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USS Vella Gulf (CG-72)
Encyclopedia
USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) is an American Ticonderoga class
Aegis
guided missile
cruiser
. She is named for the Battle of Vella Gulf
, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II
. This engagement was historically significant because it was the first time that destroyers were allowed to operate independent of the cruiser force during the Pacific campaign. The battle was fought between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara on the night of 6 August 1943. In the battle of Vella Gulf, six American destroyers – Dunlap
, Craven
, Maury
, Lang
, Sterrett
, and Stack
– engaged a group of four enemy destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese troops on Kolombangara. The American warships closed the enemy undetected with the aid of radar and fired torpedoes which sank Hagikaze, Arashi, and Kawakaze with no damage to American ships.
This ship is the second named for the battle. The first Vella Gulf
was an escort carrier commissioned on 9 April 1945 with Captain Robert W. Morse in command. A Commencement Bay class
carrier, she displaced 11373 long tons (11,555.5 t), carried 34 aircraft, and held a complement of 1,066 men. Vella Gulf won a battle star for air strikes against Rots and the Pagan Islands in the Marianas in July 1945 and then participated with occupying forces after the surrender of Japan. CVE-111 was deactivated and decommissioned on 9 August 1946.
The ship is sponsored by Mrs. Mary Ann McCauley and was commissioned into the Naval Service on 18 September 1993 in ceremonies at Norfolk, VA
. A multi-mission ship, Vella Gulf is designed to be capable of sustained combat operations in Anti-Air, Anti-Submarine, Anti-Surface, and Strike warfare environments. Vella Gulf is employed in support of carrier battle groups, amphibious assault groups, as well as in interdiction and escort missions.
Vella Gulf’s diverse combat capability is orchestrated by the Aegis Weapon System
, a fully integrated electronic detection, engagement, and fire control
system. Aegis enables Vella Gulf to detect, evaluate, and engage an enemy with great firepower and accuracy.
The Vella Gulf successfully completed sea trial
s during the month of February 1998. In the months of May and June, the Vella Gulf completed a two month BALTOPS
Cruise, taking part in the 26th annual maritime exercise U.S. Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) '98
in the Western Baltic Sea
from June 8–June 19, 1998. During the exercise, the commander, Carrier Group Eight, commanded the exercise from the ship. Also, the ship completed an AMMO onload, LAMPS
moved aboard, completed a successful C2X, and had made a port call at St.John, U. S. Virgin Island. Upon the completion of C2X, the Vella Gulf continued pre-deployment work-ups.
In January 1999, after winning her fifth consecutive “Battle "E",” the ship commenced training operations while hosting the week-long course Force Air Defense Commander training.
Vella Gulf’s successful completion, in February 1999, of JTFEX ’99 marked the end of a ten-month work-up. The vessel headed out for deployment to the Adriatic Sea on 26 March 1999. After a six-day transit, the Vella Gulf took her position in the Adriatic Sea
and participated in everything from Tomahawk Strike Ops to Fast-track Logistics Ops as part of Operation Noble Anvil. In May and June, the Vella Gulf continued to participate in support of combat operations, shot Tomahawks, assumed warfare commander duties (ADC, ASUWC, ASWC and Launch Area Coordinator), and conducted numerous at-sea refueling and stores replenishment events until the relaxation of weapons posture and cessation of hostilities.
Vella Gulf began the month of August engaged in multi-ship exercises. She participated in DIVTACS, LeapFrogs, Tomahawk exercises, submarine exercises, Flight Ops, and Gunnery exercises. The Vella Gulf returned home on 22 September 1999 and went in November to Yorktown, VA for a complete weapons offload.
As part of the George Washington
Carrier Battle Group
(CVBG), and in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the ship set sail in support of defense and humanitarian efforts off the coast of New York. Only a week later, she deployed as part of the Theodore Roosevelt
Carrier Battle Group, to the Mediterranean, and South-Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group transited the Suez Canal on 13 October and arrived in the Arabian Sea on 15 October, before returning home in April 2002.
Expeditionary Strike Group
(BATESG). She conducted operations in the Persian Gulf
, Northern Arabian Sea
with French Aircraft Carrier
Charles de Gaulle
(in support of Operation Enduring Freedom), Gulf of Oman
and Gulf of Aden
. She participated in multi-national exercises, including AMAN '07 http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2007/055.html, hosted by Pakistan. Vella Gulf visited Agadir
, Morocco
and Gaeta
, Italy
as liberty ports and twice pulled into Manama
, Bahrain
. She returned to home port
in Norfolk, VA on 3 July 2007.
, a Ukrainian
-owned, Belizian
-registered
ship carrying 33 T-72 tanks, RPGs and other munitions, after it was seized by pirates off Somalia on 25 September 2008. Several photographs used by news services were sourced as having been taken from the cruiser.
