Leahy (CG 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIPS HI TORY x-... .- . .. ,..,.,-.,..42dilo4r 5-'Zaurus-1 . Mrs. Michael J. Mansfield breaks the traditional bottle of cham- pagne on the missile frigate's bow. Leahy was officially redesig- nated a missile cruiser QCGD in January, 1978, shortly after pass- ing through the Panama Canal on her way to San Diego. Leahy was constructed by the Bath, Maine Iron Works and commissioned August 4, 1962. After com- pleting a shakedown cruise, she reported to her first homeportg Charleston, South Carolina. The ship made two six-month cruises to the Mediterranean Sea during the next three years. Leahy was decommissioned in February, 1967 at the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia for a complete modernization package. The Naval Tactical Data Sys- tem CNTDSJ and associated ,radars were installed, giving her the most up-to-date computerized weap- ons system in the fleet. The ship was recommissioned in May, 1968 and reported in August to her new homeportg Norfolk, Virginia. Within the next six years, she made four more cruises to the Mediterranean. During this period, she underwent a major overhaul at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. On May 12, 1975, shortly before her sixth Mediter- ranean cruise, Leahy was the first U.S. warship to berth in Leningrad, Russia since the early 1860s and the first U.S. warship to visit the Soviet Union since World War ll. ln all, more than 12,300 Soviet visitors toured Leahy during her five day visit. After completing her Mediterranean cruise in Octo- ber, Leahy was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and Leahy's sailors were given maximum liberty while in Leningrad. Free transportation on the city's trolleys, subways and hydrofoils helped the crew see this historic port city. Bell bottoms were being phased out at this time, so Leningrad inhabitants saw two distinctive types of uniforms. her new homeport, San Diego, in January, 1976. After participating in various fleet exercises off the West Coast, Leahy steamed to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in September, 1976 to begin a year-long overhaul. During her 12 months in the yards, Leahy received many improvements and modifications in her fire control system, engineering plant, communi- cations system and other areas, designed to assure her of being a viable class leader for another five years. Leahy returned to San Diego in October, 1977. On July 6, 1978, she began her first West Pacific cruise as a member of the Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet CNAVSURFPACJ, a 180-ship force charged with pro- tecting our country's interests in the Pacific Ocean.

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FLE T ADMIRAL WILLIAM DANIEL LEAI-I Y William Daniel Leahy was born at Hampton, Iowa on May 6, 1875 and grew up in Ashland, Wisconsin. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at An- napolis in 1897. His next 10 years at sea started with duty on the battleship Oregon during the defeat of the Spanish fleet at Santiago, Cuba on July 3, 1898. ln the early years of the new century, he served on the Asiatic Station and saw action during the Philip- pine insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion in China. He was aboard the cruiser Boston at Panama during early construction of the Panama Canal. Admiral Leahy returned to Annapolis in 1907 to teach physics and chemistry. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1912 and returned to sea as navigator for the battleship California. Later in the year, he commanded American naval forces during the occupation of Nicaragua. During World War I, Admiral Leahy first command- ed the gunboat Dolphin in the West Indies searching for German supply ships. After serving as executive officer of the battleship Nevada, he won the Navy Cross in 1918 for his role as commanding officer of the troop transport Princess Matoika carrying sol- diers across the U-boat infested North Atlantic to Europe. Between the two world wars, Admiral Leahy served in a variety of posts, including Commander Destroy- ers, Scouting Force, U.S. Fleet, Commander of Bat- tleships, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet and Commander in Chief, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet. He became a vice admiral in 1935 and was appointed Chiefof Naval Operations in 1936. He advanced to admiral in 1937 and retired on August 1, 1939. Admiral Leahy's retirement was short-lived. Presi- dent Roosevelt in September of 1939 appointed him ambassador to Puerto Rico, a strategically important island to the U.S. as the forces of war gathered strength in Europe and Asia. Then, in November, 1940, the President appointed him ambassador to unoccupied France. For 18 months, Admiral Leahy used his four decades of experience to strengthen U.S.-French ties and prevent German forces from occupying Free France. In May, 1940, he returned to active duty as Chief of Staff to President Roosevelt. During the remainder of the war years, he was a personal adviser to...the Presi- dent and participated in war councils at Quebec, Cai- ro, Teheran, Yalta and Potsdam. In 1944, he was appointed the first fleet admiral of the United States Navy. D After the war, Admiral Leahy remained on active duty as adviser to the office of the Secretary of the Navy. He died July 20, 1959.

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Leahy passed under the Coronado Bridge and entered San Diego for the first time on January 28, 1976. 'The ship's crew mans the rails in a centuries-old custom evolving from the days when the crew members of sailing ships were evenly spaced along the yards and gave three cheers to honor a distinguished person. SHIP'S STATISTICS built by: keel laid: commissioned: sponsored by: overall length: maximum beam: draft: displacement: speed: command facilities: 8l'lTl3ITleI'ltZ propulsion: complement: Bath Iron Works Corporation: Bath, Maine December 3, 1959 August 4, 1962 Mrs. Michael J. Mansfield, wife of Senator Mike Mansfield CD-Montanaj, Majority Leader in the Senate 533 feet 54 feet 25 feet 8,100 tons in excess of 30 knots Naval Tactical Data System CNTDSJ and Digitalized Weap- ons Direction System, with advanced communications and electronic installations Terrier guided missiles Ctwo dual-rail launchersj, ASROC rocket-propelled anti-submarine weapons, two triple tor- pedo tubes, two three-inch 50-caliber antiaircraft gun mounts V steam turbine twin screws p 25 officers, 377 men