USSNassau(LHA-4)

For other ships with the same name, seeUSS Nassau.

USSNassauunderway on 28 July 2004
History
United States
Name	Nassau
Namesake	USSNassau(CVE-16)
Awarded	6 November 1970
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down	13 August 1973
Launched	21 January 1978
Commissioned	28 July 1979
Decommissioned	31 March 2011
Renamed	fromLeyte Gulf
Homeport	Norfolk
Identification	Callsign:NJPX Hull number:LHA-4
Motto	First from the Sea Never A Set Schedule Always Underway
Nickname(s)	Largest Hotel Afloat Largest Hospital Afloat Big Nasty
Honors and awards	Awarded first Battle "E" November 1983
Fate	Scrapped 30 April 2021
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Tarawa-classamphibious assault ship
Tonnage	25,884 tons
Displacement	39,300 tons
Length	833.34 ft (254.00 m)
Beam	106.6 ft (32.5 m)
Draft	26.25 ft (8.00 m)
Propulsion	Steam turbine
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph))
Troops	1,900+ Marines
Complement	82 officers, 882 enlisted men
Armament	2 ×RAMlaunchers 4 × 25 mmMk 38cannons 2 ×Phalanx CIWS 5 ×.50-caliberM2HBmachine guns
Aircraft carried	6 ×AV-8BHarrier attack planes 4 ×AH-1WSuper Cobra attack helicopters 12 ×CH-46Sea Knight helicopters 9 ×CH-53Sea Stallion helicopters 4 ×UH-1NHuey helicopters

USSNassau(LHA-4)was aTarawa-classamphibious assault ship.When active, she was capable of transporting more than 3,000United States NavyandUnited States Marine Corpspersonnel.Ingalls ShipbuildinginPascagoula, Mississippi,laid the ship'skeelon 13 August 1973; she wascommissionedon 28 July 1979.She was decommissioned on 31 March 2011.

Description

Nassauhad 1,400 compartments, nine elevators and two horizontal conveyors. She also had two boilers – the largest ever manufactured for the United States Navy. They could generate 400 tons of steam per hour and develop 140,000horsepower(100 MW).Nassau's electrical power subsystem provided 14 MW electrical power. She had air conditioning equipment rated at a total of 1,500 tons (5.3 MW)and could ballast 12,000 tons of seawater for trimming the ship to receive and dischargelanding craftfrom thewell deck.

She was constructed with more than 20,000 tons of steel, 3,000 tons of aluminum, 400 miles (640 km) of cable and 80 miles (130 km) of pipe. She had a 900-horsepower (670 kW)bowthruster for lateral movement at low speeds that could move the bow with 20,000 pounds of force (90 kN)—equivalent to half the pulling power of a diesel railroad locomotive. She had been fitted with a 300-bed hospital, four medical and three dental operating rooms. Her cargo areas were capable of holding tanks, trucks, artillery and large warfare supply needs.

Operational history

OV-10 Broncos aboardNassauin 1983.

USSNassauwas commissioned at Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 28 July 1979. In October she deployed to reinforce Guantanamo base and earned the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation just 70 days after commissioning.

In April 1981 the ship was deployed to Mediterranean to meet US commitment to have two carriers there. She operated for ten consecutive weeks as an aircraft carrier, reinforcing Sixth Fleet carrierUSSSaratoga.Marine Attack Squadrons 231 and 542 formed Marine Air Group 32, equipped with AV-8A planes. It was the first time US Navy operated an amphibious ship as Harrier carrier.

Nassauwas deployed to Beirut with the24th Marine Amphibious Unitin February 1984, less than four months after theBeirut barracks bombing.

In support of OperationsDesert Shield/Desert Storm,Nassaudeployed to the Middle East for over eight months on only eight days' notice. On leaving the United States,Nassaubecame theflagshipfor Commander, Amphibious Task Force and the 4th MEB's Commanding General. In the last week of the war, she was employed as a "Harrier Carrier", tasked with operating primarily as a STOVL attack carrier for MarineAV-8B Harrier IIfighters.

Nassauparticipated in several more operations throughout the 1990s, including OperationsUphold Democracy,Deny Flight,Allied Force and Noble Anvil.These operations were in support of US foreign policy objectives; she also participated in numerous Navy and joint exercises that took her to numerous locations in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Adriatic regions, including Haiti, Spain, Morocco, Italy, France, Greece, Israel, Albania, Zaire and Kosovo.

An AV-8B Harrier commences its launch run fromNassauin 2003.

An MV-22 Osprey lands onNassauin 2007.

Nassaureceived her first "Battle Effectiveness" E "award"in November 1983, with a second in 2007 – these awards are presented annually to ships that demonstrate the highest state of combat readiness in their group and their ability to execute their wartime tasks.

She deployed in February 2008 as the flagship of theNassauExpeditionary Strike Group in support of Maritime Security Operations and Theater Security Cooperation efforts in the Navy's5thand6th Fleetareas of responsibility.

In addition to her primary role as a Marine transport,Nassauhas served as a flagship; a logistics hub for incoming and outgoing mail, cargo and other supplies; combat search and rescue and the tactical recovery and rescue of downed aircraft and personnel.

In July 2008, she had returned from deployment and was undergoing maintenance. At 4:30 pm Central Time on Thursday, 18 September 2008, KHOU News 11 in Houston, Texas announced thatNassauwas coming to the aid ofGalveston Island,following the landfall ofHurricane Ike.Nassauanchored 7 miles (11 km) offshore and troops deployed to the island with heavy machinery to aid with the clean-up of the devastation caused by the hurricane.

In January 2010,Nassauleft her Virginia port carrying the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) on a routine deployment of approximately seven months. The 24th MEU, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, consists of a ground combat element, a battalion landing team, an aviation combat element, a logistics combat element and a command element.

Nassau,accompanied byUSSMesa VerdeandUSSAshland,comprised theNassauAmphibious Ready Group (ARG), which supported maritime security operations and more in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas. The 5th Fleet covers the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean; the 6th Fleet encompasses the Mediterranean Sea.

Nassauwas diverted toHaition 21 January 2010, to assist with the international humanitarian aid effort following the earthquake.

After completing its humanitarian efforts in Haiti,Nassaucontinued on its mission to the Middle East, eventually tying the all time Navy record of 159 consecutive days out to sea without a port call.

Decommissioning

Nassauwas decommissioned in Norfolk, Virginia on 31 March 2011. She was moored inBeaumont, Texas,with the MARADNational Defense Reserve Fleetships. Listed as "Disposal" status as of 31 March 2021.

In 2013 the non-profit organizationCoalition of Hopeannounced plans to have the ship donated and operate her as a humanitarian vessel.

On 22 January 2019, H.R. 70, known as the "FriendSHIP Act", was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The Bill would authorize the president to transfer the decommissionedNassauto Japan on a sale or grant basis.

On 30 April 2021Nassauarrived atBrownsville, Texasfor disposal viarecycling.The process was expected to take 12 months.

External links

• "USSNassauofficial website ".Archived from the original on 17 December 2004.Retrieved7 December2017.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• "USSNassauCrewmembers Association ".Archived from the original on 16 August 2016.Retrieved24 September2018.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• "Coalition of Hope".Non-profit organization seeking to operate the USSNassauas a Humanitarian vessel.