Vella Gulf was involved in another action against pirates the next day on February 12 when it responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel. The Indian freighter Premdivya reported that it had been pursued by pirates and taken fire from them. The American cruiser responded by dispatching a helicopter to the scene which fired warning shots and chased the pirate skiff down. The Vella Gulf then launched a boarding party in two RHIB's and captured nine pirates, these were then sent to the Lewis and Clark as the previous batch of pirates captured by the cruiser were.
Ticonderoga class cruiser
The Ticonderoga class of missile cruisers is a class of warships in the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in FY 1978. The class uses phased-array radar and was originally planned as a class of destroyers...
Aegis
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
guided missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
. She is named for the Battle of Vella Gulf
Battle of Vella Gulf
The was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 6-7 August 1943, in Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella Island and Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands of the Southwest Pacific....
, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This engagement was historically significant because it was the first time that destroyers were allowed to operate independent of the cruiser force during the Pacific campaign. The battle was fought between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara on the night of 6 August 1943. In the battle of Vella Gulf, six American destroyers – Dunlap
USS Dunlap (DD-384)
USS Dunlap was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlap, USMC.-History:...
, Craven
USS Craven (DD-382)
The third USS Craven was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven.-History:Craven was launched 25 February 1937 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. F. Learned, daughter of Commander Craven; and commissioned 2...
, Maury
USS Maury (DD-401)
The second USS Maury was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Matthew Maury.-History:Maury was laid down 24 March 1936 by Union Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California; launched 14 February 1938; sponsored by Miss Virginia Lee Maury Werth, granddaughter of...
, Lang
USS Lang (DD-399)
The first USS Lang was a Benham-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for John Lang.-History:...
, Sterrett
USS Sterett (DD-407)
USS Sterett was a in the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for Andrew Sterett.The Sterett was laid down on 2 December 1936 at the Charleston Navy Yard; launched on 27 October 1938; sponsored by Mrs...
, and Stack
USS Stack (DD-406)
USS Stack was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Edward Stack.-History:Stack was laid down on 25 June 1937 by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia; launched on 5 May 1938; sponsored by Miss Mary Teresa Stack; and commissioned on 20 November 1939, Lieutenant Commander Isaiah...
– engaged a group of four enemy destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese troops on Kolombangara. The American warships closed the enemy undetected with the aid of radar and fired torpedoes which sank Hagikaze, Arashi, and Kawakaze with no damage to American ships.
This ship is the second named for the battle. The first Vella Gulf
USS Vella Gulf (CVE-111)
USS Vella Gulf was a of the United States Navy.She was laid down as Totem Bay on 7 February 1944 at Tacoma, Washington by the Todd-Pacific Shipyards. She was renamed Vella Gulf on 26 April 1944 and launched on 19 October 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Donald F. Smith. On 9 April 1945, she was...
was an escort carrier commissioned on 9 April 1945 with Captain Robert W. Morse in command. A Commencement Bay class
Commencement Bay class escort carrier
The Commencement Bay-class escort aircraft carriers were based on the Maritime Commission T3 type tanker hull, which gave them a displacement of approximately 23,000 tons and a length of 557 feet...
carrier, she displaced 11373 long tons (11,555.5 t), carried 34 aircraft, and held a complement of 1,066 men. Vella Gulf won a battle star for air strikes against Rots and the Pagan Islands in the Marianas in July 1945 and then participated with occupying forces after the surrender of Japan. CVE-111 was deactivated and decommissioned on 9 August 1946.
The ship is sponsored by Mrs. Mary Ann McCauley and was commissioned into the Naval Service on 18 September 1993 in ceremonies at Norfolk, VA
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
. A multi-mission ship, Vella Gulf is designed to be capable of sustained combat operations in Anti-Air, Anti-Submarine, Anti-Surface, and Strike warfare environments. Vella Gulf is employed in support of carrier battle groups, amphibious assault groups, as well as in interdiction and escort missions.
Vella Gulf’s diverse combat capability is orchestrated by the Aegis Weapon System
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
, a fully integrated electronic detection, engagement, and fire control
Fire control
control of fire 'control of fire' is the practice of reducing the heat output of a fire, or reducing the area over which the fire exists, or suppressing or extinguishing the fire by depriving a fire of fuel, oxygen or heat ....
system. Aegis enables Vella Gulf to detect, evaluate, and engage an enemy with great firepower and accuracy.
The Vella Gulf successfully completed sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s during the month of February 1998. In the months of May and June, the Vella Gulf completed a two month BALTOPS
BALTOPS
BALTOPS is an annual military exercise, held and sponsored by the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe since 1971, in the Baltic Sea and the regions surrounding it....
Cruise, taking part in the 26th annual maritime exercise U.S. Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) '98
BALTOPS
BALTOPS is an annual military exercise, held and sponsored by the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe since 1971, in the Baltic Sea and the regions surrounding it....
in the Western Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
from June 8–June 19, 1998. During the exercise, the commander, Carrier Group Eight, commanded the exercise from the ship. Also, the ship completed an AMMO onload, LAMPS
Light airborne multi-purpose system
Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System is the United States Navy's program that developed manned helicopters that assist the surface fleet in anti-submarine warfare.*SH-2 Seasprite *SH-60 Seahawk...
moved aboard, completed a successful C2X, and had made a port call at St.John, U. S. Virgin Island. Upon the completion of C2X, the Vella Gulf continued pre-deployment work-ups.
