USS Charleston (LKA-113)
_underway_1988.JPEG) The Charleston in August 1988 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Order | June 11, 1965 |
| Keel laying | 5th December 1966 |
| Launch | 2nd December 1967 |
| 1. Period of service |
|
| Commissioning | December 14, 1968 |
| Decommissioning | April 27, 1992 |
| Whereabouts | Reserve fleet |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
18,465 tons |
| length |
176 meters |
| width |
25 meters |
| Draft |
7.9 meters |
| crew |
50 officers, 592 sailors |
| drive |
2 steam boilers |
| speed |
20 knots |
| Armament |
4 × 3-inch / 50- caliber guns |
The USS Charleston (LKA-113) is an amphibious cargo ship of the United States Navy and a lead ship of the Charleston-class that entered service in December 1968 . The ship experienced active war missions during the Vietnam War and the Second Gulf War . The Charleston remained in service until April 1992 and has been in the reserve fleet ever since .
history
She was commissioned on June 11, 1965 as the lead ship of the five-unit Charleston class and laid on December 5, 1966 in the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard . The launch took place almost a year later on December 2, 1967. On December 14, 1968, the ship was put into service. It was the fourth unit of the United States Navy, which was named after Charleston (South Carolina) .
During the Vietnam War, Charleston supplied US troops with equipment. She and her crew have received multiple awards from the United States Navy for their services. The ship had another important use during Operation Desert Storm during the Second Gulf War.
On April 27, 1992, the Charleston was retired after more than 23 years of service and transferred to the reserve fleet, where it is still located today. The ship is anchored together with two of its sister ships in Philadelphia and is to be scrapped according to plans by the United States Navy.
In Tom Clancy's 1986 novel Im Sturm , the Charleston is mentioned as one of many ships in the United States Navy and sunk in combat during the course of the plot.
Web links
- Entry on Charleston on navsource.org (English)
- Entry on Charleston on navysite.de (English)