USS Leftwich (DD-984)
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| Career (US) |  |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | William G. Leftwich, Jr. |
| Ordered: | 15 January 1974 |
| Builder: | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Laid down: | 12 November 1976 |
| Launched: | 8 April 1978 |
| Acquired: | August 6, 1979 |
| Commissioned: | 25 August 1979 |
| Decommissioned: | 27 March 1998 |
| Struck: | 27 March 1998 |
| Fate: | Sunk in support of fleet training exercise, 1 August 2003 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Spruance class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 8,040 (long) tons full load |
| Length: | 529 ft (161 m) waterline; 563 ft (172 m) overall |
| Beam: | 55 ft (16.8 m) |
| Draft: | 29 ft (8.8 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW) |
| Speed: | 32.5 knots (60 km/h) |
| Range: | 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h) 3,300 nautical miles (6000 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Complement: | 19 officers, 315 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
AN/SPS-40 air search radar AN/SPG-60 fire control radar AN/SPS-55 surface search radar AN/SPQ-9 gun fire control radar Mk 23 TAS automatic detection and tracking radar AN/SPS-65 Missile fire control radar AN/SQS-53 bow mounted Active sonar AN/SQR-19 TACTAS towed arrayPassive sonar |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
• AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System • AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures • Mark 36 SRBOC Decoy Launching System • AN/SLQ-49 Inflatable Decoys |
| Armament: |
2 x 5 in (127 mm) 54 calibre Mark 45 dual purpose guns |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters. |
| Motto: | Superiority Through Teamwork |
USS Leftwich (DD-984) was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was named for Lieutenant Colonel William G. Leftwich, Jr.[1], USMC (1931–1970), who was killed in action at Quang Nam in the Republic of Vietnam on 18 November 1970 in a helicopter crash during the extraction of one of his reconnaissance teams. For this action, LtCol Leftwich received the Navy Cross.
Leftwich was laid down on 12 November 1976; and launched 8 April 1978; and commissioned 25 August 1979. The Commissioning speaker was the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN, who was a classmate of Bill Leftwich at the United States Naval Academy. Also in attendance at the Commissioning was H. Ross Perot, also a classmate of LtCol Leftwich. Both of Col Leftwich's sons, and his widow attended the commissioning as well. The Commanding Officer was Commander Al Carney, USN and the Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Joseph Henderson. Operations Officer was Lieutenant William Malone, Combat Systems Officer was Lieutenant Frank Frabotta, the Engineer Officer was Lieutenant Stephen Ezzell, and the Supply Officer was Lieutenant John Huddy.
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[edit] 1979 – 1985
Leftwich sailed from Pascagoula, MS the morning following the commissioning on 26 August 1979, enroute via the Panama Canal for her homeport, Naval Station San Diego, from which she operated until March, 1985.
On sailing, Hurricane David was threatening to make its way into the Gulf of Mexico, so shipping traffic on the transit to the Panama Canal was unusually light. Hurricane David did strike the Gulf coast, and was followed shortly after by Hurricane Frederic, which caused many ships at Ingalls Shipbuilding and Drydock to sortie into the hurricane.
The Leftwich made one of the fastest transits on record of the Panama Canal, making the passage without having to anchor. On sailing north in the Pacific Ocean, Leftwich found herself behind Hurricane Guillermo, which tracked along the western coast of Mexico, and then turned westward out into the Pacific, allowing the ship to arrive at her new homeport on schedule. While following the storm, Leftwich experienced 30 ft (10 m) waves.
In the few months after arrival in San Diego, CA, Leftwich conducted "Shakedown" training under the guidance of Fleet Training Group, Pacific, in the San Diego Operations Area (OPAREA). In January, 1980, Leftwich returned to Litton Industries at Pascagoula, MS for Warranty repairs and a Post-Shakedown Availability, which included the installation of the NATO Sea Sparrow and Harpoon missile system.
On 29 November 1982 she collided with the submarine USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610) approximately 40 miles east of Subic Bay, Philippines. Both ships were conducting war games. Thomas A. Edison was at periscope depth when the collision occurred. Both ships suffered damage and returned to Subic Bay. Edison suffered damage to her sail, sail planes, and sonar dome. Leftwich suffered damage to her starboard shaft and lost two blades off the starboard prop. Two months later, Thomas A. Edison made a surface transit to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for decommissioning without the damage having been repaired.
In 1983, Leftwich suffered hull and sonar window damage due to high speed operations in heavy seas.
[edit] 1985 – 1998
On 1 April 1985 Leftwich transferred her homeport to Naval Station Pearl Harbor. This remained her homeport for the rest of her career.
Leftwich with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 3 Detachment 5 embarked, arrived at Naval Station Pearl Harbor homeport. In 1990-91, under the command of Commander Patrick Garrett in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the destroyer conducted more than 200 merchant ship interceptions and one boarding. She was one of the first ships to fire BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles during the conflict, and was the first combatant to conduct a wartime reload of Tomahawks for continued operations. With embarked helicopters and SEALs, she captured the first Iraqi territory repatriated in the war (an island off the coast of the al-Faw waterway), multiple enemy prisoners of war, and conducted 16 combat search and rescue cases.
During her career, Leftwich made eight deployments in the Western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. She participated in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as well as operations in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq.
Leftwich was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 March 1998. She was sunk as a target on 1 August 2003 at in the Pacific Ocean.
[edit] Notes
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- nvr.navy.mil: USS Leftwich
- navsource.org: USS Leftwich
- united-states-navy.com: USS Leftwich
- Webpage showing damage to Thomas A. Edison from Leftwich
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