It was also more compact than Long Beach and had fewer crew members, but it had better accommodations. The district had one Saturday a month when they conducted enlistments otherwise it was a Monday through Friday operation, however, if you had not made 'goal' (put your four in the war we used to say), you were expected to work on Saturdays. I was told that while on station off of Vietnam, Long Beach shot down a North Vietnamese MiG with one. Plastic sprue, Decalsheet (waterslide) Product timeline . Long Beach left San Diego in September of 1976 on what was my first Western Pacific cruise (WESTPAC). After I was born, he went back on active duty. They allegedly could hear the bearing screeching. After completing basic engineering qualifications, I was assigned to the electrical safety shop, ensuring the portable electrical tools were checked for safety prior to issuance. USS Long Beach (AK-9) was a cargo steamship that was built in England in 1892 as Yarrowdale, passed through a succession of British, Greek and German owners, and was seized by the United States in 1917. 18 September 1989 13th West Pacific deployment/world cruise. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (April 8, 2017) Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Sailors man the rails as the ship departs Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding for builders sea trials off the coast. I was told that one time they powered it up in port and garage doors were opening and closing throughout the greater San Diego area and that it interfered with air traffic control radar at the San Diego airport. 13 January 1984 10th West Pacific deployment. One of the division's sailors failed to show up for the duty and the division-leading Petty Officer, an E6, was ordered to take the missing man's place. I'd had three years of Junior ROTC in high school so after about a week or so I was instructing my company in the manual of arms when I was abruptly ordered to report to the battalion commander's office. The newer model takes less to operate but in my opinion, the older model is more stylish. Nuclear power had been deemed too expensive to use on surface ships smaller than aircraft carriers in view of defense budget cutbacks after the end of the Cold War. This open space was first planned to accommodate the mounting of a Regulus nuclear-armed cruise missile, but was then changed to four launch tubes for the Polaris missile. This almost got me in big trouble as I was told to move some 115-volt receptacles in the flag conference room. Due to cuts in the defense budget after the 1991 Gulf War, as well as the higher operating costs and number of crew required compared to conventionally powered ships, the decision was made to decommission all nuclear cruisers from the Navy as their reactor cores ran down. The area around my recruiting station did not have a significant number of Hispanic residents, however, the school district was very good and we were able to get a good number of applicants for the Navy's Nuclear Propulsion program so our lack of Hispanic recruits was usually overlooked. I believe, each one of my supervisors who gave their approval thought that someone above them would disapprove my request. As a side note, with an enlisted crew of about 1,000, there was only seating for about 300 sailors in the enlisted mess decks at one time. I said yes to both and was tossed the keys to an MG 1100 to help ferry us back to town. On 4 June 1965 she sailed for the Global Strategy Conference at the Naval War College, Newport, where Vice Admiral Kleber S. Masterson, Commander Second Fleet broke his flag on the ship. Long Beach steamed over 30,000 miles in 58 days at an average speed of 25 knots, without being refueled or resupplied. On the fantail, Long Beach had the Talos missile system. In 1968, the ship was redeployed to the Gulf of Tonkin, shooting down a MiG 21 jet fighter near Vinh, with a RIM-8 Talos missile on 23 May 1968,[13][14] at a range of 65 miles (105km). Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs ofUSS Long Beach (CGN-9). Guided missile cruiser USS Long Beach USS Long Beach (CGN-9) US Navy (1794-now) CGN-9. [Status: Disposed of by Recycling ] Class: CGN 9 - Cruiser, Guided Missile, Nuclear. I received orders to a nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) in New London, Connecticut instead. When it wound down, one of the locals asked if there were anyone who was sober and could drive a stick shift. Anyway, once we were briefed on the protests (we were told not to challenge them), we were allowed to go ashore (in our uniforms for one day at least!). The ship would only go to PSNS for nuclear-related work combined with drydocking. After about a year as Recruiter-In-Charge, I heard from my detailer that he needed nuclear-trained chiefs back at sea. TheLong Beachwas powered bytwo C1W nuclear reactors, with two General Electric steam turbines, which provided 59.68 MW (80,000 shp). There were two other prototypes at the site, an A1W (the USS Enterprise prototype) and an S1W (the USS Nautilus prototype). Considering Arkansas and Long Beach each had essentially the same role in a battle group, I've always felt Long Beach was more capable. He told me to put a request through the district CO and if approved he'd give me a spot on the Long Beach. We had an impromptu exercise with a Soviet Kynda class cruiser when they took up plane guard during my first deployment. Long Beach was . The world's first nuclear-powered surface fighter was the USS Long Beach (CGN-9). The 1984 deployment was different than my previous deployments on Long Beach from the start. From 2017 The aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) pulls into Naval Station