Here's a photo from her christening in Maine..
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.
According to DANFS, Coontz was DLG 9. DLG 8 was the MACDONOUGH.
The Bainbridge started out as DLGN 25 before becoming CGN 25.
FROM THE US NAVY HISTORICAL SITE:
BAINBRIDGE (DLGN-25) 9/1/1958 (US) BAINBRIDGE (CGN-25)
BAINBRIDGE (CGN -25) 6/30/1975 (US) BAINBRIDGE (CGN-25)
Bainbridge (DLGN-25) was laid down at Bethlehem Steel, Quincy MA, 15 May 1959, launched 15 April 1961, and commissioned 6 October 1962.
She received an anti-air warfare upgrade and refuelling at Puget Sound Navy 30 June 1974 to 24 September 1976, completed at San Diego in April 1977. She was redesignated CGN-25 on 30 June 1975. Her 3-inch/50 guns were removed and eight Harpoon tubes were added during 1978-1979; the Terrier launchers were upgraded to fire the Standard SM-2ER missile. From October 1983 to April 1985 she received a major overhaul and refuelling at Puget Sound Navy Yard during which period two Mk15 Phalanx 20mm CIWS were added.
In the early 1990's she was slated for decommissioning and retention in reserve, however, she was stripped of all military equipment at Norfolk Navy Yard beginning May 1995, deactivated 1 August 1995, and placed in commission, in reserve 6 October 1995. Decommissioned and stricken 13 September 1996, her stripping was completed by June 1997 and she left Norfolk 31 July 1997, arriving at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in September 1997.
Oh how I miss the old gun destroyers.
The gun is a single 5"/54 MK 45 Light Weight Gun Mount (LWGM). Range is more than 13 nautical miles and can fire 16-20 rounds per minute, with 475-500 rounds stored.
The missle system is the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 90-96 cells carrying either Standard surface to air missles or Harpoon anti-ship missles.
Overall the ship is an awesome platform for the day.
Which DDG were you on? Mine was Hoel (DDG-13). While it was a great ship at the time, it's currently a power barge somewhere in South America. (The DLG that I served on is long since been made into razor blades.)
I remember one time we were doing an emergency breakaway exercise with the Bainbridge. As we cleared the lines and began to break away, they blasted out the song "The Stripper" from their 1MC, and the guys on deck did a striptease as we were pulling away. Crazy guys, but fun to party with in port.
Emergency breakaway...1MC blaring "The Stripper"...strangely appropriate somehow.
Sounds like the Deck Department Chiefs had way too much time on their hands! ;-)
Unfortunately Clinton era leftover Chinese spys have managed to steel enough data to upgrade they're new Luzhou Class destroyers to that of the Flight I Burke class; to include phased array radars and verticle launch systems.
DDG BUMP!
I was on the Ware DD865 and it was fall of 63, probably November because we'd been at sea for a while. I can't get any closer than that.
Archer24
I was briefly on the Coontz DLG-9 (I stand corrected, one of the posters said it was 9, they are right) briefly, was on the Robison DDG-12 for about 3 years.
When I was in, aboard the USS Strong (DD-758) the Enterprise used to outrun us during flight ops where we were plane guard. We were full out and the E was only at about 2/3.
DDG 90 just pulled through my little island last week. They sure do look purty.
I think they've all had the reactors removed by now and are sitting around waiting to be scrapped.
From HazeGray: Disposal Note: All CGNs have been decommissioned and stripped for eventual scrapping, the last in 1998; all Leahy and Belknap class CGs were discarded by the end of 1995.
I haven't found anything more recent.
Hey, Ms. B, here's your ship!
Thanks for the info. I will be in the crowd on Saturday watching while my son's ship is commissioned (He is a sonar tech) just like his dad!
Here's a photo from her christening in Maine..
A six inch gun is 152mm so 155mm is slightly larger.
Got a navy question: For a few years I have heard the navy is designing their ships around electric engines. I know this is to include some laser weaponry, however I was wondering about the powerplant. Then I came across this, http://www.blacklightpower.com/
Read some of the articles. I am wondering if they might be utilizing this technology?
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.