Posted on 07/12/2012 10:32:08 AM PDT by atomic_dog
SEATTLE (Reuters) - The world's first nuclear-powered surface warship, the USS Long Beach, was put up for auction as scrap metal on Tuesday to be dismantled and recycled, after spending the past 17 years mothballed in a naval shipyard in Washington state.
The 720-foot (219-metre) vessel, the first American cruiser since the end of World War Two to be built new from the keel up, boasted the world's highest bridge and was the last such U.S. vessel with teakwood decks, according to Navy history.
Long Beach, commissioned in 1961, is not the first warship to be recycled. But the defense contractor that exclusively handles such auctions, Government Liquidation, said it would be the first time in its 11-year history that a nuclear powered guided missile cruiser has been sold for scrap.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
That’s a sad photo. I went aboard her once, in ‘83. A buddy from “A” school gave me the tour. What a ship. The bridge was something like the 0-13 level.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.