Ainsworth (FF 1090) - Naval Cruise Book

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ORTH capabiTi!y and are towed astern. AINSWORTH ' S principal armament is the homing torpeedo. Placed in the general vicinity of an enemy submarine, the torpeedo will seek out and destroy it ' s target. The ship can deliver the torpedo by one of three ways; over the side launching, helocopter drop or the anti- submarine rocket (ASROC). Other major armament includes providing the ship with anti-air and anti-surface capability. It is also effective for shore bombardment. The ship is also armed with the Harpoon anti-ship missile with a range of over 50 nautical miles, and the MK 15 Close in Weapons System (CIWS), designed to shoot down incoming missiles. AINSWORTH is powered by a single, five bladed propeller, driven by steam turbines developing 35,000 shaft horsepower. With automatic combustion controlled boilers producing steam pressures in excess of 1200 PSI, she is capable of speeds in excess of 27 knots. The ship is 440ft long 47ft wide, with a navigational draft of 27 feet.

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AINSWOl ■Hi e mission of USS AINSWORTH is to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at sea, worldwide, in support of national interest. She acconnjlished the functions of sea control through her specialized configuration as an anti-submarine frigate, mounting a aricty of electronic and acoustic sensors and weapons. MNSWORTH was named in hdridr of Vice Admiral Waidcn first ship ever to bear the name. Vice Admiral Ainsworth was a distinguished task force commander in the South Pacific Campaign of World War Two and was known as the deslroyerman ' s destroyerman. AINSWORTH was built by Avondale Shipyards Inc., of Westwego, Louisiana. She is the thirteenth ship of the Joseph Hews class of frigates. AINSWORTH was 4iw Sffirrffssioi ' lM ' . ' »» iviarcn i is manned by 19 Officers and over 260 enlisted personnel. AINSWORTH is outfitted with some of the most modern electronic equipment for detecting ships, submarines and aircraft. Main features include three sonar systems. One, mounted on the bow of the ship is capable of gaining surface and subsurface contacts at extremely long ranges. The other two have variable depth 4 1

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OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPH VICE ADMIRAL WALDEN LEE AINSWORTH Walden Lee Ainswroth was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 10, 1886. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1910 and was commissioned Ensign on 7 March 1912. Selected to Flag Rank early in World War II, he was transferred to the Retired List and concurrently promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral on the basis of combat awards in 1948. Although much of his time at sea was spent in battleships and cruisers. Vice Admiral Ainsworth ' s first love was destroyers. These he commanded in various capacities throughout his distinguished career — as ship ' s Captain, Squadron Commander, Flotilla Commander, Task Force Commander, and Type Commander. Aptly described as a destroyerman ' s destroyerman by Theodore Roscoe in De- stroyer Operations in World War II, he was one of the outstanding bombardment task force command- ers of the war in the Far East. He was new to the South Pacific, wrote historian Samuel Eliot Morison, but he entered the arena as if he had been fighting ... all his life. His exploits are written in the history of the Solomons, Marianas, Palous, and Leyte Campaigns. For these he was awarded the Navy Cross, Distingished Service Medal, and Legion of Merit, and many of his ships received Navy Unit Commendations and Presidential Unit Creations. From 1945 until 1948 Vice Admiral Ainsworth served concurrently as Commandant Fifth Naval District and Commander Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia. He retired December, 1948 and died August 7, 1960. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.