Dahlgren (DDG 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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LIBERTY WEEKEND JUL Y CTIse

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De ' esigned as one of the first of the new generation of missile ships ordered by the Navy in the late 1950 ' s, DAHLGREN began her life at Phila- delphia Naval Shipyard. Built in tandem with her sister ship USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DDG-44), she was originally designated DLG-12 - Destroyer Leader, Hull Number 12 but was redesignated in 1975 under the Navy ' s new classification system as a Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG). DAHLGREN was designed as a versatile, high-powered ship capable of a variety of missions, making her very valuable today as fewer ships are required to do the jobs in a navy that spans the globe. She has facilities for flagship duties, one of her primary missions being to serve as a command ship; included are office space and berthing quarters for squadron com- manders. With a vast array of modern weapons at her disposal, DAHLGREN is one of the most powerful ships of her size in any navy. With anti-air warfare a primary mission area, DAHLGREN ' s main battery is the twin missile launcher located on the fantail. This system fires our navy ' s longest ranged surface-to-air missiles. Also for use against air targets or surface targets, in- cluding shore placements, is the 5 54 caliber dual-purpose gun mount located on the forecastle. This rapid-fire mount is fully automatic and capa- ble of firing a 75 pound projectile every two or three seconds. A more recently added weapon system is the Harpoon missile which provides an over-the-horizon attack capability against surface targets re- moving the requirement to track the target with our ship ' s sensors before engagement. The two quad mounts that comprise this system are located on either side of the 01 level aft. To round out DAHLGREN ' s weapon delivery systems, two systems designed to combat the subsurface threat are located on the 01 level forward. The ASROC system, which is located forward of the bridge, is designed to launch either torpedoes or depth charges at long range submarine contacts. Positioned on either side of the superstructure are triple-mounted torpedo tubes which augment the ASROC launcher against shorter range submarine threats. To aim these weapons and seek out targets, the ship has a complex network of electronic equipment including air and surface radar, computer-assisted gun and missile directors, and sonar equipment. All information that is gathered by these sensor systems can be coordinated into the Navy Tactical Data System (NTDS), which enables DAHLGREN and other ships to share information as they operate as a team in any hostile action. Other equipment includes electronic warfare components, satellite navigation antennas, and a host of devices for accomplishing the ship ' s various duties. On the fantail there are facilities for helicopter operations. DAHLGREN can refuel helicopters in the air or land them if necessary and perform elementary maintenance, giving her another edge in today ' s sophisticated warfare scheme. Originally drawing barely 17 feet, the ship has gradually gained weight with the installation of new and updated equipment. She now needs a depth of over 25 feet to clear her twin sonar domes. DAHLGREN has cruised the world over in her 26 years; appearing in Kiel, Germany as the American representative in that city ' s Naval Review during her first deployment. Following this prestigious debut she visited Norway, Denmark and Sweden. During the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 she took part in the Naval blockade ordered by President Kennedy. With escalating hostilities on the other side of the globe in the next few years, DAHLGREN found herself called from the Atlantic Fleet to assist with search-and-rescue efforts in the Gulf of Tonkin. In 1967 she was responsible for the safe return of 11 aviators downed in the waters off Vietnam. Among her duties during the following years were a stint as flagship for the Commander, South Atlantic Fleet, during which she visited many ports along Africa ' s western shore. Rounding the Cape of Good Hope, she assumed the duties as flagship for Commander, Middle East Force and made calls in several ports on the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. In 1970 she helped American efforts in the Jordanian Civil War crisis, earning the first of her three Meritorious Unit Citations. A year later she was flagship for NATO ' s Standing Naval Force Atlantic, a permanent multinational flotilla, and visited Canada, England, France and Belgium. For overall excellence she received the coveted Battle Efficiency Award in 1971. The next two years saw her at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for modernization of engineering, weapons and habitability among other upgrades. Her first cruise after recommissioning was to the Mediterranean Sea, where she was instrumental in the evacuation of refugees from the violence in Cyprus in 1973. A brief UNITAS cruise in 1975 gave DAHLGREN a chance to see Panama and Columbia. The following year it was back to the Mediterranean Sea, visiting Egypt, Mallorca, Italy, Spain, France, Turkey and ending the deployment with stops in Kiel and Amsterdam. In 1977 she deployed for North Atlantic and Baltic Sea operations, enabling her crew to spend a few days in Lisbon, Stockholm and Bremen, Germany. In 1979 DAHLGREN completed a 15 month overhaul at her birthplace in Phila- delphia, receiving new equipment and refurbishing the existing systems. Added was the Harpoon Weapons System, a new and advanced sonar system, radar and satellite navigation equipment, chaff launchers and many other improvements. Her first de- ployment was to the Mediterranean Sea from March to August 1980, where she served as flagship for Commander Destroyer Squadron 26. In 1981 DAHLGREN departed for UNITAS XXII with Commander Destroyer Squadron 14 and his staff embarked. DAHLGREN ' s six month deployment took her to both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America. Various exercises were con- ducted with South American navies before returning to Norfolk in December 1981. DAHLGREN deployed again in 1983. During her six and a half months away from homeport, the ship steamed in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, the North — Atlantic, and the Caribbean. She served in three fleets, the Second, Sixth, and Sev- enth, and was the flagship for Commander, Destroyer Squadron 24. DAHLGREN re- turned to Norfolk in September to prepare for a regular overhaul in Philadelphia Na- val Shipyard in 1984. DAHLGREN returned to Norfolk after her year-long overhaul period in Decem- ber of 1984. She spent the greater part of 1985 and early 1986 on trial operations in the Norfolk area and preparing for deployment. In July of 1986, DAHLGREN participated in the International Naval Review and OPSAIL ' 86 to honor the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Deploying again in August of the same year, DAHLGREN operated with NATO forces in the Mediterranean, participating in two vast multinational exercises. This cruise book documents this latest deployment and records the day to day lives of the men who make this warship what she is today - the third and finest of Admiral Dahlgren ' s legacy.

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port visit to New York City is always special, but visiting the Big Apple on the 4th of July while participating in an International Naval Review and wit- nessing the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty while the President floats by is downright historical! Dahlgren joined the USS John F. Kennedy, USS Iowa and many other US warships in representing the United States in the highly festive ceremonies. On the morning of The Fourth, Dahlgren sailors manned the rails as President Ronald Reagan passed and reviewed while embarked on the USS Iowa. Lady Liberty, gazed upon by hundreds of thousands over the years, never looked better . . . and we never better understood her beauty than we did that historic weekend.