KANIMBLA HMAS (L-51)

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aukepalmhof
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KANIMBLA HMAS (L-51)

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu May 14, 2015 9:23 pm

Built as a landing ship under yard No 367 by National Steel & Shipbuilding Comp. (NASSCO), San Diego, California for the USA Navy.
24 May 1969 laid down.
07 February 1970 launched as the USS SAGINAW (LST-1188), christened by Mrs. Harvey.
Displacement 4,975 light, 8,450 full load. Dim. 159.2 x 21.2 x 5.9m. (draught).
Powered by six ALCO diesel engines geared to two shafts, 16,000 hp, speed 22 knots.
Armament when built 2 – 3 inch (Mark 33) guns.
Crew 14 officers and 211 men.
Troop capacity to carry 20 officers and 400 men or 29 tanks or 30 AAV’s.
23 January 1971 commissioned, homeport Little Creek, Virginia.

USS SAGINAW (LST-1188), a Newport-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy was the second ship of that name. SAGINAW was named after the Saginaw River a river in mid-Michigan. The ship was decommissioned in Little Creek, Virginia on 29 August 1994 and at the same ceremony transferred to the Royal Australian Navy.
History
SAGINAW was laid down on 24 May 1969 by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, in San Diego. She was launched on 7 February 1970, sponsored by Mrs. James Harvey, wife of the Congressman from the Eighth District of Michigan (which included Saginaw), and commissioned at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 23 January 1971, with Commander G. P. Brown in command.
The new tank landing ship (LST) completed fitting out, took on ammunition at NWS Seal Beach, California, and got underway from San Diego on 4 March 1971, bound for the east coast. On her first day out, her lookouts sighted a mechanized landing craft, LCM(6)-805, adrift at sea. The LST took the drifting craft in tow, and later, turned her over to the Point Defiance (LSD-31). Then, SAGINAW proceeded via Acapulco, Mexico, and the Panama Canal, to NAB Little Creek, Virginia, her home port, arriving on 26 March.
Early in April, while preparing for shakedown, the ship tested a new concept for her class by hoisting a major self-contained medical unit (MUST) on her tank decks. This was done to evaluate the feasibility of setting up complete hospital facilities on her deck after off-loading her troops, vehicles, and cargo. She got underway on 19 April for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for shakedown, which lasted until her return to Little Creek on 8 June. Various types of training and post-shakedown availability kept her busy through the end of the year.
On 16 January 1972, SAGINAW weighed anchor to participate in Operation "Snowy Beach" with Amphibious Squadron 8 at Reid State Park Beach, Maine. On 28 January, she completed the exercise and began preparations for overseas movement. On 23 February, she embarked marines at Morehead City, North Carolina, and sailed for the Mediterranean. She arrived at Rota, Spain, on 5 March, and changed operational control to the 6th Fleet on the following day. For the next five months, SAGINAW sailed the length of the "middle sea," participated in six amphibious exercises at various points across the Mediterranean, and visited ports along the way, from Spain to Turkey. She left the 6th Fleet in early August, and returned to Morehead City on 21 August. After disembarking Marines there, she entered her home port on the next day. After a 30-day stand-down period, she resumed normal operations out of Little Creek for the remainder of the year.
SAGINAW made two voyages to Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, in January and early February 1973, to transport Marines to and from exercises held on that island. On 22 March, she deployed to the Caribbean for two months as a unit of the Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group. She returned to Little Creek on 18 May to regroup and replenish prior to her second deployment to the Caribbean. On 5 July, she resumed operations in the Caribbean until 24 August when she re-entered Little Creek. She remained in that area until 26 November, when she put to sea to join other elements of the United States and Canadian navies in CAUSEX, a convoy protection ASW exercise. SAGINAW returned to Little Creek on 6 December, and remained in port for the duration of 1973.
SAGINAW spent the first four months of 1974 in local operations out of Little Creek and in preparations for deployment to the Mediterranean. On 10 May 1974, she embarked Marines at Morehead City, then got underway for Rota, Spain. She arrived in Rota on 20 May, and through June, cruised the Mediterranean as a unit of the 6th Fleet.
In the fall of 1977, SAGINAW escorted the damaged submarine USS RAY back to CONUS after participation in Exercise Display Determination, a major NATO Amphibious exercise in the Mediterranean, returning to the US in 1978.
In January 1979, SAGINAW deployed to the Caribbean for operations with the Amphibious Squadron Four. In June of the same year, she participated in the inter-fleet transfer of USS PEGASUS (PHM-1); escorting USS PEGASUS from Rodman, Canal Zone to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. SAGINAW deployed to the US Sixth Fleet in September 1979 with Amphibious Squadron Four and returned to the US in February 1980.
