USS Mahan (DDG-42)
Encyclopedia
USS Mahan (DDG-42), named for Rear Admiral
Alfred Thayer Mahan
USN (1840–1914), was a Farragut-class
guided missile frigate (destroyer leader) laid down as DLG-11 by the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
on July 31, 1957, launched on October 7, 1959 by Mrs. H. P. Smith, wife of Vice Adm. H. Page Smith, (CINCLANT at the time) and commissioned on December 25, 1960. Mahan was reclassified as a guided missile destroyer
on 30 June 1975 and designated DDG-42. USS Mahan was decommissioned on June 15, 1993 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on the same day.
and Terrier missiles. A unit of the Pacific Fleet’s Cruiser Destroyer Force, she operated out of San Diego, participating in local and fleet exercises off the west coast and in Hawaiian waters. Leaving San Diego 6 June 1962, she commenced her first western Pacific deployment. For the next 6 months she cruised with other units of the 7th Fleet, taking part in antisubmarine, antiaircraft, and amphibious exercises as well as making good will calls on ports in the Far East. Included in these latter visits was a stop at Saigon 24 to 28 October for the Republic of Vietnam’s Independence anniversary celebrations.
1963 brought Mahan’s entrance into the standard schedule of the Pacific Fleet, beginning with a shipyard overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard
. Following her yard period, she conducted training exercises off the west coast. She then departed San Diego 6 August 1963 for deployment in the western Pacific. In addition to assignments in Japanese and Philippine waters, she spent, on this tour, a total of 4 weeks cruising off South Vietnam before returning to California 10 March 1964.
Remaining on the west coast until late 1965, the guided-missile frigate underwent a 5½ month overhaul, 1 May 1965 to 20 October 1965, followed by test and training exercises and a demonstration of her antisubmarine warfare capabilities before members of the United States-Canadian Military Cooperation Committee 9 December 1965. During the summer of 1965, she embarked midshipmen from the Naval Academy and various NROTC units for summer training. Departing San Diego 19 October, she sailed to Pearl Harbor for antisubmarine training operations and then continued on to the western Pacific, arriving at Subic Bay
22 November 1965. Mahan operated with the 7th Fleet, spending alternate monthly periods on patrol off Vietnam
, until returning to California in April 1966.
Upon arrival at San Diego 28 April, Mahan continued her previous west coast activities, local and fleet training operations, missile firing exercises at the Pacific Missile Range
, and, as during the summer of 1965, the training of midshipmen during June and July. August brought the installation of a helicopter flight deck.
The period 1 December 1966 through 4 June 1967 again saw Mahan in the western Pacific where, as before, she operated off Vietnam, patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin PIRAZ
station and providing gunfire support. Arriving back at San Diego 17 June, Mahan sailed on 31 July to represent the Navy at Seattle’s annual Sea Fair. Following further coastal operations, she entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard 1 November for overhaul. This was completed late in April 1968 and Mahan remained off the west coast until departing for the western Pacific in August. She remained as a part of the 7th Fleet into 1969.
Mahan (DDG 42) received New Threat Upgrade
(NTU) modernization in 1982 as a test package. The upgrade was considered for the other ships in the class, but was cancelled since modernization would not have been cost effective given the limited service lives remaining.
Decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 June 1993, Mahan was sold for scrap to Sigma Enterprises on 31 August 1995. Mahan was repossessed from the scrap yard and resold on 10 February 1999 to International Shipbreakers of Brownsville, Tx for $97,275. Mahan was repossessed for a second time on 10 July 2000 after the scrap yard failed to take delivery of the ship in a timely manner. A contract to dismantle Mahan was issued in January 2003 to Bethlehem Steel-Sparrows Point of Baltimore, Md to dismantle Mahan. Mahan was repossessed for a third time after Bethlehem Steel went out of business and a new contract was issued to dismantle Mahan on 30 September 2003 to Metro Machine of Philadelphia, Pa for $3,000,000. Mahan was completely dismantled on 18 May 2004.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide...
USN (1840–1914), was a Farragut-class
Farragut class destroyer (1958)
The Farragut class was the second destroyer class of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The class is sometimes referred to as the Coontz class, since Coontz was first to be designed and built as a guided missile ship, whereas the previous three ships were...
guided missile frigate (destroyer leader) laid down as DLG-11 by the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
on July 31, 1957, launched on October 7, 1959 by Mrs. H. P. Smith, wife of Vice Adm. H. Page Smith, (CINCLANT at the time) and commissioned on December 25, 1960. Mahan was reclassified as a guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
on 30 June 1975 and designated DDG-42. USS Mahan was decommissioned on June 15, 1993 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on the same day.
