Truxtun (CGN 35) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 6 text:

THE TRUXTUN LINE The first TRUXTUN was a brig, built in 1841. A brig is a square sailed, two-masted ship. After commissioning, she served along the east coast of the U.S., surpressing the slave trade. When war with Mexico broke out in 1846, she sailed for Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico to intercept Mexico ship- ping traffic. On August 14, 1846, she ran aground hard off the Tuxpan River. She sighted a sail on the horizon, and dis- patched a small boat, which captured a Mexican sloop. After returning to the TRUXTUN, the captain determined that efforts to free the stranded ship were useless. He then sent men and supplies aboard the sloop, and ordered her to seek aid at an American anchorage. Along the way, a schooner was sighted by the crew, and after a long chase, the schooner was captured. The two ships arrived at the American anchor- age, and the squadron commander ordered a pair of ships to TRUXTUN's aid. Unfortunately, the help arrived too late. The captain had surrendered the day before, and the ship had been burned to the waterline. M 1 4 - . A L.-.. .... 4. ,A at-----, .- The second TRUXTUN was a torpedo destroyer built in 1899. She was one of the first destroyers to escort Teddy Rooseveltls Great White Fleet in 1907. The fleet was trans- ferred to the west coast to provide coastal support until the beginning of World War I. . With the war on, TRUXTUN was transfered back to the east coast for escort duty, and then to France where she operated against German U-boats in the Mediterranean. On April 17, 1918, the explosive laden ship SS FLORENCE exploded. The TRUXTUN maneuvered through the flaming sea surrounding the FLORENCE and recovered many of her crew members. On May 19, 1918, while escorting a convoy, TRUXTUN sighted a submarine Cbelieved to be UC-565 and dropped depth charges, severely damaging the sub. TRUX- TUN remained in Europe until the end of World War I, and after armistice she returned to Philadelphia where she was retired from the fleet. 2 D U A9- 'lift' X The third TRUXTUN, a destroyer, was built in 1919. In 1922 she departed the east coast, transited the Suez Canal, and patrolled in the area of the Philippines, the China Sea and the coast of Japan for the next ten years. In 1932 she transferred to San Diego, where she spent seven years patrol- ling the west coast. She ranged as far north as Alaska and as far south as the Panama Canal. In 1939 she transited the Panama Canal and transferred to the Atlantic Squadron due to the war clouds gathering in Europe. TRUXTUN provided convoy escort, and worked as a member of the Neutrality Pa- trol of the eastern seaboard. On February 18, 1942, TRUX- TUN ran aground off the Newfoundland coast, while escort- ing a cargo ship during a gale. Efforts to lower the lifeboats were to no avail, as the churning seas smashed the boats against the side of the ship. In all, one hundred and ten sailors went down with the ship. A hospital was erected on a nearby sight, dedicated to those officers and men who lost their lives. 9 f N The fourth TRUXTUN, a high speed transport, was built in 1944, but never saw action in World War II, since she was not completed until 1945. She was placed in the re- serves in 1946, and her named was removed from the Navy list in 1963. This permitted the use of the name TRUXTUN for the newly authorized nuclear-powered guided missile frigate CDLGN-355. The transport was later sold to the Tai- wanese Navy and renamed FU SHAN. . 'px I Il x . Ll' .., tin! i 5 v5F it V-Ii. X Z . . Wy H L 5.1 ff i my hi' -V 1:11 ul IE -. 'EEE li-5' In-1 X EEE: yisaaa , giggg l:::: . f -...., -'-'L 4-:::-l ' .T u u -u u n I I f .l 1: I

Page 5 text:

w-1- mfr:-f h . 7 . . . . ,, A 7 f , U , , BATTLE GRCUP FCXTRCT 5 CRUISEBUGKN SS TRUXTU PACIFIC OCEAN INDIAN OCEAN MEDITEIIRANEAN SEA . , Q. . 's - . ...L a Capt. CLydC J. VI1narsdall III, Commanding I - ' iff.-1 ' . I' A. 5 f, mx ..' '1 --vo-' . ' ' Q, Y -1 1 MA it wg 'I al .1 , A .I 1 Vw- , ga ' 4 , t - ,Q-, A 'f 4 :-A +1 FIJI- si: , -? 9'94'5 P4-ff1l,,:,.,I 1-1 ,

Page 7 text:

THE HISTORY OF CGN-35 The USS TRUXTUN was originally designated DLGN-35, and is the fifth ship to be named after Commo- dore Thomas Truxtun. Commissioning took place on May 27, 1967, on the eastern bank of the Delaware River in New Jersey. She was then transferred to Long, Beach, Calif. TRUXTUN departed on her first WestPac in January 1968, where she operated with USS ENTERPRISE off the coast of Vietnam. There, she conducted search and rescue mis- sions, and acted as a Positive Identification Radar Zone CPIRAZJ ship. She returned to Long Beach in July, and de- parted on her second WestPac in September 1969. TRUX- TUN again found herself off the coast of Vietnam. She re- turned to Long Beach in March 1970, but departed for her third tour off Vietnam in February 1971. After being relieved on station, TRUXTUN steamed over 8,600 miles at an aver- age speed of 28 knots, setting the record for the longest sus- tained high speed run in history. She returned to Long Beach in August 1971, where she entered the shipyard and was fit- ted for Light Airborne Multipurpose System CLAMPSJ heli- copter capability. In July 1972, TRUXTUN resumed her tour off the coast of Vietnam, earning the prestigious Navy Unit Commendation. She arrived home in Long Beach in February 1973. August marked the beginning of TRUX- TUN's fifth WestPac, and tour of duty off Vietnam. After a relatively uneventful deployment, she returned home on Christmas Eve 1973. In January of 1974, TRUXTUN de- parted Long Beach for Bremerton Washington, where she entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for her first complex overhaul. During this time she refueled both nuclear reactors and replaced the two 3 guns amidship with two Harpoon Missile Launchers. In July 1975, TRUXTUN was reclassi- fied as a guided missile cruiser, and designated CGN- 35. The following month she left for her new home port of San Diego, Calif. She commenced her next WestPac in July 1976, where she operated with the USS ENTERPRISE and USS LONG BEACH as part of a Nuclear Task Force. She steamed a record setting 65,000 miles, crossing the equator six times. TRUXTUN returned to San Diego in March 1977, beginning a year of local operations. She started her seventh WestPac in April 1978, where she set a fleet record for LAMPS helo operations before returning to San Diego in September. In February of 1980 TRUXTUN was again un- der way with the USS CONSTELLATION. During this period TRUXTUN conducted six rescue operations. After returning to San Diego in October, she conducted local op- erations off the California coast. One year later in October 1981, TRUXTUN began her ninth- WestPac, again with the USS CONSTELLATION. She returned to San Diego in April 1982. In September 1982, TRUXTUN began her sec- ond complex overhaul in Bremerton, Washington. The astern torpedo tubes were removed, and two Vulcan-Phalanx Close- in-Weapons Systems gun mounts were installed. TRUX- TUN returned to San Diego in July 1984, where she conduct- ed local operations. During June to August 1985, TRUX- TUN served as the flagship of COMCRUDESGRU3 for ASW OPS 85-6 in the northern Pacific which provided valu- able information for similar operations in the years to come. 3