In May 1980, SAGINAW participated in Solid Shield. On her way home she was diverted to the Florida Straits to take part in Cuban Refugee Operations, rescuing some 300 people. Also in 1980 SAGINAW participated in Readex 2–80 and NATO exercise Teamwork 80.
On 24 June, during the Lebanese civil war, 800 civilians were evacuated from Juniyah, Lebanon by MARG 2–82 ships. On 28 August and 29 September, SAGINAW entered Beirut harbor to provide vehicles and personnel for the Multi-National Force. For her participation in Lebanese operations Saginaw received three awards: the Navy Unit Commendation, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
In early 1983, SAGINAW participated in Cold Winter 83. The latter part of 1983 found SAGINAW busy preparing for her first Operational Propulsion Plant Examination (OPPE) as well as participation in Readex 2–83. In February 1984, SAGINAW departed Little Creek for a seven month deployment with MARG 2–84 and Teamwork 84. These exercises began with a 30 plus ship ocean transit and ended with a mock-up reinforcement of NATO forces in Norway. On April 1984, SAGINAW arrived in the Mediterranean and found herself again involved in operations off the Lebanese coast. The remaining four months of the cruise were spent providing security for the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
1985 proved to be a busy year for SAGINAW. Prior to a June deployment, SAGINAW underwent an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination, Amphibious Refresher Training, and participated in Operation Solid Shield 85. On 14 June, SAGINAW commenced the six-month UNITAS XXVI / WATCC 85 deployment, making port calls through South America and West Africa. SAGINAWA arrived home in December, and commenced a much needed drydocking and Phased Maintenance Availability in January.
During September 1986, the ship underwent a highly successful INSURV. October saw the ship undergo Intermediate Refresher Training in GTMO where an OPPE (Operational Propulsion Plant Examination) certification was achieved. After GTMO, SAGINAW completed a successful Amphibious Refresher Training. It was during AMPHIBREFTRE that she received the highest grades by an LST ever recorded.
In late spring of 1987, SAGINAW again deployed to the 6th and 7th fleets with MARG 3–87. Steering in both the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, SAGINAW participated in amphibious exercise Eastern Wind 87 and Bright Star 87. Ports visited included Mombasa, Kenya; Alexandria, Egypt; and Naples, Italy. During this cruise, SAGINAW suffered a main space fire in engine room No. 1 (Main Control). SAGINAW returned to Little Creek, and entered Jonathan Shipyards for extensive repairs.
In 1988, SAGINAW participated in Teamwork 88 with NATO forces. Following the exercise SAGINAW conducted a port visit in Ronne, Denmark on the island of Bornholm. SAGINAW was the 1st U.S. Naval ship to visit Bornholm in 26 years.
SAGINAW finished 1988 at Jonathan Shipyards in a Phased Maintenance Availability. Following PMA, SAGINAW began an extensive work-up schedule to prepare for her fall Mediterranean deployment as part of MARG 1–90. This included a Damage Control Training deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, followed by an OPPEE in which SAGINAW earned a "clean sweep". The MARG 1–90 deployment included many Joint Amphibious Exercises. SAGINWA participated in exercises with troops from the countries of Spain, Tunisia, France, and Egypt.
In 1990, SAGINAW completed a successful Supply Management Inspection, Operational Propulsion Plant Examination, and INSURV inspection, before seeing duty in both Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf. In August 1990, SAGINAW left Little Creek, VA. en route to the Persian Gulf, and entered the Gulf area on 14 Sep, as part of the amphibious force in the area with a full complement of Marines from Camp Lejuene 2nd Mar Div and 3/2. During her stay, she visited ports in Oman, and the United Arab Emirates before the commencement of the ground war. During the hostilities, SAGINAW participated in several practice landings just south of Kuwait City, Kuwait.
SAGINAW left the Persian Gulf after cessation of hostilities on 24 March 1991. After which, she entered dry-dock for much needed repairs. In the spring of 1991, it was decided that most of the U.S. LSTs were no longer needed by the Navy, and were to be decommissioned and sold to other countries.
In March 1992, the next six-month Mediterranean Deployment commenced, and SAGINAW as part of MARG 2–92 with a full crew of approx 14 officers and 210 enlisted, plus several platoons of US Marines with Humvees, Amtraks, Amphibious assault vehicles, etc. The ship participated in numerous amphibious training exercises with forces from Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, and others while also conducting operations in the Adriatic supporting US involvement in the former Yugoslavia. After deployment the ship entered into an expedited turn around of industrial work, training, inspections and pre-deployment preparations. SAGINAW completed a successful Supply Management Inspection and INSURV inspection. This training also included a Damage Control Training deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and a complete Amphibious Refresher Training period off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. Late in this aggressive work up period, on the eve of the Operational Propulsion Plant Examination, the decision to sell the ship to the Australians in a "hot-ship" transfer was approved. The ready crew and ship were told to stand down from deployment preparations and begin training a full Australian crew in LST operations and maintenance. After several months of much Congressional and State Department activity, the ship was decommissioned in Little Creek, Virginia on 29 August 1994 and at the same ceremony transferred to the Royal Australian Navy. In Australia, the ship was converted into an Amphibious Troop Transport to meet the needs of the Australian Navy's mission.