History
During the first year and a half of her commissioned service, Mahan’s primary assignment was the testing and evaluation of her weapons systems, ASROCASROC
ASROC is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. Developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, it was deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s, and eventually installed on over 200 USN surface ships, specifically cruisers, destroyers, and frigates...
and Terrier missiles. A unit of the Pacific Fleet’s Cruiser Destroyer Force, she operated out of San Diego, participating in local and fleet exercises off the west coast and in Hawaiian waters. Leaving San Diego 6 June 1962, she commenced her first western Pacific deployment. For the next 6 months she cruised with other units of the 7th Fleet, taking part in antisubmarine, antiaircraft, and amphibious exercises as well as making good will calls on ports in the Far East. Included in these latter visits was a stop at Saigon 24 to 28 October for the Republic of Vietnam’s Independence anniversary celebrations.
1963 brought Mahan’s entrance into the standard schedule of the Pacific Fleet, beginning with a shipyard overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard
Long Beach Naval Shipyard
thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...
. Following her yard period, she conducted training exercises off the west coast. She then departed San Diego 6 August 1963 for deployment in the western Pacific. In addition to assignments in Japanese and Philippine waters, she spent, on this tour, a total of 4 weeks cruising off South Vietnam before returning to California 10 March 1964.
Remaining on the west coast until late 1965, the guided-missile frigate underwent a 5½ month overhaul, 1 May 1965 to 20 October 1965, followed by test and training exercises and a demonstration of her antisubmarine warfare capabilities before members of the United States-Canadian Military Cooperation Committee 9 December 1965. During the summer of 1965, she embarked midshipmen from the Naval Academy and various NROTC units for summer training. Departing San Diego 19 October, she sailed to Pearl Harbor for antisubmarine training operations and then continued on to the western Pacific, arriving at Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
22 November 1965. Mahan operated with the 7th Fleet, spending alternate monthly periods on patrol off Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, until returning to California in April 1966.
Upon arrival at San Diego 28 April, Mahan continued her previous west coast activities, local and fleet training operations, missile firing exercises at the Pacific Missile Range
Pacific Missile Range
Pacific Missile Range may refer to:* The Western Range, a currently active missile range supporting launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base and elsewhere.* Western Launch and Test Range, a missile range active in the 1960s for tracking ballistic missiles....
, and, as during the summer of 1965, the training of midshipmen during June and July. August brought the installation of a helicopter flight deck.
The period 1 December 1966 through 4 June 1967 again saw Mahan in the western Pacific where, as before, she operated off Vietnam, patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin PIRAZ
PIRAZ
PIRAZ is a United States Navy acronym for Positive Identification RADAR Advisory Zone. The zone is defined by the air search RADAR coverage of a ship patrolling a designated PIRAZ station...
station and providing gunfire support. Arriving back at San Diego 17 June, Mahan sailed on 31 July to represent the Navy at Seattle’s annual Sea Fair. Following further coastal operations, she entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard 1 November for overhaul. This was completed late in April 1968 and Mahan remained off the west coast until departing for the western Pacific in August. She remained as a part of the 7th Fleet into 1969.
Mahan (DDG 42) received New Threat Upgrade
New Threat Upgrade
-The Program:New Threat Upgrade was a program to improve the anti-aircraft capability of Terrier and Tartar ships. It allowed the full use of newer Standard missiles and improved the interoperability of the radar and computer systems aboard the ships...
(NTU) modernization in 1982 as a test package. The upgrade was considered for the other ships in the class, but was cancelled since modernization would not have been cost effective given the limited service lives remaining.
Decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 June 1993, Mahan was sold for scrap to Sigma Enterprises on 31 August 1995. Mahan was repossessed from the scrap yard and resold on 10 February 1999 to International Shipbreakers of Brownsville, Tx for $97,275. Mahan was repossessed for a second time on 10 July 2000 after the scrap yard failed to take delivery of the ship in a timely manner. A contract to dismantle Mahan was issued in January 2003 to Bethlehem Steel-Sparrows Point of Baltimore, Md to dismantle Mahan. Mahan was repossessed for a third time after Bethlehem Steel went out of business and a new contract was issued to dismantle Mahan on 30 September 2003 to Metro Machine of Philadelphia, Pa for $3,000,000. Mahan was completely dismantled on 18 May 2004.