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U.S.S. RALEIGH

(LPD-1)

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The USS RALEIGH (LPD-1), a Raleigh class amphibious transport dock, was commissioned on 8 SEP 1962. USS RALEIGH served her country for 29 years, 3 months and 5 days, until decommissioned on 13 DEC 1991. After fit out, USS RALEIGH sailed to Guantanamo Bay for shake down training. A return to the ship yard for a piping retro-fit interrupted the Guantanamo Bay training, however she return to Guantanamo Bay and completed REFTRA in April 1963. As the first of a new class of "Landing Platform Dock Ships", she had the designed capability to support helicopter borne troop and cargo deployment. In July 1963, RALEIGH, home ported in Norfolk, began her assigned duties, deploying to the North Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and on in to the Indian Ocean, as needed. Her service career ended with her decommissioning in December 1991. USS RALEIGH was sunk in a Fleet exercise in December 1994.

The USS RALEIGH (LPD-1) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:

LPD-1 Deployments - Major Events

Add a LPD-1 Shellback Initiation Add a LPD-1 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
JUN1960-Keel Date: 23 JUN 1960
at New York Naval Shipyard
MAR1962-Launch Date: 17 MAR 1962
SEP1962-Commissioned: 8 SEP 1962
APR1963-JUN1963Caribbean
SEP1964-NOV1964Operation STEELPIKE I Huelva Spain
OCT1964-NOV1964North Atlantic
APR1965-JUN1965Caribbean
APR1965-JUN1965Dominican Republic Intervention Santo Domingo DR
SEP1965-OCT1965Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
SEP1965-NOV1965Operation BARFROST -NATO Norway
AUG1967-Shellback Initiation - 26 AUG 1967 - Atlantic Ocean
DEC1967-MAR1968Caribbean
SEP1968-OCT1968Panama Canal
JUN1969-OCT1969Dry Dock
JUN1969-JUL1969North Atlantic
JUL1970-DEC1970Mediterranean
JAN1972-JAN1972North Atlantic
FEB1972-AUG1972Mediterranean
NOV1973-JUN1974Mediterranean
JAN1976-AUG1976Mediterranean
SEP1976-NOV1976North Atlantic
MAR1977-JUN1977Cuban Missle Blockade
OCT1977-MAR1978Mediterranean
SEP1978-NOV1978North Atlantic
JUL1980-Shellback Initiation - 22 JUL 1980 - Atlantic Ocean
JUL1980- Shellback Initiation - 22 JUL 1980 - Atlantic Ocean
AUG1981-FEB1982Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
OCT1982-DEC1982North Atlantic
JAN1983-JUN1983Mediterranean-Lebanon
JAN1983-DEC1983Mediterranean-Lebanon
JAN1983-JUN1983North Atlantic
MAR1983-SEP1983Mediterranean
OCT1983-DEC1983Caribbean
JAN1984-APR1984Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
JUN1985- Shellback Initiation - 10 JUN 1985 - Atlantic Ocean
SEP1986-MAR1987North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean
OCT1986-DEC1986Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
MAY1987-NOV1987Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
MAY1987-NOV1987Operation Ernest Will
JUN1987-JUN1987Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
SEP1988-MAR1989pursian Gulf
AUG1990-MAY1991Desert Shield
SEP1990-MAY1991Desert Storm/Shield
SEP1990-APR1991Desert Storm
JUN1991-AUG1991Boston/Halifax Nova Scotia
DEC1991-Decommissioned: 13 DEC 1991

LPD-1 General Specifications

Class: Raleigh-class amphibious transport dock

Named for: Raleigh

Complement: 490 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 13600 tons

Length: 522 feet

Beam: 100 feet

Flank Speed: 20 knots

Final Disposition: Disposed of as a target 4 December 1994



USS RALEIGH (LPD-1)



The fourth Raleigh (LPD-1) an amphibious transport dock was laid down by the New York Naval Shipyard Brooklyn N.Y. 23 June 1960; launched 17 March 1962; sponsored bv Mrs. Terrv Sanford wife of the Governor of North Carofma; and commissioned 8 September 1962 Capt. A. W. Whitney in command.


After fitting out through mid-December Raleigh steamed to to Norfolk VA. for the holiday season. Im January 1963 she steamed for shakedown to Guantanamo Bay Cuba but returned to the building yard in late February for correction of design defeficiencies in her aviation gasoline system. Returning to Guantanamo in April she completed shakedown then assisted Commander Amphibious Force Atlantic in hosting the Navy League national convention in San Juan P.R.


Returning to Norfolk 1 June Raleigh completed a week's amphibious training at Little Creek and then deployed to the Caribbean in July with Amphibious Squadron 8. Raleigh proved herself during this dedlovment by simultaneously landing troops and equipment by means of boats and amphibious vehicles from her well and by helicopters from her flight deck. During th is cruise she made one trip to Haiti as tension there rose.


Raleigh returned to Norfolk 1 October and then underwent post-shakedown availability at New York 7 January 1964 through 13 March. During the spring she conducted amphibious training operations off Onslow Beach N.C. Steaming for Europe 12 October Raleigh arrived off the coast of Spain and took part in Operation "Steel Pike." She then called at Oporto, Portugal, and Vigo, Spain before returning to Norfolk 27, November. After a yard period at the U.S. Naval Shipyard Portsmouth Va. she deployed to the Caribbean 1 April 1965 with the Amphibious Ready Squadron. From 25 April through 6 June she operated off the Dominican Republic evacuating 558 refugees who were later transferred to Yancey (LKA-93) for transit to San Juan. For her part in the endeavor Raleigh and her crew received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. She returned to Norfolk 29 June.


After upkeep and coastal training operations Raleigh steamed for northern Europe 27 August to participate in "Bar Frost 65 " a NATO amphibious exercise featuring a landing in Norway's fjords north of the Arctic Circle. Returning to Norfolk 23 October she underwent a yard period through 4 April 1966 and then steamed for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay.


Raleigh's deployments to the Caribbean from Norfolk as a unit of the Amphibious Ready Squadron averaged two per year up until 1970. In July of that year she began the first of a series of Mediterranean cruises and has averaged one a year into 1974.

[Note: The above USS RALEIGH (LPD-1) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS RALEIGH (LPD-1) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]