In January 1999, after winning her fifth consecutive “Battle "E",” the ship commenced training operations while hosting the week-long course Force Air Defense Commander training.
Vella Gulf’s successful completion, in February 1999, of JTFEX ’99 marked the end of a ten-month work-up. The vessel headed out for deployment to the Adriatic Sea on 26 March 1999. After a six-day transit, the Vella Gulf took her position in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and participated in everything from Tomahawk Strike Ops to Fast-track Logistics Ops as part of Operation Noble Anvil. In May and June, the Vella Gulf continued to participate in support of combat operations, shot Tomahawks, assumed warfare commander duties (ADC, ASUWC, ASWC and Launch Area Coordinator), and conducted numerous at-sea refueling and stores replenishment events until the relaxation of weapons posture and cessation of hostilities.
Vella Gulf began the month of August engaged in multi-ship exercises. She participated in DIVTACS, LeapFrogs, Tomahawk exercises, submarine exercises, Flight Ops, and Gunnery exercises. The Vella Gulf returned home on 22 September 1999 and went in November to Yorktown, VA for a complete weapons offload.
As part of the George Washington
USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington is an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, the sixth ship in the Nimitz class and the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States...
Carrier Battle Group
Carrier battle group
A carrier battle group consists of an aircraft carrier and its escorts, together composing the group. The first naval task forces built around carriers appeared just prior to and during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy was the first to assemble a large number of carriers into a single...
(CVBG), and in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the ship set sail in support of defense and humanitarian efforts off the coast of New York. Only a week later, she deployed as part of the Theodore Roosevelt
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War...
Carrier Battle Group, to the Mediterranean, and South-Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group transited the Suez Canal on 13 October and arrived in the Arabian Sea on 15 October, before returning home in April 2002.
Deployment 2007
On 5 January 2007, Vella Gulf departed on a six month cruise as part of the BataanUSS Bataan (LHD-5)
USS Bataan is a commissioned in 1997. She is named to honor the defense of the Bataan Peninsula on the western side of Manila Bay in the Philippines during the early days of US involvement in World War II.-Christening:...
Expeditionary Strike Group
Expeditionary Strike Group
The Expeditionary Strike Group, or ESG, is a concept introduced in the U.S. military in the early 1990s, based on the Naval Expeditionary Task Force. The U.S. Navy fields 12 Expeditionary Strike Groups and 11 Carrier Strike Groups, in addition to surface action groups...
(BATESG). She conducted operations in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, Northern Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
with French Aircraft Carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle (R 91)
Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French Navy and the largest Western European aircraft carrier. She is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the first and so far only nuclear-powered carrier completed outside of the United States Navy...
(in support of Operation Enduring Freedom), Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
and Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
. She participated in multi-national exercises, including AMAN '07 http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/articles/2007/055.html, hosted by Pakistan. Vella Gulf visited Agadir
Agadir
Agadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as liberty ports and twice pulled into Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. She returned to home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
in Norfolk, VA on 3 July 2007.
MV Faina incident off Somalia, 2008
The Vella Gulf was identified as one of the U.S. Navy ships surrounding the MV FainaMV Faina
The MV Faina is a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship operated by a Ukrainian company that sails under a Belize flag of convenience.The Faina is owned by Waterlux AG, based in Panama City, and managed by Tomex Team in Odessa, Ukraine....
, a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-owned, Belizian
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
-registered
Flag State
The flag state of a commercial vessel is the state under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed.The flag state has the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under its flag, including those relating to inspection, certification, and issuance of safety...
ship carrying 33 T-72 tanks, RPGs and other munitions, after it was seized by pirates off Somalia on 25 September 2008. Several photographs used by news services were sourced as having been taken from the cruiser.
Capture of alleged pirates in Gulf of Aden
On 11 February 2009 the Vella Gulf responded to a distress call from the tanker Polaris in the Gulf of Aden. The Polaris reported that pirates in a single skiff were attempting to board the tanker with ladders, though the Polaris crew was able to thwart their efforts. Upon arriving in the area, the Vella Gulf intercepted a skiff with 7 men aboard. The crew aboard the Polaris confirmed their identity as the aforementioned attackers, and the 7 were taken aboard the Vella Gulf before being transferred to the for processing before being sent to Kenya for trial.Vella Gulf was involved in another action against pirates the next day on February 12 when it responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel. The Indian freighter Premdivya reported that it had been pursued by pirates and taken fire from them. The American cruiser responded by dispatching a helicopter to the scene which fired warning shots and chased the pirate skiff down. The Vella Gulf then launched a boarding party in two RHIB's and captured nine pirates, these were then sent to the Lewis and Clark as the previous batch of pirates captured by the cruiser were.