Kirk (FF 1087) - Naval Cruise Book

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NAMESAKE leadership in the planning and execution of the naval phases of the Normandy landings in June of 1944, the coordination of support forces including beach organization, and naval gunfire support to troops up to and including the capture of Cherbourg. Admiral Kirk was Commander, U.S. Naval Forces France in the last year of the war. After retiring from the Navy in 1946 Adm. Kirk continued to serve his country as Ambassador to Belgium and then to the Soviet Union. In the 1950 ' s he became the Director of the Psychological Strategy Board, formulated to counter Communist propaganda. He was appointed Ambassador to Nationalist China in May 1962 and served in that post until April 1963. Admiral Kirk died in October of that year. EDITOR ' S NOTE Every publication of this nature that chronicles a small piece of history is special to the people who shared the experiences documented within it ' s covers. This is the third cruise book published for U.S.S. Kirk since her commissioning on 9 September 1972. Kirk entered her second decade in the fall of 1982 having just completed a baseline overhaul in her homeport of Yokosuka, Japan. In November of that year, with an overhauled engineering plant, a reworked gun, a newly installed Vulcan Phalanx (Close-In Weapons System), and other modifications and up- dating. Kirk successfully completed her post overhaul workups and sea trials. Then she steamed down to Subic Bay in the Philippines where, on 10 December, 1982 Kirk ' s Seventh Commanding Officer, Cdr. E. L. Pratt Jr., took command. In the following seventeen months Kirk would sail forth to meet all her commitments and fulfill her mission. She would see ports in eight countries, make two cruises to the Indian Ocean, track Soviet submarines, experience a helicopter crash on deck during a courageous and successful rescue of a foundering merchant on the high seas, and steam 110 consecutive days at sea (A record for most of us including many of the Old Salts). The following photographic anthology presents glimpses of the human endeavor and accomplishments of the men who sailed Kirk during these times. It is hoped this book will spark memories and provoke sea stories for the crew of the Kirk and their friends and relations in the years ahead. 0S2 Kerry C. Tiller, USN on board Kirk, 21 June 1984

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THE SHIPS U.S.S. Kirk was named for Admiral Alan Goodrich Kirk 1 1888- 1963). Adm. Kirk was a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, class of 1909. He became an ordnance expert and gunnery officer in World War I. Kirk was director of Naval Intelligence in 1941 before becoming Chief of Staff to Adm. Stark, Commander, U. S. Navy Forces Europe. Adm. Kirk earned distinction as an amphibious task force commander in the European Theater of Operations. As Commander, Atlantic Amphibious Force, Kirk was instrumental in the plannning and execution of the American naval landings at Scoglitti; giving the British much needed support in Sicily. During the combined allied invasion of Normandy, Adm. Kirk was In command of the American half of the naval task force. Kirk again demonstrated his superior U.S.S. KIRK STATISTICS DIMENSIONS: 438 Feet Length Overall, 46 Feet 9 Inches Extreme Breadth, 4,200 Tons Displacement (Fully Laden), 25 Feet Draft at Sonar Dome, 15 Feet Draft at Keel. ENGINEERING: MAIN ENGINE: Westlnghouse Geared Turbine developing 35,000 Shaft Horse Power. BOILERS: Two Combustion Engineering- Non pressure Fired 1200 PSI Steam Generators. SCREW: Single five bladed. Fixed Pitch, 15 Foot Diameter. SPEED; 22 Knots on one boiler, 27+ Knots Top Speed. WEAPONS: GUNS: One 5 54 Caliber Rapid Fire Single Mount, Vulcan Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (20 mm Gatling), and Four .50 Caliber Machine Guns. ANTISUBMARINE WEAPONS: 8 Cell ASROC Launcher, and 4 Mark 46 Torpedo Tubes. SENSORS: SONAR: SQS 26 CX(Bow Mounted), SQS 35 (Independent VDS), SQS 18 (TACTAS) To wed Array. RADAR: SPS 40D air Search, SPS 10F Surface Search, and SPG 53 Fire Control. AIRCRAFT: SH 2F LAMPS (Light Airborne Multi purpose System) Mark I Helicopter. COMPLEMENT: 17 Officers 260 Enlisted Men.

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USS KIRK PORT VISITS FROM DECEMBER, 1982 TO JULY, 1984 1982 DECEMBER SUBIC BAY, REPUBLIC of the PHILIPPINES 1983 JANUARY AGANA, GUAM (U.S. TERRITORY) FEBRURY YOKOSUKA, JAPAN MARCH CHINHAE, REPUBLIC of KOREA APRIL MAY SUBIC BAY, R.P. JUNE YOKOSUKA, JAPAN JULY KURE, JAPAN AUGUST YOKOSUKA, JAPAN SEPTEMBER PATTAYA BEACH, THAILAND DIEGO GARCIA, (BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY) KO PHUKET, THAILAND OCTOBER YOKOSUKA, JAPAN NOVEMBER SASEBO, JAPAN HONG KONG DECEMBER SUBIC BAY, R.P. YOKOSUKA, JAPAN 1984 JANUARY SUBIC BAY, R.P. APRIL SINGAPORE MAY PATTAYA BEACH, THAILAND SUBIC BAY, R.P. JUNE YOKOSUKA, JAPAN CHINHAE, ROK JULY YOKOSUKA, JAPAN CHINHAE, ROK KURE, JAPAN