Schenectady (LST 1185) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS SCI-IENECTADY CLST-'I 4855 Sl-lIP'S SEAL f '55 'pf 0 QQ ' X J' Qs ..., I ' fr ' f 5 C? 3 9 5 1 I I 0,0 We f I ! X :: I T Q16 IN X ' X 0' xxXXxxsS The Ship's Seal depicTed above represenTs symbolically a number of Themes perTinenT To The ship. The composiTion combines symbols of boTh The sponsoring Cify and CounTy and The Amphibious Force. The shock of wheaT is The seal of The CiTy of Schenecfady, recalling The 'lfairland of The Mohawk Valley and symbolizing peace and plenTy. The scales of jusTice beneaTh The crossed swords, The seal of The CounTy of SchenecTady, represenTs sTrengTh and jusTice. The DanforTh Anchor has been symbolic of The LST since iTs origin, because of iTs significanT use during Amphibious operaTions. Above The shield is The Torch of liberTy and freedom. The enTire emblem, Through These symbols, represenTs liberTy and freedom defended by sTrengTh Through jusfice, peace and plenTy. This seal is based on a design originafed by PeTTy Officer FirsT Class Noel Talampas, USN, a member of The nucleus crew of The SCI-TENECTADY.

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SUPER ANY BEACH ANYTIM Q t, - V an J I 4 W F , 'i'V'f 'hw ' ,,, I s I rw ,, xffgfix. My A-f-e , Msg , -Qvagz , -, in a,,,,,4, USS Schenectady ILS T 11852 The SCHENECTADY is an entirely new design and represents a complete departure from previous concepts of amphibious landing ships. She is the fourth ship of its kind to be delivered to the Fleet by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The traditional bow doors, which have characterized LST construction since the first vessels of this type were built during World War ll, have been preempted by a huge 35 ton bow ramp supported by two derrick arms. In addition, the conventional blunt bow design has been replaced by a destroyer-type bow, enabling the SCHENECTADY to attain speeds in excess of 20 knots. This feature will make possible operation with high-speed amphibious forces. Rapid and flexible loading and offloading of troops and equipment are accomplished by lowering the bow ramp from the deck to a beach or causeway. A second ramp serves as a means of communication between the main deck and the lower, or tank deck, where vehicles and equipment may be stored. Supplementing loading and offloading is a stern gate, making this the first class of LST with this unusual capability. Many other departures from traditional shipbuilding concepts mark the SCHENECTADY and her sister ships as unique. All ships in this class are equipped with a bow thruster, or transversely mounted variable-pitch propeller in the forward part ot the hull, allowing fine maneuvering of the vessel. The ship's two stacks are offset and ot unequal size, thus allowing the quickest and most direct passage of exhaust gases from engineering spaces to the outside, rather than sacrificing lpracticalit for s mmetr of desi n as in past ships. The ship's superstructure is pierced longitudinally to provide vehicular Y Y Y Q traffic from one end of the main deck to the other, and a helicopter landing area is provided on the after part of the ship's main deck. Ship's speed is controlled by a unique joystick arrangement, control consoles are provided in both engineering spaces and on the bridge for the control of shaft speed from either location. The six huge main propulsion engines, which are linked to twin controllable pitch screws, may also be controlled locally for added flexibility. The latest electronic navigation and communicaition systems are installed aboard. In addition to the technical side of the ship's features, crew comtort is enhanced by numerous habitability facilities, such as the ship's barber shop, laundry facilities, weight room, and crew s recreation room, Livability is further enhanced by unusually comfortable living quarters and air-conditioning throughout the ship. SCHENECTADY is assigned to the Amphibious Squadron SEVEN homeported in San Diego, California.

