Hazy Gray and Underway!
Posted on 11/08/2005 4:03:56 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Bainbridge (DDG 96), will be commissioned Nov. 12 in an 11 a.m. EST ceremony at Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Rep. E. Clay Shaw, 22nd District, state of Florida, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Susan Bainbridge Hay will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her great-great-great-grandfather. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
The new guided-missile destroyer honors the outstanding and heroic service of Commodore William Bainbridge, who served in the Navy from 1789 to 1833. Four previous ships have been named in honor of Bainbridge, including a 259-ton brig (1842-1863), two destroyers (1902-1920 and 1921-1945), and a nuclear-powered cruiser (1962-1997).
Cmdr. John M. Dorey of Auburn, Mass., a 1986 Naval Academy graduate, is the ship’s first commanding officer and will lead a crew of 292 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Bainbridge was built by Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics company in Maine, and has an overall length of 509.5 feet, a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 33 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.
Bainbridge is the 46th of 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers currently authorized by Congress. This highly capable multimission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, in support of the National Military Strategy. Bainbridge will be capable of fighting air, surface, and subsurface battles simultaneously. The ship contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.
For more information on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, visit the Navy fact file at www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-dd.html.
DD PING
Now build 20 more.
Wasn't the the most recent Bainbridge originally classified as a nuclear frigate and then reclassified eventually as a cruiser?
Don't know.
GS power bump...
Hazy Gray and Underway!
When I was aboard Deyo (DD989), I thought she was a pretty ship, but these Arleigh Burkes are born killers.
Keep pumpin' 'em out!
Built at Baahth Ironworks by Mainuhs. Ayeyuh
I could be wrong, its been a while, wasn't the Coontz DLG-8? I served briefly on the Coontz back in the early 60's.
Actually, the Bainbridge was originally a destroyer. I have a 1960s era book that shows her under construction, as a destroyer.
I saw her around when I was in. We called her the "BrainDamage".
Yep. The Burkes make me wish that I'd stayed in the Navy. Quick as a snake and twice as deadly.
Ex 13F here too
I was in the Navy in the 60's, we had 5"54 fore, aft, and amidship on the DDG's. What is that puny looking gun in your picture?
I guess your missles are lot more potent than what we had back then (Tartar SAM).
True enough. But it was so big compared to the destroyers of the era, it got reclassified as a CGN.
Didn't think so, but had to look it up. USS Coontz, DDG-40. This class was the predecessor to the Adams class, which I served on (Berkeley, DDG-15). She was actually bigger than the Adams class, 5,800 tons vs 4,500 tons. Pretty bad-ass can for her day, although the Adams class cans actually outgunned her.
Not a puny gun, a big ship. That is a 5-inch gun. It looks smaller than the older 5-inch guns because the turret is unmanned. Fully automated. Fast, just like the ship.
I was in in the 60's and my partner was transfered to the Long Beach (the only nuclear cruiser at the time) for medical reasons (hospital). Yes, the Bainbridge was originally a destroyer. Anyway, while he was on the Long Beach the 3 nucs had a full power race down the Mediteranean. The Enterprise, the Long Beach and the Bainbridge - guess who won.
It was a dead heat. The big E was some machine!
Anybody hear of Tin Can Sailors? I was on two cans.
Archer24
I'd heard about that speed run. Do you know exactly when that happened, and what their time was (end to end across the med)?
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.