Harry Yarnell (CG 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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LEGACY OF A CRUISER HARRY E. YARNELL 1969

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USS HARRY E YARNELL CG-17

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SHIP ' S HISTORY USS HARRY E. YARNELL (CG-17) WAS BUILT AT BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION. BATH. MAINE. SHE HONORS ADMIRAL HARRY E. YARNELL. USN. WHO WAS BORN IN IOWA IN 1875. FOLLOWING GRADUATION FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY IN 1897. ADMIRAL YARNELL HAD AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER DURING WORLD WAR I AND RETIRED FROM THE NAVY IN 1939. AFTER HAVING SERVED AS COM- MANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ASIATIC FLEET HE WAS RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY DURING WORLD WAR II AND SUBSEOUENTL Y RETIRED PERMANENTL Y IN 1944. HE DIED AT NEWPORT. RHODE ISLAND. ON JULY 7. 1959. HARRY E. YARNELL WAS LAUNCHED IN 1961 AND COMMISSIONED ON FEBRUARY 2. 1963 ASA GUIDED MISSILE FRIGATE (DLG 17). SHE MADE HER MAIDEN DEPLOYMENT TO THE MEDITERRA- NEAN IN 1966 AND RETURNED AGAIN IN 1967. PRIOR TO REPRESEN TING THE UNI TED S TA TES AT THE CA- NADIAN NAVAL ASSEMBLY IN HALIFAX. NOVA SCO- TIA. FROM 1968 TO MID 1969. SHE WAS PLACED OUT OF COMMISSION IN BATH. MAINE. FOR A MAJOR OVERHAUL DURING WHICH TIME A MODERN COM- PUTER SYSTEM AND ADVANCED ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS WERE INSTALLED. ON JULY 12. 1969. HARRY E. YARNELL WAS RE- COMMISSIONED IN BOSTON. MASSACHUSETTS. IN 1970. SHE SERVED AS FLAGSHIP FOR COMMANDER. SOUTH ATLANTIC FLEET FOR THE UNTIAS XI CRUISE AROUND SOUTH AMERICA. HARRY E. YAR- NELL WAS ASSIGNED TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SIXTH FLEET IN LA TE 1971 AND RETURNED IN JUNE 1972. SHE ENTERED PHILADELPHIA NAVY SHIP- YARD IN JANUARY 1974 FOR A ONE YEAR COMPLEX OVERHAUL TO UPDATE HER MISSILE SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING PLANT. DURING 1975 AND EARLY 1976. SHE WAS IN- VOLVED IN VARIOUS ATLANTIC FLEET EXERCISES PRIOR TO HER DEPLOYMENT TO THE MEDITERRA- NEAN FOR THE SIXTH TIME IN APRIL. DURING THIS DEPLOYMENT HARRY E. YARNELL PARTICIPATED IN SURVEILLANCE OF THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF CVHG KIEV. SHE ENTERED THE BLACK SEA IN SEP- TEMBER 1976. VISITING CONSTANTA. ROMANIA. THE SECOND U.S. WARSHIP TO DO SO IN 30 YEARS. HARRY E. YARNELL BEGAN HER SEVENTH MED- ITERRANEAN DEPLOYMENT IN APRIL 1978. CON- DUCTING OPERATIONS IN THE BLACK SEA AND PARTICIPATING IN THE EXERCISES NATIONAL WEEK. DAWN PATROL AND DISPLAY DETERMINA- TION. SHE ALSO HOSTED A CRUISE FOR GUESTS THAT INCLUDED THE ROYAL FAMILY OF MONACO BEFORE RETURNING TO NORFOLK IN OCTOBER. IN JANUARY 1979. SHE ENTERED THE CHARLESTON NAVAL SHIPYARD FOR AN EXTENSIVE OVERHAUL THAT UPGRADED ENGINEERING AND COMBAT SYSTEMS. IN MARCH 1982. SHE DEPLOYED TO THE MEDI- TERRANEAN AS FLAGSHIP FOR COMMANDER. CRUISER DESTROYER GROUP TWO. RETURNING TO NORFOLK IN JUNE AFTER AN UPKEEP PERIOD. HARRY E. YARNELL DEPLOYED TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND BALTIC SEA IN SEPTEMBER 1982. PARTICIPATING IN EXERCISES IN THE BALTIC SEA. HARRY E. YARNELL PARTICIPATED IN EXERCISE SOLID SHIELD 83 AND IN SEPTEMBER. DEPLOYED TO THE MUL TI-NA TIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN BEIRUT. LEBANON. AFTER HER SERVICE WITH THE SIXTH FLEET OFF LEBANON. HARRY E. YARNELL CONTINUED ON TO THE NORTH A TL ANTIC AND NORWEGIAN SEA TO TAKE PART IN EXERCISE TEAM WORK 84 WITH COMMANDER. CRUISER DESTROYER GROUP TWO EMBARKED. THEN RETURNED TO NORFOLK IN APRIL 1984. WHILE COMMANDER CRUISER DE- STROYER GROUP TWO WAS EMBARKED. SHE MADE A PORT VISIT TO ANTWERP, BELGIUM. THE FIRST AMERICAN CRUISER TO HAVE CALLED THERE SINCE USS AUGUSTA IN 1948. IN EARLY OCTOBER 1984. HARRY E. YARNELL PARTICIPATED IN THE MOCK BOMBARDMENT OF FORT MCHENRY IN BAL- TIMORE. MARYLAND. AS PART OF FOUNDER S DA Y CELEBRATION. DURING A MISSILE FIRING EXERCISE IN APRIL 1986. HARRY E. YARNELL ACHIEVED A PERFECT SCORE. FOUR HITS FOR FOUR MISSILES FIRED. PREPARATIONS FOR A NEW DEPLOYMENT BEGAN WITH INTERIM REFRESHER TRAINING AT GUANTA- NAMO BAY. CUBA. IN MAY. FOLLOWED BY SUC- CESSFUL MISSILE. ASROC AND TORPEDO FIRINGS DURING MOD FLEETEX 3-86 IN JUL Y. HARRY E. YARNELL MADE HER TENTH DEPLOY- MENT TO THE MEDITERRANEAN IN AUGUST. PAR- TICIPATING IN EXERCISES DISPLAY DETERMINA- TION A ND NA TIONAL WEEK. SHE PRO VED HER SKIL L AGAIN DURING EXERCISE NATIONAL WEEK. SCOR- ING ANOTHER MISSILE HIT AGAINST A TARGET DRONE. HARRY E. YARNELL COMPLETED ANOTHER HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT WITH SUR- VEILLANCE OF CVHG KIEV ASW OPERATIONS IN FEBRUARY 1987. HER TENTH DEPLOYMENT IN- CLUDED AN UNPRECIDENTED TEN PORTS OF CALL.