USS Thach (FFG-43)
 The Thach in the Persian Gulf, March 2003 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Order | April 27, 1979 |
| Keel laying | March 6, 1981 |
| Launch | 18th December 1982 |
| 1. Period of service |
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|
| Commissioning | March 17, 1984 |
| Decommissioning | 1. November 2013 |
| Whereabouts | Sunk as a target ship at RIMPAC 2016 on July 14, 2016 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
4100 tons |
| length |
138 meters |
| width |
14 meters |
| Draft |
6.7 meters |
| crew |
15 officers, 190 sailors |
| drive |
1 propeller, driven by 2 gas turbines; 41,000 wave horsepower |
| speed |
29+ knots |
| Armament |
1 76 mm gun, 2 torpedo launchers, 1 Vulcan Phalanx CIWS , 4 Browning M2 machine guns . Disarmed: 1 rocket launcher |
The USS Thach (FFG-43) was a frigate of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate . In its 29 years of service, the ship was in use in various trouble spots around the world. The Thach remained in active service until November 2013 and was sunk as a target training ship in July 2016 on the occasion of the multinational military maneuver RIMPAC .
technology
The Thach belonged to the so-called Long Hull units of the Oliver Hazard Perry class and, at 138 meters, has a two-meter longer hull than the units of the basic version. It is 14 meters wide and has a draft of 6.7 meters. The crew of the ship consisted of 15 officers and 190 sailors.
The main task of the Thach was to protect aircraft carrier combat groups , for which it was equipped as an escort ship with armaments for air defense as well as for attacking sea targets and submarine defense. It should also appear in trouble spots to demonstrate the presence of the United States at sea.
The armament of the Thach included the 76 mm gun located amidships. The other armament of the ship consisted of two torpedo launchers for submarine defense, a Vulcan Phalanx CIWS and four Browning M2 machine guns. The originally installed Mark 13 rocket launcher was removed in 2004 as with all Oliver Hazard Perry class units.
The drive of the Thach consisted of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, which propelled the ship via a single propeller. They generated an output of up to 41,000 wave horsepower , which allowed the Thach to reach a speed of over 29 knots.
Various radar systems were also part of the ship's equipment. Among other things, it had an airspace search radar of the type AN / SPS-49 as well as a navigation and surface search radar of the type AN / SPS-55 . Furthermore, the Thach had a fire control radar , a sonar of the type AN / SQS-56 and an AN / SLQ-32 , which is used for electronic warfare .
Name and insignia
The Thach was named after the admiral and pilot John Thach . Thach was born on April 19, 1905 and gained fame as a pilot in World War II . As such, he developed the so-called Thach Weave , a formation for aerial combat maneuvers . After the war, Thach rose in rank until he was appointed admiral in 1965. In 1967 he ended his military career. John Thach died on April 15, 1981, a few days before his 76th birthday.
The Thach coat of arms consisted of a shield with a helmet ornament and the name and identification of the ship. As with all US Navy coats of arms, this one has a special meaning. The colors gold and blue are traditional colors of the US Navy. The wings above the escutcheon symbolize the aerial combat for which Admiral Thach rendered services. The trident pointing downwards symbolizes the role of the flight squadrons to protect the sea units. The three points are also an allusion to the Fight Squadron Three, in which Thach served during the war. The cross above the coat of arms symbolizes the award of the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, which Thach received during his service. The anchor, in turn, symbolizes the importance of Thach's service in the rank of admiral.
The Thach motto can be seen under the coat of arms . This was Ready and Able (German: Ready and able ).
history
construction
The contract to build the Thach was awarded on April 27, 1979. The shipyard was the Todd Pacific Shipyard in Los Angeles , which laid the ship on March 6, 1981. The Thach was launched on December 18, 1982. The ship's godmother was Madalyn J. Thach, widow of the namesake Admiral John Thach.
In January 1984 the Thach completed its first test drives, which lasted several weeks. On March 17, 1984, the ship could finally be officially put into service.
period of service
The Thach experienced its first major mission in 1986 as an escort ship for Destroyer Squadron 21 , which was led by the battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) .
In 1987 the Thach was stationed in the Persian Gulf . On October 19, she led Operation Nimble Archer , during which two Iranian oil platforms were shelled by US destroyers. It was in response to the Iranian attack on the Kuwait - flagged oil tanker Sea Isle City three days earlier.
Until 1991 the Thach was stationed in San Diego . She was then transferred to Yokohama . This became the ship's home port for the next eight years before returning to San Diego in 1999.
2001 took Thach of the aircraft carrier as escort ship (64 CV) USS Constellation in the Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf in part. In 2002 the ship took part in a mission with the Constellation again, this time as an escort ship as part of Operation Enduring Freedom . A third joint operation with the Constellation took place again in 2003 in the Persian Gulf. In the same year the Thach took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom , which aimed to overthrow Saddam Hussein . In the following years the ship remained present in the Persian Gulf.
Retirement and sinking
After a good 29 years of service, the Thach was retired on November 1, 2013. Most recently she was a member of Destroyer Squadron 23 . The ship was transferred to the reserve fleet at Pearl Harbor , where it lay in wait for more than two and a half years .
In July 2016, the Thach was brought to Kaua'i as a target training ship for the multinational military maneuver RIMPAC and sunk there about 55 miles off the island on July 14, 2016. The high number of hits that were necessary to sink the ship was remarkable. Despite the shelling of three anti-ship missiles , several bombs, AGM-114 Hellfire - air-to-surface missiles and a torpedo that sank Thach after twelve hours.
Web links
- detailed entry about the ship on navsource.org (English)
- die Thach on navysite.de (English)
- Chronological entry on Thach's service time on uscarriers.net (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kyle Mizokami: Watch the Navy Send a Retired Frigate Out With a Bang. In: Popular Mechanics . Hearst Corporation , July 18, 2016, accessed May 13, 2018 .
