (red over white over blue) is a reminder that the Battle of Belleau Wood occurred in France, and that Marines who gave their lives at Belleau Wood did so in the defense of another nation's freedom. The segments also bring to mind the colors of the United States.
Awards and citations
- Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
- Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right:
- Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Unit Commendation
- Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (13 stars) - Navy Expeditionary Medal
- Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2) - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Boat People, 28 April 1981)
References
- ISBN 0684832267.
- ^ Brown, Chip (1 December 1993). "The Accidental Martyr". Esquire. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ Sullivan, Dan (11 May 2015). "'Rebalance' to Asia calls for 3-pronged strategy". The Hill. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ISSN 1834-7231. Archived from the original(PDF) on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
- Much of the information for this article came from the USS Belleau Wood Public Affairs Office.