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USSMeyerkord

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USSMeyerkord(FF-1058)
History
United States
NameMeyerkord
NamesakeHarold Dale Meyerkord(1937–1965), aNavy Crossrecipient killed during theVietnam War
Ordered22 July 1964
BuilderTodd Shipyards, Los Angeles Division,San Pedro,California
Laid down1 September 1966
Launched15 July 1967
Sponsored byMrs. Harold Dale Meyerkord and Mrs. Harold E. Meyerkord
Commissioned28 November 1969
Decommissioned14 December 1991
Stricken11 January 1995
IdentificationFF-1058
FateScrapped beginning on 15 December 2001
General characteristics
Class and typeKnox-classfrigate
Displacement3,160 tons (4,137 full load)
Length438 ft (134 m)
Beam46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
Draft24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × CE 1200psi boilers
  • 1 Westinghouse geared turbine
  • 1 shaft, 35,000 shp (26 MW)
Speedover 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h)
Range4,500 nautical miles (8,330 km) at 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h)
Complement18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar
  • AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar
  • AN/SQS-26Sonarsystem
  • Mk68Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare
& decoys		AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament
Aircraft carriedoneSH-2 Seasprite(LAMPS I) helicopter

USSMeyerkord(FF-1058)was aKnox-classfrigatein service with theUnited States Navyfrom 1969 to 1991. She was scrapped in 2001.

Construction

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Meyerkordwas named forLieutenantHarold Dale Meyerkord (1937–1965), a senior naval adviser toSouth Vietnamwho was killed in action during theVietnam Warand received theNavy Cross.The destroyer escort (later frigate) was constructed byTodd Shipyards, Los Angeles Division,San Pedro,California.She was laid down 1 September 1966, andlaunchedon 15 July 1967, sponsored by Mrs. Harold Dale Meyerkord and Mrs. Harold E. Meyerkord, widow and mother of Lieutenant Meyerkord.Meyerkordwascommissionedon 28 November 1969.

Design and description

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TheKnox-class design was derived from theBrooke-classfrigatemodified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ships had anoverall lengthof 438 feet (133.5 m), abeamof 47 feet (14.3 m) and adraftof 25 feet (7.6 m). Theydisplaced4,066 long tons (4,131 t) at full load. Their crew consisted of 13 officers and 211 enlisted men.[1]

The ships were equipped with oneWestinghousegearedsteam turbinethat drove the singlepropeller shaft.The turbine was designed to produce 35,000shaft horsepower(26,000 kW), using steam provided by 2C-Eboilers,to reach the designed speed of 27knots(50 km/h; 31 mph). TheKnoxclass had a range of 4,500nautical miles(8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[2]

TheKnox-class ships were armed with a5 "/54 caliber Mark 42 gunforward and a single3-inch/50-caliber gunaft. They mounted an eight-roundASROClauncher between the 5-inch (127 mm) gun and thebridge.Close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm)Mk 32 torpedo tubes.The ships were equipped with a torpedo-carryingDASHdrone helicopter; its telescoping hangar and landing pad were positionedamidshipsaft of themack.Beginning in the 1970s, the DASH was replaced by aSH-2 SeaspriteLAMPS I helicopter and the hangar and landing deck were accordingly enlarged. Most ships also had the 3-inch (76 mm) gun replaced by an eight-cellBPDMSmissile launcher in the early 1970s.[3]

Service history

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In September 1970,Meyerkordparticipated in her first major exercise, followed by three anti-submarine (ASW) exercises and another major fleet exercise.[4]

Meyerkordwith ASW Group 3 in the Sunda Straits, 1971.

On 11 March 1971,Meyerkorddeparted Long Beach, California on her first Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment, as part of Anti-Submarine Warfare Group Three. Upon her entry into the Southeast Asia combat zone on 3 April 1971,Meyerkordbecame the first ship named after an American serviceman killed in theVietnam Warto return to act in a supporting role. She participated in an ASW exercise in the Indian Ocean with the ASW group.Meyerkordreturned to Long Beach in July 1971.[4]

Meyerkordbegan her second deployment on 25 July 1972. After transiting to Subic Bay,Meyerkordwas independently assigned to Naval Gunfire Support duties. During this seven-month deployment,Meyerkordacted as a mutual support destroyer in three separate assignments involving gunfire support.[4]

On 16 October 1973,Meyerkordbegan her first regular overhaul in Long Beach. In addition to general maintenance, the ship received several significant alterations. These included modifications to the ship's sonar, the addition of theBasic Point Defense Missile system,and alterations to the hangar to accommodate a manned helicopter (as opposed to the unmannedGyrodyne QH-50 DASH).[4]

Meyerkordreported to her new homeport, San Diego, California, in July 1974. On 3 January 1975,Meyerkorddeparted San Diego for her third WESTPAC deployment. After arrival at Subic Bay, the ship answered a distress signal fromGulf Banker,a sinking Panamanian registered merchant ship.Meyerkordrescued 31 ship's crew members and monitoredGulf Bankeruntil it sank to ensure it would not become a hazard to navigation.[4][5]Meyerkordparticipated in the evacuations of Cambodia and Vietnam as well as fleet towing exercises and a joint exercise with the Royal Thai Navy.[4]

Meyerkordat bottom, with theMidwaybattlegroup in 1983.

