Bunker Hill (CG 52) - Naval Cruise Book

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Underway for WESTPAC 105 I I V - 'QQ ' -'dt , V V , -I Q W3 . ,A 'h Y 5' I Fw I 5 ues BUNKERIIILI? , , . Q . , d the if' luly 25, 'I9871 USS BUNKER HILL KCGSZI gets underway for her rnaidcn Western Pat ific and Indian Ot twin t TUISL. DCP6nd9n:55:Zxpre5SiLln5' amidst the party-like atmosphere provided by a live band, balloons and n Inhlr' cow-rt-tl with ri-fit-shrm-nts. Bt-ncalh Il1GlSLll'gin and nearly' however, lurks the contrasting emotions of pride and sorrow Pride in sc c in i rt it shi 1 dc wlu onl 10 months after Commissio E - s X' ll? Il 'f I 'I V V year ahead of schedule. And sorrow in having to say goodbye for six months. n STARK had been The circumstances under which BUNKER HILL deployed wercn't exactly coinioiting, viiln-i, A It-w months earlier, the USS h Worstsind severely damaged by an Iraqi missile in the Persian Gulf. Tensions in Ihr- rvgion wi-ic higl1,.intlAim-iican ii-lations with Iran werelr gut thewonl the hostage crisis of November 1979 to January 1981, Attacks on shipping had inc rms:-rl rli.ln1.iiit.illv, .ind Ii.in was mining the gu - I news h h ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 't fHormU7- , per aps, was t at Iran was installing Chinese-made Silkworm truisv missiles .ii su in-git points in il1vPt-isian Gulf and Strat o breuah BUNKE . I Q 4 . m R HILL was the best ship to defend against the I ICWll1Yt?6lS,iII'1tlllivllbb MISSOURIIlilihllm-1-rlt'tl tht- AILIIS anti-air warfare U Adding BUNKER HILL to the battleship battle rou m. lx B. I 24 g p ict 1lI 4' Crimp SIIRRA Vlllllrllly iiiviiliitmilult' lu .iltnflx fr0m the Zilf. l

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N xiii A key player in two battle Q groups .urs -if 'iid Nl!! im. -I L a M W, fa l3LFNlxLR HILL lwgan tht- doploymvnt with Btittlc Group SIFRRA, ccntemd around the h.itlIiwl1ipLiSS MBSOURI, With thv lmttl0ship's 16finc h guns, LONG BEACHE long-rangv anti- .iu w.irI.irn- e.ip.ilmiIitii-s, BUNKLR HILLS supcirh ALGI5 .ind Vertitdl Launth Systmns, plus the .intl-.iir,tlniifsL1i'l.icc.indtuitl-sulynmrinc Ldpahilllicxs ombodivtl in the rnlx of Ships, Battle Group SILRRA wtu .in vxtiomvly putt-nt ntivtil forte. Shiirlly titti-i .irriwing on station, Buttle Group SIERRA nit,-rgod with Battle Group ECHO, tho LMS R-XNGI R KV 611 Battle Group, to lmm what was belivvfld to bn the largvst naval battle umup Num i' thtl Ixwrcuin War, The :ww battle group fcatured an airgraft Carrier, battleship, thrc-0 tiiiist-rx, thru- cli-strnyors, three frigatcs and four support ships.