New Orleans (LPH 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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Twenty AndCounting . . NEW ORLEANS I-las Pride In Tradition t the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, twenty years and thirteen Western Pacific deployments ago, USS NEW ' ORLEANS KLPH 111 was commissioned. She was the fourth in line to bear the name of the well-known metropolis of the South and the third to reach commission status. The first, a wooden ship of the line of 2,805 tons and 74 guns was never commissioned, work having been I I I I suspended upon termination of the War of 1812. In 1883 she was sold having been in an unfinished condition for 68 ears. yBuilt in England for the Brazilian Government, the second NEW ORLEANS was a light cruiser of 3,430 tons. The Amazones, as she was named by the Brazilians, was purchased by the United States on March 16, 1898, and on March 18 was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and became the NEW ORLEANS. She served with distinction in the Spanish-American War and in World War I remaining in commission until 1930. The third USS NEW ORLEANS QCA 321 was one of six Astoria class heavy cruisers completed just prior to the beginning of World War II. Built at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, the 10,000 ton cruiser was commissioned on February 15, 1934. NEW ORLEANS operated with the Atlantic Fleet until 1936 when she was assigned as a Pacific Fleet unit. Surviving the Japanese attack on Pearl I-Iarbor, the NEW ORLEANS went on to participate in a total of seventeen engagements in the Pacific campaign during World War II and was decommissioned in 1946. On November 16, 1988, while deployed, amphibious assault ship NEW ORLEANS observed its 20th anniversary. Through the years some of NEW ORLEANS' more notable accomplishments include: flagship for Commander First Fleet during President Nixon's visit to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in July 1970, recovery of astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa and Ed Mitchell in Apollo 14 on Feb. 9, 1971, Operation End Sweep to support mine sweeping operations for the coast and harbors of North Vietnam, August 1972, recovery of Skylab missions II and III, recovery of astronauts Stafford, Slayton and Brand in Apollo-Soyuz on July 5, 1975, deployment to the Indian Ocean in 1980 during the Iran Hostage Crisis, and service for President Reagan's visit to Bali, Indonesia, in 1986. Left: The NEW ORLEANS crew watches in anticipation from the Flight Deck as recovery helicopters commence their approach on Apollo. Above: An Apol- loEc:gg1zand module is lifted onto a specially built dolly aboard NEW OR- .

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Above: Prior to commissioning, in October 1968, the latest USS NEW ORLEANS ILPH 111 nego- tia tes its wa y through the Delaware River near Phil- adelphia. Inset: USS ORLEANS QCA 321. Far Left: An artist's sketch depicts a panoramic View of the city of New Orleans and the Federal Fleet at anchor in the river on April 25, 1862. Left: ln his remarks, Dr. Homer L, Hitt, Chancellor of Loui- siana State University and keynote speaker at NEW ORLEANS commissioning on November 16, 1968, wished the amphibious assault ship well and future success in carrying on the proud and noble tradition of her predecessors. Tradition 3 ,.f---N.-..-..A.,-f i,..--f.pL..A.,- .f.,, -,L