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USS Carr (FFG-52)
Encyclopedia
USS Carr (FFG-52), an , is a ship of the United States Navy
named for Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Paul H. Carr
(1924–1944). Carr was awarded a posthumous Silver Star
for his heroism on the destroyer escort during the Battle off Samar
.
Carr was laid down on 26 March 1982 by the Todd Pacific Shipyards
Co., Seattle Division, Seattle, Wash.
; launched
on 26 February 1983; sponsored by Mrs. Goldie Carr Bensilhe, GM3 Carr's widow; and commissioned
on 27 July 1985, Commander Robert J. Horne in command.
, where Carr was involved in Operation Earnest Will
, escorting re-flagged oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz
. While Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, was the senior officer present, Commander Wade C. Johnson, the captain of the Carr, was the next senior officer in the area and was routinely assigned the duties of Convoy Commander during escort missions. During one of these, Iran
ian small boats approached the tankers and were chased off by bullets from Carrs deck-mounted M2 .50-caliber machine guns and the Bushmaster 25mm chain gun
on the starboard main deck.
Bonefish disaster Carr returned to Charleston in late March 1988, and 31 days later, was ordered underway to replace another ship that had been unable to get underway. Sent to sea to conduct anti-submarine exercises with the aircraft carrier
and submarine
. On 24 April, 1988, Carr was first on the scene to help rescue the crew of the attack submarine Bonefish, which had suffered a battery fire while submerged. Deploying her 26-foot whaleboat
and five inflatable life rafts, Carr helped rescue 89 of the Bonefish' s crew, using the whaleboat, life rafts, its embarked SH-60B Seahawk
of Helicopter Squadron (Light) 44, and the SH-3H Sea King helicopters from the John F. Kennedy. The ship communicated to the land-based Commander, Atlantic Fleet watch center using the Joint Operational Tactical System's (JOTS) "opnote" capability. Crew muster lists were sent ashore as rescued crew members where identified. For her professionalism in the rescue, the Carr was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation
.
, at the request of the local Navy League chapter, mooring at Harbor Island pier. Public tours were held for several days in celebration of Navy Week, honoring the Navy's birthday. The commissioning commanding officer, Captain Robert Horne, was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base
in Tampa and was there to greet the ship.
In March 1989, Carr was sent to Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay
, Cuba
, for Refresher Training (REFTRA). While the ship conducted exercises in all departments, Mikhail Gorbachev
was making a visit to Havana
, Cuba. News crews from NBC, headed by Henry Champ, and ABC, by Bob Zelnic, each spent a day aboard Carr to observe the training.
In summer 1989, while the Carr was heading to the Puerto Rican Operation Area (PROA) for the Middle East Force Exercise (MEFEX), both of the ship's laundry washers broke down. With the permission of the Squadron Commodore running MEFEX, the Carr's Seahawk helicopter flew into Naval Station Roosevelt Roads
, PR, and the Supply Officer purchased a household washing machine from the Navy Exchange
. The washer was unboxed on the ramp at the airfield, loaded in the helicopter and flown to the ship, where it was plumbed in to the water system and served as the crew laundry for the next several weeks.
for the week to provide a practice flight deck for the SH-60B Seahawk squadrons. That night, an officer of HSL-44 came aboard and informed the captain that the helicopters would be flying to Georgia
the following day in preparation for the impending arrival of Hurricane Hugo
. On the morning of Sept. 19, Carr entered Naval Station Mayport and moored, awaiting further instructions. At midnight on the 19th/20th, Carr got underway and headed south to the Strait of Florida to avoid the storm. Once the hurricane was safely past, the captain ordered the ship to sail towards Charleston.
