.gif)
USS Stein (FF-1065)
Encyclopedia
The third USS Stein (DE-1065) was a Knox-class
Knox class frigate
Knox class frigates were United States Navy warships, originally laid down as ocean escorts , but were all redesignated as frigates on 30 June 1975 in the USN 1975 ship reclassification and their hull designation changed from DE to FF.A sub-class of the Knox class was built, commonly referred to as...
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
, later redesignated as a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
(FF-1065) in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
The USS Stein was named after Tony Stein
Tony Stein
-Further reading:*Alexander, Col. Joseph H., USMC . , Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps, 1994....
, the first Marine (of 22) to receive the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for action in the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
Stein was laid down on 1 June 1970 at Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, by Lockheed Shipbuilding & Construction Co.; launched on 19 December 1970; sponsored by Mrs. Rose S. Parks; and commissioned on 8 January 1972, Comdr. Nepier V. Smith in command.
Stein was decommissioned on 19 March 1992 and struck 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 11 January 1995. She was subsequently transferred to the Mexican Navy
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
and renamed the Armada República Mexicana Ignacio Allende, abbreviated ARM Allende. http://www.semar.gob.mx/newclass/guerra.htm
History
The ocean escort spent another eight weeks at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and completed fitting-out. She conducted trials, then got underway in early March and arrived at her home port, San Diego, on 17 March. Two weeks later, she headed south along the coast of Mexico and South America on her shakedown cruise. Stein returned to San Diego in May and, late the following month, commenced post-shakedown repairs and modifications at Long Beach Naval Shipyard. On 8 December, she completed yard work and began intensive preparations for her first deployment to the western Pacific.She departed San Diego Bay in mid-April 1973 and stopped at Midway and Guam, before entering Subic Bay in the Philippines on May 19th. She operated with the 7th Fleet until the end of August, when she cleared the area for a visit to Australia and New Zealand before returning to the west coast. Stein called at Manus Island; Townville, Australia; and Auckland, New Zealand, in September and returned to Australia, at Sydney, in October. On her way back to the United States, the escort ship stopped off at Suva, Pago Pago, and Pearl Harbor before reaching San Diego on 1 November.
She remained in port there until June 1974, when she got underway for a series of special operations. Stein then operated out of San Diego until mid-August. After a short period in port, she departed again on another special operation. This one, however, ended at Cubi Point on Subic Bay in the Philippines and began her second tour of duty with the 7th Fleet. She worked out of Subic Bay until late October when she sailed on a voyage that carried her to Singapore, and thence into the Indian Ocean. In November, she visited Karachi and returned to Singapore, where she was in December 1974.
She is noteworthy as a U.S. Navy vessel that has apparently been attacked by an unknown species of giant squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
. In 1978, the "NOFOUL" rubber coating of her AN/SQS-26 SONAR dome was damaged by multiple cuts over 8 percent of the dome surface. Nearly all of the cuts contained remnants of sharp, curved claws found on the rims of suction cups of some squid tentacles. The claws were much larger than those of any squid that had been discovered at that time.