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WESTPAC 88-89 d On 45 August 4989 we slipped our mooring in Sdn Diego with style ond heoded west for our six month ep oymen . The doy ofter getting underwoy, SCHENECTADY rendezvoused with USS CAYUGA CLST 44865, who ossumed tdcticol commdnd, o responsibility she would hold for the first holf of the deployment. The soiling to Peorl Hdrbor wos productive, ond showed the benefits of stedming in compony: leopfrogs, moneuvering drills, gunshoots, communicotion drills, publicdtion exercises, ond more, were dll conduct- ed. After o brief stop in Howoii on 22-23 August, the ship dgoin set soil, this time for on upkeep period in Yokosuko, Jdpon from O6-4 4 September. The trock wos odjusted to ovoid tropicol storm Fobion, but the successful evdsion did not impoct SOHENECTADY's orrivol in Jopdn. After o beneficiol upkeep period, SCHENECTADY wos scheduled to go to Numozu, Jopon, beoch dnd onlodd Bottolion Ldnding Teom QBLTJ 3 f 7 ond opportune lift mdteriol. However, 'due to heovy weother it wos unsofe for bedching ond it become necessory for the ship to return to Yokosuko dnd lood the personnel ond equipment there. An interesting logistic problem for the lvldrines, ond for the ship os well. Finolly looded on 42 September, SCHENECTADY begon the first of mony trips to Okindwo, Jopon. Arriving on 46 September, one set of troops wos offlooded while dnother BLT 2 79, woited on the pier to toke their ploce. This group wos emborking to toke port in exercise Voliont Usher 88-7, which took ploce dt Iwo .limo from 48-20 September. As reheorsed during PHIBREETRA, the AAV ossoults went well, even though wedther conditions ogoin forced severol chonges of plon. The islond, rich in Novyflvldrine Corps history, wos o source of inspirotion through the demonding exercise. Severdl fortundte crewmen were oble to go oshore in AAVS ond enjoy o tour of the islond, while others mode it to the sdnds Iwo ,limo vid bow romp when the ship beoched on 23 September. After the exercise, it wos bock to Okindwo for ddditionol loods. Arriving on 27 September, SCHENEC- TADY deborked BLT 2 79 ond trdnsited to White Beoch, Okindwo, to refuel. 28 September sow helicopter operotions for deck ldnding duolificdtions off Ouro Won, Okindwo, ond the Beor Hunt onlodd ot Kin Red, wos completed on 29 September. From Okindwo it wos on to the Republic of Kored. Although originolly scheduled to visit lnchon during the 4988 Summer Olympics, the visit wos dltered to Chinhde. After the O2-O11 October port visit in Chinhoe, SCHENECTADY mode her woy to lnchon Qwith o Mobile Troining Teom member from PHlBRON SEVEN embdrkedy, drriving on the sixth of October to offlood the Beor Hunt mdteriol. After the one night in lnchon, d three doy tronsit brought SCHENECTADY bock to Yokosuko for on upkeep from 44-23 October, then underwoy to Okindwo for onother onlodd from 27- 28 October. This onlood wos preporotion for exercise Voliont Blitz 89-4, on extensive multi-notionol omphibious exercise, which would bring o new OTC ond new chollenges from operdting with Koredn forces. The exercise come with o full schedule, including plone gudrd duties with USS NEW ORLEANS, boot operotions, beochings, flight dudrters, generol quorters, ond AAV lounches. The exercise wos highly successful ond SCHENECTADY's performonce wos morked by extreme flexibility ond professionolism. Although communicotions were initiolly difficult between U. S. ond Koreon forces, cooperotion ond sound communicotions proctices resolved the difficulties. The lessons leorned during the exercise were of greot use to oll concerned. From O8-O9 November SCHENECTADY wos inport Pohong, Koreo to bocklodd the Voliont Blitz gedr, then, on 40 November, returned to sed for Noho, Okinowo's lorgest city, to offlood on 42 ond 43 November. lmmediotely thereofter while en route to Buckner Boy for d 411 November refueling, AAVs were offlooded ot Ouro Won, Okindwo. The tronsit from Okindwo to Sosebo took two ddys, but the 47-28 November upkeep ond Thonksgiving holidoy were necessory ofter the chollenging exercise. From Sosebo it wos bock to lnchon for the Beor Hunt bocklood, which occurred on O4 December followed by o highly enjoyoble two doy port visit. Upon deporture, Kin Red, SCHENECTADY's homeport dwoy from home, wos the destindtion for the 'Super-T ond the Beor Hunt lood on O8 December followed by o brief stop in White Beoch, Okindwo for fuel ond ommunition. This morked the beginning of preporotions for exercise Vdlidnt lvlork 89-4. For SCHENECTADY, this exercise wos on opportunity to utilize o newly developed Civilion Evdcuotion Bill ond to porticipote in noncombotdnt operotions thot were different from the stondord omphibious mission. Agdin, the opportunity wos effectively used ond mony lessons were leorned. Returning once dgoin to Kin Red on 43 December to offlood, it wos then o three doy tronsit to Subic Boy for the Christmos holidoyfupkeep period. Upon orrivol needed shipyord work wos occomplished, while simultdneously the crew wos oble to toke o much needed Christmds breok. Deporting Subic Boy on 27 December, SOHENECTADY heoded for her finol port visit, Hong Kong. She orrived on 29 December ond remoined through the new yeor. This visit not only morked the end of 4988 but olso morked the completing of the exercise periods of deployment. We finolly set our course eost for the long voyoge home, briefly stopping in Howdii to embork our Tigers who occomponied us on the finol leg of journey to Americd's finest city - Son Diego.