Carr was the first Navy vessel to return to the port of Charleston the morning after Hurricane Hugo made landfall there. Carr remained anchored for three days, unable to enter port, as essentially all navigation aids were moved or destroyed by the hurricane. One of the Coast Guard
ships at anchor sent a small boat to the USCG Station in Charleston, taking along Carrs Sonar Technician Chief Petty Officer Steven Hatherly. STGC Hatherly made his way to the Naval Station, where he phoned most of the crew's families and reported their status to the ship via bridge-to-bridge VHF radio that evening. From their anchorage, the crew could easily see the bridge between the Isle of Palms and the mainland in the air, as well as the demolished houses along the shore. Local television stations were returning the transmitting and the crew had little to do besides consider the condition of their families and possessions ashore.
Carr was ordered to proceed to Naval Station Mayport. Arriving the next morning, the local community had staged relief supplies to be taken to Charleston. The next day, Carr was directed to return to her homeport. Upon arrival, there were no shore services, so the Engineering Department kept the engineering plant on line to provide power, air-conditioning, fresh water and other support services. Crew members were dispatched, during the day, to assist in the clean up of the Naval Station, the Naval Weapons Station and the local community. As time permitted, they also helped each other's families secure their belongings and clean up their homes. For this response the natural disaster, Carr was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal
.
On 31 October, Carr sailed from Charleston for her second operation deployment, assigned to the Commander, Middle East Force. En route the Persian Gulf, Carr made port visits to the Azores
, Palma Majorca
, Spain, then transited the Suez Canal
. During this deployment, Carr spend the first half assigned to tanker escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz. The later part of the cruise was spent operating in the Northern Persian Gulf, conducting electronic surveillance and early warning duties for the units operating to the south. Carr left the Persian Gulf the end of March 1990 and returned to Charleston a month later.
As of 2005, Carr is homeported at NS Norfolk
, Virginia
, and is part of Destroyer Squadron 2.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
named for Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Paul H. Carr
Paul H. Carr
Paul Henry Carr was a U.S. Navy Gunner's Mate Third Class who received a Silver Star posthumously for his actions aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts at the Battle off Samar during World War II. Carr served as the gun mount captain of the Roberts aft 5-inch gun...
(1924–1944). Carr was awarded a posthumous Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for his heroism on the destroyer escort during the Battle off Samar
Battle off Samar
The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...
.
Carr was laid down on 26 March 1982 by the Todd Pacific Shipyards
Todd Pacific Shipyards
Vigor Shipyards was founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation through the merger of Robins Dry Dock & Repair Company of Erie Basin, Brooklyn, New York, the Tietjen & Long Dry Dock Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, and the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company...
Co., Seattle Division, Seattle, Wash.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 26 February 1983; sponsored by Mrs. Goldie Carr Bensilhe, GM3 Carr's widow; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 27 July 1985, Commander Robert J. Horne in command.
Operation Earnest Will
Carr's original homeport was Charleston, S.C. Her first operational deployment was to the Persian GulfPersian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, where Carr was involved in Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
, escorting re-flagged oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman....
. While Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, was the senior officer present, Commander Wade C. Johnson, the captain of the Carr, was the next senior officer in the area and was routinely assigned the duties of Convoy Commander during escort missions. During one of these, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian small boats approached the tankers and were chased off by bullets from Carrs deck-mounted M2 .50-caliber machine guns and the Bushmaster 25mm chain gun
M242 Bushmaster
The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US armed forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles and watercraft...
on the starboard main deck.
Bonefish disaster Carr returned to Charleston in late March 1988, and 31 days later, was ordered underway to replace another ship that had been unable to get underway. Sent to sea to conduct anti-submarine exercises with the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
. On 24 April, 1988, Carr was first on the scene to help rescue the crew of the attack submarine Bonefish, which had suffered a battery fire while submerged. Deploying her 26-foot whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
and five inflatable life rafts, Carr helped rescue 89 of the Bonefish
SH-60 Seahawk
The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...
of Helicopter Squadron (Light) 44, and the SH-3H Sea King helicopters from the John F. Kennedy. The ship communicated to the land-based Commander, Atlantic Fleet watch center using the Joint Operational Tactical System's (JOTS) "opnote" capability. Crew muster lists were sent ashore as rescued crew members where identified. For her professionalism in the rescue, the Carr was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
.