Fate
SAGINAW was sold to Australia for use as a transport, and was renamed HMAS KANIMBLA (L-51).

HMAS KANIMBLA (L 51) (formerly USS SAGINAW (LST-1188) was the lead ship of the Kanimbla class Landing Platform Amphibious ships. Laid down in 1969 for the United States Navy (USN) as Newport class tank landing ship USS SAGINAW, the ship was acquired by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1994 for conversion into an amphibious warfare transport ship.
Capacity after her refit: 2 – LCM8 landing craft and 400 troops. Crew 220.
Armament 1 – 20mm Phalanx Mk 15 closein weapon system. 6 – 12.7mm machine guns.
Can carry 4 Blackhawk or 3 Sea King helicopters, has a hangar for 4 helicopters.
Since entering RAN service in 1999, KANIMBLA participated in numerous worldwide deployments, including the Iraq War, the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and in response to the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. During the ship's career, two helicopters were lost in crashes. After a fire broke out aboard KANIMBLA in late 2010, she and sister ship MANOORA were removed from active service because of extensive problems found aboard both ships. The intention was to repair KANIMBLA and return her to service by 2012, but this was deemed uneconomical. The ship was decommissioned in 2011, and sold for breaking in 2013.
Transfer and conversion
In the early 1990s, the RAN initiated a procurement project to replace HMAS JARVIS BAY with a dedicated training and helicopter support ship. Meeting the vague specifications of the project required a purpose built vessel at an approximate cost of A$500 million. The high cost of the project led to its cancellation by the Minister for Defence in 1993, with the instructions to find a cheaper alternative.
In 1994, the RAN was able to acquire the surplus SAGINAW and her sister ship FAIRFAX COUNTY for the combined price of A$61 million (US$40 million). SAGINAW was to be renamed KANIMBLE. Prior to SAGINAW 's decommissioning and transfer, a RAN crew was sent to Norfolk, Virginia, for several weeks training aboard the vessel, as they were to sail her to Australia after she was commissioned into the RAN. SAGINAW was decommissioned on 28 June 1994, but instead of being immediately recommissioned as HMAS KANIMBLA, it was announced at the decommissioning ceremony that the United States Congress had decided not to release the ships into foreign service. The last-minute move was part of a sale blockage for fifteen surplus Newports to nine nations, and was caused by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services in an attempt to pressure US President Bill Clinton on the perceived running-down of the USN's amphibious warfare capability, as well as the concerns of one Senator over human rights in Morocco (one of the other nations slated to acquire a Newport class ship). The sale was not approved until the start of August, with the ship commissioned into the RAN on 29 August 1994.
KANIMBLA sailed to Australia in October, after training and maintenance checks were completed. KANIMBLA and MANOORA were docked at Forgacs Dockyard in Newcastle, New South Wales, where they underwent conversion from tank landing ships to amphibious warfare transports. The conversion required the bow ramp to be removed and the bow doors welded shut. A hangar for three Sea King or four Blackhawk helicopters was added, while the aft helicopter deck was reinforced. Chinook helicopters are able to land and take off from the aft deck, but cannot be carried long-term. The deck forward of the superstructure was converted to carry two LCM-8 landing craft, which are launched and recovered by a single 70 ton crane. When the LCM-8s are deployed, the area functions as a third helicopter landing spot. Accommodation was provided for up to 450 soldiers, while improved medical facilities and an upgraded galley were also installed.
The refit was planned to last from 1995 to 1996, but did not conclude until late 1999, after extensive corrosion was discovered in both ships. The refit cost for the two ships increased A$400 million, with half of the funding taken from repair and refit allocations for other ships. During KANIMBLA 's conversion, a small fire started aboard, when a cigarette butt was dropped on piping insulation. The fire, which occurred on 8 February 1999, was extinguished quickly, and only caused superficial damage.
RAN operational history
1995–2003
During 1995, personnel from KANIMBLA participated in celebrations for the 50th anniversaries of Victory in Europe Day and Victory in the Pacific Day. In April 1999, personnel from KANIMBLA, MANOORA, and Sydney bases assisted the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in containing an outbreak of Newcastle disease in Mangrove Mountain poultry farms.