Meyerkordreturned to San Diego in August 1975 for maintenance and repair. During November 1975,Meyerkordbegan an extensive inspection and training cycle in preparation for her next WESTPAC which began 22 May 1976. While deployed,Meyerkordparticipated in a number of operations which included special surveillance, anti-submarine warfare exercises, naval gunfire exercises, marine support exercises and carrier task group operations. She also made a number of port visits in support of the Navy's Overseas Diplomacy program.Meyerkordreturned to San Diego on 21 December 1976.[4]

In 1977,Meyerkordparticipated in many fleet exercises and port visits toPortland, Oregon,Seattle,Mexico and Canada.[4]

Meyerkordreturned to Portland, Oregon in January 1978 to undergo a $13 million, 14-month overhaul which was finished in February 1979. In May 1979,Meyerkordvisited thePuget Soundarea and participated in the annual Sea Fair.[4]

Meyerkordcommenced her fourth WESTPAC in February 1980 withRIMPAC'80. During this deployment,Meyerkordvisited Guam, Japan and the Philippines.Meyerkordparticipated in a search and rescue operation involving a merchant ship and completed the WESTPAC by participating in operationDakota Runin theSea of Okhotsk[4]withUSSMerrillandUSSJoseph Strauss.[6]Meyerkordcollided withSensho Maruin dense fog offMatsuyamaJapan in July 1980.[7]Repairs toMeyerkordcost $115,000 and the ship was in port at Yokosuka from 13 July to 5 August 1980 for repairs.[8]

Meyerkordin the center betweenSamuel GompersandBagley.

Meyerkorddeployed in October 1981 on her fifth WESTPAC. She visited the Philippines, Mauritius, Australia and Malaysia.Meyerkordwas deployed to the Indian Ocean with theConstellationbattle group and theJohn F. Kennedybattle group from December 1981 to April 1982.[4]

On 9 June 1983,Meyerkorddeployed on her sixth WESTPAC withUSSNew Jerseyand other Destroyer Squadron 17 ships. World events forcedNew Jerseyto other commitments and sentMeyerkordto the Indian Ocean to escort theCarl Vinsonbattle group. Upon completion of the Indian Ocean tour,Meyerkordwas tasked with the humanitarian and salvage operations at theKorean Air Lines Flight 007crash site after it was shot down by the Soviet Union.Meyerkordvisited Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sasebo during the deployment.Meyerkordreturned to San Diego on 12 December 1983 and began preparation for an overhaul scheduled to start in March 1984 at Long Beach.[4]

MeyerkordwithUSSNew Jerseyin 1983.

In 1984 a minor scandal erupted when it was revealed to US media that a suicidal sailor had been chained inside the helicopter hangar aboardMeyerkordfor seven days. This had occurred during the aftermath of the downing of KAL 007 and the Navy stated the suicidal crewmember was a danger to himself and others and could not be medically evacuated immediately due to the urgency of the operations at the time.[9]The sailor was later found guilty of disobeying orders and drug usage and given 30 days confinement with hard labor and a bad conduct discharge.[10]

Sometime between 1984 and 1986, the BPDMS was replaced withPhalanx CIWS.[4][11]

Meyerkorddeparted San Diego 12 May 1987 on another WESTPAC. The ship visited Pearl Harbor, Subic Bay, Manila,YokosukaandKure,Japan,Pusan, South Korea,Singapore, Albany and Darwin, Australia and Hong Kong.Meyerkordreturned to San Diego 12 November 1987.[11]

Meyerkordwas transferred to the Naval Reserve Force on 30 September 1989 and reassigned to Treasure Island, San Francisco in March 1990.[12]

Meyerkordwasdecommissionedon 14 December 1991 and stricken from theNaval Vessel Registeron 11 January 1995.Meyerkordwas sold for scrapping, with dismantling beginning on 15 December 2001.

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^Friedman, pp. 357–60, 425
  2. ^Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598
  3. ^Friedman, pp. 360–61; Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598
  4. ^abcdefghijklm"History".USS Meyerkord (FF-1058):3. 1983.
  5. ^"Destroyer Rescues Crewmen".The Virgin Islands Daily News.29 January 1975. p. 4.
  6. ^"WESTPAC 1980".USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16):16. 1980.
  7. ^"US Frigate, Japanese Freighter Collide".Toledo Blade.Associated Press. 11 July 1980. p. 3.
  8. ^"WESTPAC 1980".USS Meyerkord (FF-1058):78–79. 1980.
  9. ^"Suicidal Sailor chained for seven days".The Day.New London, CT. Associated Press. 17 January 1984. p. 12.
  10. ^"Sailor gets 30 days".The Lewiston Journal.Lewiston, ME. Associated Press. 3 March 1984. p. 6.
  11. ^ab"History".USS Meyerkord (FF-1058):3. 1987.
  12. ^"USS Meyerkord".Navsource.org.Retrieved24 April2016.
  13. ^abcdefg"US Navy Unit Awards Query for USS Meyerkord".Archived fromthe originalon 14 October 2004.Retrieved24 April2016.

References

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