Exercises in the Caribbean
In October 1988, Carr made a port visit to Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, at the request of the local Navy League chapter, mooring at Harbor Island pier. Public tours were held for several days in celebration of Navy Week, honoring the Navy's birthday. The commissioning commanding officer, Captain Robert Horne, was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
in Tampa and was there to greet the ship.
In March 1989, Carr was sent to Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, for Refresher Training (REFTRA). While the ship conducted exercises in all departments, Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
was making a visit to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba. News crews from NBC, headed by Henry Champ, and ABC, by Bob Zelnic, each spent a day aboard Carr to observe the training.
In summer 1989, while the Carr was heading to the Puerto Rican Operation Area (PROA) for the Middle East Force Exercise (MEFEX), both of the ship's laundry washers broke down. With the permission of the Squadron Commodore running MEFEX, the Carr's Seahawk helicopter flew into Naval Station Roosevelt Roads
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station is a former United States military air base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site is run today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport.-History:...
, PR, and the Supply Officer purchased a household washing machine from the Navy Exchange
Base exchange
A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
. The washer was unboxed on the ramp at the airfield, loaded in the helicopter and flown to the ship, where it was plumbed in to the water system and served as the crew laundry for the next several weeks.
Hurricane Hugo
On 1989-09-18, Carr sailed from Charleston to be on station off the Naval Station MayportNaval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....
for the week to provide a practice flight deck for the SH-60B Seahawk squadrons. That night, an officer of HSL-44 came aboard and informed the captain that the helicopters would be flying to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
the following day in preparation for the impending arrival of Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
. On the morning of Sept. 19, Carr entered Naval Station Mayport and moored, awaiting further instructions. At midnight on the 19th/20th, Carr got underway and headed south to the Strait of Florida to avoid the storm. Once the hurricane was safely past, the captain ordered the ship to sail towards Charleston.
Carr was the first Navy vessel to return to the port of Charleston the morning after Hurricane Hugo made landfall there. Carr remained anchored for three days, unable to enter port, as essentially all navigation aids were moved or destroyed by the hurricane. One of the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
ships at anchor sent a small boat to the USCG Station in Charleston, taking along Carrs Sonar Technician Chief Petty Officer Steven Hatherly. STGC Hatherly made his way to the Naval Station, where he phoned most of the crew's families and reported their status to the ship via bridge-to-bridge VHF radio that evening. From their anchorage, the crew could easily see the bridge between the Isle of Palms and the mainland in the air, as well as the demolished houses along the shore. Local television stations were returning the transmitting and the crew had little to do besides consider the condition of their families and possessions ashore.
Carr was ordered to proceed to Naval Station Mayport. Arriving the next morning, the local community had staged relief supplies to be taken to Charleston. The next day, Carr was directed to return to her homeport. Upon arrival, there were no shore services, so the Engineering Department kept the engineering plant on line to provide power, air-conditioning, fresh water and other support services. Crew members were dispatched, during the day, to assist in the clean up of the Naval Station, the Naval Weapons Station and the local community. As time permitted, they also helped each other's families secure their belongings and clean up their homes. For this response the natural disaster, Carr was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States armed forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under...
.
Change of command and return to the Persian Gulf
In early October, the first formal ceremony of any type at the Naval Station held was the change of command for Carr, with Commander Edward "Ned" Bagley, III, USN relieving Commander Wade C. Johnson, USN. The Change of Command was held in the morning and that afternoon, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 4 held their change of command.On 31 October, Carr sailed from Charleston for her second operation deployment, assigned to the Commander, Middle East Force. En route the Persian Gulf, Carr made port visits to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Palma Majorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
, Spain, then transited the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. During this deployment, Carr spend the first half assigned to tanker escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz. The later part of the cruise was spent operating in the Northern Persian Gulf, conducting electronic surveillance and early warning duties for the units operating to the south. Carr left the Persian Gulf the end of March 1990 and returned to Charleston a month later.
As of 2005, Carr is homeported at NS Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and is part of Destroyer Squadron 2.