Durham (LKA 114) - Naval Cruise Book

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i e Llnited States Ship Durham QLKA-1145 The USS DURHAM is the second U.S. Navy ship to bear that name. The first USS DURHAM was built in Belfast in 1893 as a merchant ship. Initially, she sailed under the name of SENATOR, then later as the GOVERNADOR BORIES. In 1918 she was chartered by the Navy for use in WWII and was commissioned as USS SHERMAN. Later that year, the SHERMAN was recommissioned as USS DURHAM. DUR- HAM made three trips to Europe carrying war materials before she returned to civilian service late in 1919 and faded from naval history. The present USS DURHAM is a modern, fully capable attack cargo ship of the CHARLESTON class. She was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, who laid the keel on July 10, 1967. DURHAM was launched on March 29, 1968, and commissioned on May 24, 1969. DURHAM's primary mission is to carry material and equipment to support a waterborne assault upon hostile shores. To this end, she has four enormous cargo holds for storage, and extensive system of elevators and heavy-lift booms for loading and offloading cargo, and eleven landing craft to carry everything to the beach. DURHAM is 575 feet 6 inches long, 82 feet wide, and displaces over 18,000 tons of seawater. Pushed along by 22,000 shaft horsepower, she can sustain a speed of 21 knots. She carries a crew of 334, with room for an additional comple- ment of 226 Marines. DURHAM is armed with three twin- mount, 3 50 caliber rapid-fire guns. DURHAM's primary offensive weapon system is her as- sault boats. These include: , - Four 74-foot aluminum LCM-8's fLanding Craft Mecha- nizedj, each of which can carry a 60-ton tank or 150 combat troops, - Five 56-foot LCM-6 boats, which can carry 28 tons of cargo or 120 troops: - Two 36-foot fiberglass LCPL's fLanding Craft Personnel Lightj, which are used as command and control boats for directing and leading the amphibious assault. In total, DURHAM's boats can transport over 1100 troops or three-quarters of a million pounds C375 tonsj of material ashore simultaneously, and can repeat the round-trip indefi- nitely, placing approximately 26,000 troops or 9000 tons ashore in a 24-hour period. DURHAM can supply: - enough electricity for approximately 2000 homes. - enough steam to provide over 35,000 homes with central heat. I - enough stores to feed 600 people three hearty meals per day for 90 days or 162,000 people at one time. - nearly 30,000 different parts and supplies to support ship's operations, an inventory roughly equivalent in size to that of a large department store. - 40,000 gallons of distilled water per 24-hour period. This cruise was DURHAM's ninth and longest deployment. She is presently assigned to Amphibious Squadron Seven, and is home-ported in San Diego, California.

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ONE OF THE FIRST SHIPS TO ARRIVE ON STATION DURHAM WAS PART OF THE LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS TASK FORCE TO BE ASSEMBLED SINCE WWII Western Pac1f1cfSoutl'1west Asia Deployment 1990 1991 This cruisebook will take us on a journey which lasted ten months and extended across 47 000 miles Together we the crew of the DURHAM did what most men never have the opportunity to do We sailed halfway around the planet and back passing through the treacherous Malacca Straits four times We visited countries most Americans will never see. We were among the first of dozens of U S. ships to take station in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in harm s way We transited 116 miles of mlnefield and we conducted amphibious operations on foreign shores As a crew we shared some unforgettable experiences good and bad and together we made the most of a very long and difficult deployment Pictures tell the story best so help yourself to these pages and experience the story of the USS DURHAM her crew and her Western Pacific! Southwest Asia Deployment of 1990-1991. , so 0 - . . 1 ' , . . . . . - . ' , . . . 3 . . 0 7 ' 7 . ' 7 7 . . 7 .. 7

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