Norfolk for the first time. After that, he served two back-to-back nine-month tours in Da Nang, Vietnam with the Seabees. The USS Long Beach (CGN 9) and the USS Intrepid (CVS 11) at Subic Bay in June 1967. Photo taken from USS Evans (DE 1023). We were told by some of the repair personnel in Subic that a part of a blade from the sub's screw was found embedded in the Kitty Hawk's bottom. [8], Returning to Norfolk, Virginia 7 February 1962, Long Beach, trained off the east coast and in the Caribbean. [citation needed]. We are looking at the nuclear powered USS Long Beach and comparing it to USS New Jersey.Please cons. USS Long Beach (CLGN-160/CGN-160/CGN-9) is the single vessel of the Long Beach class nuclear powered guided missile cruiser built by the USN during the late 1950's and into the early 1960's, most recognizable by her large and blocky superstructure she can be considered as the last true cruiser of the US Navy as ever since then US cruiser classes have normally been based on and/or are enlarged . Sept 2002 Removal of superstructure, nuclear fuel removed. The Standard SM-2ER missiles and the associated modern electronics replaced the obsolete Terrier system. [citation needed], Long Beach served as an escort for the USSMissouri(BB-63) task force, and provided aircraft carrier escort support after the Gulf War of 1991. I was able to share a cup of coffee with them and remember thinking "this isn't going to be too tough.". After packing my seabag, I collected my records (medical, dental and pay) along with my transfer orders. Having a nuclear-powered carrier battlegroup offered the fleet commander options that didn't require constant refueling to remain on station. [8], Long Beach returned to Norfolk from this cruise 3 October 1964 to join in exercises off the east coast and in the Caribbean. Up on the bridge, which was on the 010 level, the ship's rolling motions were amplified dramatically because of the height. One quick story was when the ship was in a port for a visit, he had a group of the chiefs go out with him to check out the area. After the order swap was approved, the sub-qualified sailors at S5G facility gave me a hard time constantly. [3] She was the third Navy ship named after the city of Long Beach, California. She was reclassified CGN-160 in early 1957, but was again reclassified as CGN-9 on 1 July 1957. E. P. Wilkinson in command. The summer of 1966 was spent in training and orienting midshipment in the tactics and operations involved in the modern nuclear Navy. My most prominent memory of Talos is from a missile exercise before our 1978 deployment. $11.66. We headed down towards New Zealand. I was an Electrician's Mate-1 (E6) at the time, part of PCU (Pre-commissioning Unit) for USS. This was long before the internet and email. Every time we pulled into port in Subic Bay, we had workers over fiddling with it. The guidedmissile cruiser conducted extensive. although the conversion did not push through historically, had Long Beach been placed . I submitted my request and it was approved all of the way up the chain. My two sons made a couple of 'Tiger Cruises' on the ship and enjoyed it, although when we took a big roll they were a bit animated about it. During this deployment, we also visited Subic Bay in the Philippines for a maintenance period, as well as Singapore (one of my favorite cities) and Pearl Harbor on the way home to San Diego. I was correct in that there were more good examples to learn from on the Long Beach. It marked the final end of the worlds first nuclear-powered surface warship. The shoot-down was executed by an F-4 Phantom II under the control of a Long Beach air intercept controller. At the time the Navy had only two promotion cycles for advancement to Chief (due to a budget crunch), first and last increments. USS Long Beach, which was the third ship to be named after the California city, was laid down in December 1957 and launched in July 1959. One man, in particular, served numerous tours aboardLong Beach throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with the ship acting as a 721 foot-long steel springboard that catapulted him through the ranks and eventually to the position of Force Master Chief for the Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. For a nuclear-powered warship based in San Diego, this usually meant a trip to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She was reclassified CG (N)160 in early 1957, but was again reclassified as CG (N)9 on 1 July 1957. On September 9, 1961, the ship was commissioned at the Boston Navy Shipyard, From January to October 1985, the TOMAHAWK cruise missile system was installed onboard at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, replacing the previously removed TALOS system. Nimitz is the first in its class and the oldest commissioned aircraft carrier afloat., carrying with it a legacy of innovation, evolution and dominance. We each had to put the aforementioned four people (mainly men) in the Navy each month. nuclear Aegis strike cruiser). There were two recruiters assigned, including me. She looked like no other ship the world had ever seen before and she definitely had her quirks. Long Beach received a Navy Unit Commendation for the actions. She was commissioned on September 9, 1961 under the command of then-Captain Eugene Parks Wilkinson, who had previously served as the first commanding officer for the USS Nautilus. [citation needed], There was originally a plan to fully upgrade Long Beach with an Aegis Combat System in the early 1990s, requiring that her superstructure be completely rebuilt. I even got to see Admiral Rickover! The major benefit to a nuclear-powered surface combatant, as opposed to a conventionally powered