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U.S.S. PLYMOUTH ROCK
(LSD-29)ALWAYS THE FIRST LANDING
Click to view crew list
USS PLYMOUTH ROCK (LSD-29) - a Thomaston-class dock landing ship
In Commission 1954 to 1983LSD-29 Deployments - Major Events
Add a LSD-29 Shellback Initiation | Add a LSD-29 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MAY | 1953 | - | Keel Date: 4 MAY 1953 at Ingalls Shipbuilding Pascagoula MS | ||
MAY | 1954 | - | Launch Date: 7 MAY 1954 | ||
NOV | 1954 | - | Commissioned: 29 NOV 1954 | ||
MAR | 1956 | - | OCT | 1956 | Mediterranean |
MAR | 1956 | - | OCT | 1956 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
APR | 1956 | - | OCT | 1956 | amphibious exercises med. |
JUL | 1957 | - | SEP | 1957 | Blue Nose - Arctic Circle |
JAN | 1958 | - | JAN | 1958 | Beirut landing operations 1958 |
JAN | 1958 | - | MAR | 1958 | Mediterranean-Lebanon |
FEB | 1960 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 FEB 1960 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
JUN | 1960 | - | DEC | 1960 | Mediterranean |
APR | 1961 | - | JUL | 1961 | Mediterranean |
MAY | 1961 | - | JUN | 1961 | Mediterranean |
SEP | 1961 | - | FEB | 1965 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
OCT | 1962 | - | OCT | 1962 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
MAY | 1963 | - | OCT | 1963 | Mediterranean |
OCT | 1965 | - | DEC | 1965 | Guantanamo Bay |
JAN | 1966 | - | MAR | 1966 | H-Bomb recovery operations off Palomares Spain |
JAN | 1966 | - | MAR | 1966 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
OCT | 1966 | - | NOV | 1966 | Caribbean |
MAY | 1969 | - | SEP | 1970 | Caribbean |
MAY | 1969 | - | DEC | 1969 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
OCT | 1969 | - | NOV | 1969 | Mediterranean |
OCT | 1969 | - | NOV | 1969 | Mediterranean |
NOV | 1969 | - | APR | 1970 | Caribbean |
JUL | 1970 | - | AUG | 1970 | North Atlantic |
FEB | 1972 | - | AUG | 1972 | Mediterranean |
OCT | 1972 | - | MAR | 1973 | Caribbean |
SEP | 1974 | - | MAR | 1975 | Mediterranean |
SEP | 1974 | - | MAR | 1975 | Mediterranean |
JUL | 1978 | - | FEB | 1979 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
AUG | 1978 | - | JAN | 1979 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
JUL | 1979 | - | AUG | 1979 | Caribbean |
JAN | 1981 | - | DEC | 1983 | UNITAS |
JUN | 1981 | - | DEC | 1981 | UNITAS |
JUN | 1981 | - | DEC | 1981 | UNITAS |
JUL | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 16 JUL 1981 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
JUL | 1981 | - | DEC | 1981 | UNITAS |
SEP | 1982 | - | NOV | 1982 | North Atlantic |
SEP | 1983 | - | Decommissioned: 30 SEP 1983 |
LSD-29 General Specifications
Class: Thomaston-class dock landing ship
Complement: 304 Officers and Enlisted
Displacement: 8899 tons
Length: 510 feet
Beam: 84 feet
Draft: 19 feet
Final Disposition: Sold for scrap 25 August 1995
USS PLYMOUTH ROCK (LSD-29)
Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) was laid down by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.
Pascagoula
Miss. 4 May 1953
launched 7 May 1954; Sponsored by Mrs. Francis
C. Denebrink; and commissioned 29 November 1954
Comdr. D. Bontecou in command.
After sailing in January 1955 to Norfolk
her homeport
Plymouth Rock
conducted shakedown off the East Coast and in the Caribbean. In the summer
of 1955 she transported men and equipment to early warning sites in the
far north. In March 1956 she deployed to the Mediterranean for amphibious
operations
returning in October. During 1957 she made numerous trips to
the Caribbean
and again resupplied the Arctic Distant Early Warning Line.
>From May to October 1958 Plymouth Rock operated as a unit of the
6th Fleet in the Mediterranean participating in the landing of U.S. Marines
in Lebanon in July. After developing the concept of "vertical envelopment"
by helicopter assault in early 1959
she made a Caribbean cruise to Puerto
Rico and Cuba. In February 1960 she participated in operation "Amigo
"
carrying support helicopters and other equipment for President Eisenhower's
visit to South America. From March to December
she again deployed to the
Mediterranean.
During 1961 Plymouth Rock made several cruises to the Caribbean and
one to the Mediterranean
including work on project "Mercury"
and project ASROC. During 1962 she made several deployments to the Caribbean
and was a member of the blockade force during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On 7 May 1963 she again deployed to the Mediterranean
returning in October.
In 1964 Plymouth Rock made two Caribbean cruises and then took part
in operation "Steel Pike I" off the coast of Spain
the largest
amphibious operation since World War II. Early 1965 found Plymouth Rock
on another Caribbean cruise. From 28 January 1966 to 7 March she was involved
in H-Bomb recovery operations off Palomares
Spain. Late 1966 found her
once again in the Caribbean
providing for the victims of hurricane "Inez"
in Haiti. After three Caribbean cruises in early 1967
Plymouth Rock
deployed to northern Europe. She made two more Caribbean deployments in
1968. From June to July 1969 she again deployed to northern Europe. She
remains with the Atlantic Fleet into 1970.
Plymouth Rock was decommissioned
30 September 1983 and transferred to the Maritime Administration 8 Nov.
1989. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 24 February 1992 and she
was sold 25 August 1995.
[Note: The above USS PLYMOUTH ROCK (LSD-29) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS PLYMOUTH ROCK (LSD-29) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]