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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books Accidents aboard the Ship Patch Gallery Image Gallery to end of page |  |  |
USS TRIPOLI was the fifth IWO JIMA - class amphibious assault ship (helicopter). Decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on September 15, 1995, TRIPOLI spent the following years laid up at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, Ca. In December 2006, she was towed to Pearl Harbor, Hi., to serve as a launch platform with the ballistic missile defense program. To launch the small ballistic missiles, the TRIPOLI was towed some 100 miles off shore before taken back to Pearl Harbor. The first test series were completed in October 2007 and a second series followed in 2008.
USS TRIPOLI has earned the following awards: Combat Action Ribbon (3 awards), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Unit Commendation (4 awards), Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy "E" Ribbon (2 awards), National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3 awards), Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation for Gallantry, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: December 10, 1962 |
| Keel laid: June 15, 1964 | |
| Launched: July 31, 1965 | |
| Commissioned: August 6, 1966 | |
| Decommissioned: September 15, 1995 | |
| Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss. | |
| Propulsion system: Two boilers, one geared steam turbines, one shaft, 22,000 total shaft horsepower | |
| Propellers: one | |
| Length: 603, 65 feet (184 meters) | |
| Beam: 104 feet (31.7 meters) | |
| Draft: 25,9 feet (7.9 meters) | |
| Aircraft elevators: two | |
| Displacement: approx. 19,500 tons full load | |
| Speed: 23 knots | |
| Aircraft: 20 UH-46D Sea Knight Helicopters, 10 MH-53E Sea Stallion Helicopters, 3 UH-1 Helicopters, 3 AH-1 Helicopters but the actual mix depends upon mission | |
| Armament: two Phalanx CIWS, two Mk-25 Sea Sparrow Missile Launchers | |
| Crew: 80 officers, 638 enlisted, 1,750 Marine Detachment |
back to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS TRIPOLI. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS TRIPOLI Cruise Books:
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Accidents aboard USS TRIPOLI:
| Date | Where | Events | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 18, 1991 | off Faylaka Island, Persian Gulf | While assigned to a MCM force sweeping toward the shore of Faylaka Island during the Gulf War on January 17, USS TRIPOLI and the other ships of the MCM force were targeted by Iraqi Silkworm anti-ship missile fire control radars. The MCM force moved out of the missiles' range and after coalition forces destroyed the missile site, the ships returned to the area on January 18, at 0240 local time. At 0345, after operating for 11 hours in an undetected Iraqi minefield, the USS TRIPOLI hit a moored Iraqi contact mine creating an explosion and ripping a 16 by 20 foot hole below the water line. As USS AVENGER (MCM 1) and USS LEADER attempted to assist the damaged warship, USS PRINCETON (CG 59), while unknowingly heading along a line of Manta mines, continued to provide air defense for the MCM Group but at 0715, also hit a Manta mine in 16 meters of water. As damage control teams overcame fires and flooding aboard USS TRIPOLI and USS PRINCETON, the minesweepers USS IMPERVIOUS, USS LEADER, and USS AVENGER searched for additional mines in the area. USS TRIPOLI was able to continue her mission for several days before being relieved by USS LA SALLE (AGF 3) and USS NEW ORLEANS (LPH 11). USS TRIPOLI then proceeded to Bahrain for repair where the photos below were taken.
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS TRIPOLI Patch Gallery:
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS TRIPOLI Image Gallery:
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