one, is the ability to stay on station for long periods without refueling. [8], Long Beach served in the Atlantic Fleet from her commissioning in 1961 until completing her first refueling in early 1966, when the cruiser was transferred from her home port of Norfolk to Naval Station Long Beach, California. This article includes a list of ships with the same or similar names. Find Uss Long Beach stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. The result was that LST's were unable to beach at this point due . Long Beach's deployment as the flagship of the Surface Action Group (SAG) alongside the Iowa class battleship USS New Jersey was a very interesting deployment. They didn't realize that although recruiting is important, naval reactors were even more influential and filling Chief billets at sea was a high priority! She was commissioned on September 9, 1961 under the command of then-Captain Eugene Parks Wilkinson, who had previously served as the first commanding officer for the USS Nautilus. The guided missile frigate USS McClusky was commissioned in 1982 . You must remember,Long Beach's crew was entirely male. I finished the course in just under a week. Fortunately for me, my wife had a sister who lived near the base and was able to pick me up. One of the juice machines came out of its mounting and crashed against a bulkhead. Here was the last 'true' cruiser built by the Navy. I hit my head while working under the conference table, swore and wondered what kind of idiot wanted so many outlets under the table. USS Long Beach CGGN-9: Guided missile cruiser and world's first nuclear-powered surface combatant. We, Long Beach, offered assistance but were refused. [citation needed], In addition to steel, Long Beach was built with 450 tons of structural aluminum. The force operated in the Mediterranean testing its unique capabilities until 31 July when it sailed under RADM Bernard M. Strean from Gibraltar on an aroundtheworld cruise. Once the nuclear cruiser USS Bainbridge (CGN-25) was commissioned in 1962, the three ships were almost inseparable. USS LONG BEACH got underway on nuclear power for the first time on the morning of July 5, 1961. The First Class Petty Officer was not the least bit happy and this impressed upon me to make absolutely sure that I did not disappoint my Leading Petty Officer! Long Beach was the first "all-new" cruiser designed and constructed after World War II (all others were completions or conversions of cruisers begun or completed during the war). Task Force 1 left Gibraltar on July 31, sailed down the Atlantic Ocean and then around Africa, crossed the Indian Ocean, and then to the Pacific Ocean before rounding Cape Horn. 19 October 1987 Participated in Kuwaiti tanker reflagging and provided anti-aircraft cover during Operation Nimble Archer. It was an interesting time as we did a lot of system testing that is only performed during the acceptance of the ship by the Navy. There was a line of well over a block to visit Long Beach and one could walk right up and go on the Melbourne. Your email address will not be published. On March 20, 1922 the former USS Jupiter (Collier #3) recommissioned as the USS Langley (CV 1), the U. S. Navys first aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, when I reached the one year of sea duty point, the program requirements had changed and a full sea tour was required (four years in my case). As we were entering the harbor where Yokosuka is located, the Cheng (Chief Engineer) gave the ship a history lesson on how we avoided severely damaging the Yokosuka Naval Base so the US Navy could use the facilities after the Second World War, especially the dry dock facilities where the Yamato was berthed during the war. Additionally, Long Beach seemed to have a constant two to three-degree port list. Long Beach had the cradles for the Harpoon anti-ship missiles on the fantail now. 4 April 1978 Eighth West Pacific deployment. The monolithic superstructure atop her otherwise graceful 721' cruiser hull makes it impossible to confuse Long Beach with any other ship. Upon arriving, we were told that we'd only be in port for a few hours and that only crew members with official business would be allowed off of the ship. It has . 1 May 1973 Fifth West Pacific deployment. After flight ops, the battle group went up to 30 knots and after a couple of days, the Soviets had a replenishment ship come out and refuel the Kynda. My first impression as a crew member was of responsibilities of leadership. I was unaware that President Carter and Congress had a disagreement over the budget and there was no way I could be paid or get any travel pay. 174. It could stop on the 02 level (flag spaces), 03 level (CO's in-port cabin) and the 04 level as well (flag bridge & flag plot, a mini CIC). In 1976, when we were returning to San Diego from Bremerton, our Division Training Petty Officer came around asking what schools anyone wanted to attend. After removal of the nuclear fuel, superstructure, and sections of the bow and stern, the hull segment containing the reactor and machinery spaces was moored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and sold for scrapping. This tour of duty in West Pac ended with her arrival again at Long Beach on 16 November. We wound up a few miles away from the town at a party. It was an interesting time to be a recruiter. There's also the dealing with the nuclear material generated. It was a very competitive time for many reasons, not the least being you had to put four people in the Navy each month! A lot of the structural bulkheads were not complete and it was relatively easy to go from one end of the unfinished hull to the other. 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