Joseph Strauss (DDG 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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Ship 's Histo USS JOSEPH STRAUSS is the second ship of her class employing The single arm TAPTAR launcher.She was christened at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey on December 9, l96l, by her sponsor, Mrs. Lawrence Haines Coburn, a granddaughter of Admiral Joseph Strauss. On March 29, i963 JOSEPH STRAUSS was delivered to the Navy. She was commissioned at U.S. Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Pg, on April 20, i963 and Commander William M. A. Greene, USN, assumed command. JOSEPH STRAUSS has an overall length of 437 feet, a beam of 47 feet, and a displacement of 4500. tons.' Her authorized crew includes 2O officers and 319 men.' Though considerably larger than destroyers of the past, JOSEPH STRAUSS is o fOST, highly rnaneuverable ship. She possesses anti-submarine and anti-air warfare capabilities that are infinitely greater than those of previous classes of destroyers. I-ler armament includes the TARTAR guided missile weapons system, ASROC ianti-submarine rocketj, anti-submarine torpedoes, and two 5 inch 54 caliber dual purpose gun mounts. She is equipped with the most modern communications and electronics equipment and is capable of detecting, tracking, and delivering rapid salvos of missiles and proiectiles against enemy targets in the air, on the sea, or on land. ' On July l3, i963 JOSEPH STRAUSS arrived in Long Beach, California to ioin Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Eleet. Operating out of Long Beach the ship underwent Ship Qualification Trials and Shakedown Training, the culmination of which was marked by the successful firings of TARTAR missiles to measure the teamwork and spirit indicative of a well trained team. T In April i965, the JOSEPH STRAUSS, together with squad- ran teammate USS ERNEST G. SMALL CDD-8383, became the first advance SARXAAW picket team in the Tonkin Gulf. On June i7, i965, two FAB aircraft under JOSEPH STRALJSS advisory control shot down two MIG-i7's, the first hostile aircraft encountered by United States Forces since the Korean War. A JOSEPH STRAUSS' homeport changed officially to Pearl Harbor-, Hawaii on June i5, T966, as she became a part of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-FIVE, and on July 26, l966, JOSEPH STRAUSS arrived in Pearl Harbor, her first day in a U.S. port in two years. The following three months were spent in training and upkeep in preparation for the antici- pated regular overhaul to commence in December. -JOSEPH STRAUSS spent the period from November 7 to November l5, l966, as the primary recovery ship in the Mid- Pacific Recovery Zone in support of the GTA i2 mission of Proiect Gemini. After returning from Gemini operations, operational re- quirements dictated postponing regular overhaul until August l967 and reioining the Seventh Eleet in January l967. The remainder Of i966 was spent in preparation for deployment. On i0 February i967, as flagship of Task Unit 77.2.i, Captain T. W. WALSH, USN embarked, JOSEPH STRAUSS ioined Operation Sea Dragon, the first DDG designated to participate in this operation. 'At the time, the mission of Sea Dragon units was the destruction of waterborne logistics craft along the coast of North Vietnam, from a point north of THANH HOA, south to the DMZ. During the TET Cease- fire, from i9-ill February i967, enemy shipping activity' was observed and reported.

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ConTrol of The seas means sec:ariTy. ConTrol of The seas can mean peace. ConTrol of The seas can mean vicTory. - John F. Kennedy -. Underway 5 August 1968 IT came The day The Lord sayeTh anTo Joseph, Sail unTo The wilder- ness of Tonlqin and Tind Their posiTion. And Joseph sailed unTo The wilderness and was losT. BUT lo, The Lord did sayeTh To Joseph in The Torm of a c:ounTer-baTTeryg Go To The land of Thine enemies, desTroy his bridges and WBI-CS, flail his fishing sTiclgs,rain upon his Tields Tire, brimsTone, and Willie PeTer, and Thou will be saved. And Joseph sayeTh unTo The Lord, MoanT 52 is down.

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On 31 April, JOSEPH STRAUSS enTered Da Nang I-larbor To receive insTrucTions before ioining The Naval Gunfire SupporT Line off SouTh Viefnam. ThaT nighT, The firsT on The line, JOSEPH STRAUSS' guns Were crediTed wiTh sTopping an enemy aTTacl4 on The marine arTillery base aT Gio Linh. During The nexT six days, 631 rounds were fired in supporT of The 3rd U.S. Marine and The 1sT ARVN Divisions in The l CORPS Greg. JOSEPH STRAUSS moved norTh again on 6 May 1967, To reioin OperaTion Sea Dragon. ln a parTicularly heavy encounfer wiTh shore baTTeries on 15 May, The ship received over 130 rounds of enemy fire. Some rounds exploded wiThin 20 feeT of The ship buT only minor shrapnel damage was received. Pushing souTh on The nighT of 17 May, JOSEPH STRAUSS reached The DMZ To parTicipaTe in OperaTian BEALJ CHARGER, ln supporT of This Marine amphibious assaulT, 783 rounds were Tired aT enemy gan emplacemenTs. '- JOSEPH STRAUSS reTurned To OperaTion Sea Dragon unTil her final deparTure on 26 May 1967, During This second Tour 1300 rounds were expended in 30 missions desTroying 5 logisTics crafT and 415005101 defense siTes. JOSEPH STPAUSS was fired on a ToTal of eleven Times during her Two Tours on Sea Dragon, Commander Lawrence Layman, USN relieved Commander EllioTT as Commanding Officer on 17 July 1967. AfTer four and one-half years service, JOSEPH STRAUSS commenced her firsT regular overhaul on 1 AugusT aT Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. This exTensive, six-monTh overhaul included a major modernizaTion and alTeraTion of The missile and AnTi-Submarine Warfare sysTems, reconfiguraTion of communicaTions sysTems, insTallaTion of approved ship alTeraTions, and general repairs. W --.....,,ww.