Between April and June 2001, KANIMBLA was sent to Vanuatu to provide disaster relief assistance following the eruption of the Lopevi volcano. After this, from 2 June to 8 August 2001, the ship was deployed to the Solomon Islands to support the International Peace Monitoring Team following the signing of the Townsville Peace Agreement. Following this KANIMBLA operated in support of the Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) in Bougainville. This was a short term assignment at the end of the Solomon Islands deployment to assist with backload of PMG equipment to Australia.
On 2 December 2001, KANIMBLA and the frigate ADELAIDE were deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Slipper, to enforce UN trade sanction against Iraq. This deployment concluded on 4 March 2002. The ship returned to the Gulf on 13 February 2003. During this deployment, which concluded on 14 June, she was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, served as a command-and-control ship during operations in the northern waters of the Gulf, and helped deliver relief supplies to Baghdad. The ship received a Meritorious Unit Citation on 27 November 2003 for her service during this deployment.
2004–2006
On 30 December 2004, KANIMBLA sailed as part of Operation Sumatra Assist, the Australian contribution to relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The ship's involvement ended on 26 March 2005, and she sailed to Singapore, but was redeployed three days later after a new earthquake off the Sumatran coast. On 2 April, a Sea King helicopter operating from KANIMBLA crashed on the island of Nias, killing nine of the eleven personnel aboard; the single deadliest incident in the Australian Defence Force since 1996. Operations did not conclude until 13 April.
In May 2006, KANIMBLA was deployed to East Timor as part of Operation Astute, the Australian response to the 2006 East Timorese crisis. The ship remained in the area until late July. At the start of November 2006, KANIMBLA, NEWCASTLE and SUCCESS sailed to Fiji as part of Operation Quickstep, the ADF response to threats of a coup d'état by Fijian military forces. The three vessels were to be used in the event of an evacuation of Australian citizens and nationals, but not as a military force. On 29 November 2006, an Australian Army S-70A Black Hawk helicopter operating from KANIMBLA crashed and fell overboard while attempting to land on the aft helicopter deck. Of the ten Army personnel on board, seven were injured, one was killed, and the tenth was declared missing until his remains were found on 5 March 2007, trapped in the helicopter wreckage 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) below sea level.
2007–2010
In October 2007, KANIMBLA visited New Zealand. The ship had been previously scheduled to visit New Zealand on two occasions in 2006, but was unable to on both occasions due to short-notice operational deployments.
On the morning of 13 March 2009, KANIMBLA was one of seventeen warships involved in a ceremonial fleet entry and fleet review in Sydney Harbour, the largest collection of RAN ships since the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. KANIMBLA was one of the thirteen ships involved in the ceremonial entry through Sydney Heads, and anchored in the harbour for the review.
Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honour system completed in early 2010, KANIMBLA was also granted the battle honours "Persian Gulf 2001–2003" and "Iraq 2003". During July and August 2010, KANIMBLA was one of three RAN ships to participate in the RIMPAC 2010 muntinational exercise.
Decommissioning and fate
On 21 September 2010, KANIMBLA was entering Sydney Harbour when a fire broke out aboard and caused the ship to lose power briefly. Shortly after this, KANIMBLA and sister ship MANOORA were brought to Fleet Base East for an 'operational pause' after several problems were identified with both ships. These included large quantities of corrosion and faults with the deck crane and alarm system, along with the need to overhaul the propulsion system, power generators, and air-conditioning, and upgrade the communication suite. The problems have been attributed to the ship's high operational tempo, delays in maintenance, and the age of the ships.
MANOORA was marked for decommissioning in early 2011, but the intention at that time was to repair KANIMBLA and return her to active service by mid-2012. However, the predicted timeframe and cost of the repairs (18 months and over $35 million), and the successful acquisition of the British landing ship dock RFA LARGS BAY (which entered RAN service at the end of 2011 as HMAS CHOULES) prompted the Australian government to announce plans on 18 August 2011 to decommission KANIMBLA. The decommissioning occurred on 25 November 2011. The ship's capability will initially be replaced by CHOULES, until the Canberra class amphibious warfare ships enter service.
In June 2012, the federal government offered KANIMBLA and MANOORA to the Queensland state government for scuttling as dive wrecks off the Queensland coast. However, the government chose not to go ahead with this, as it would cost $4 million each to prepare them for scuttling, and could provoke similar reactions to the contested sinking of the frigate HMAS ADELAIDE Instead, KANIMBLA is to be broken up, with an estimated scrap metal value of $2.5 million. Because the two vessels were originally owned by the United States of America and were sold to Australia, their disposal had to receive US government approval and comply with International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Tendering for the disposal of the vessels began in June 2012, with the contract awarded to Southern Recycling LLC on 20 May 2013. The two vessels were returned to the United States, and broken up in New Orleans by Southern Scrap Materials Co.

Solomon Islands 2014 $7.50 sg?, scott?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Kanimbla_(L_51)
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