![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
USS IWO JIMA, the first ship to be designed and built from the keel up as an amphibious assault ship, was the lead ship of the Navy's IWO JIMA - class of amphibious assault ships (helicopter) and also the first ship in the Navy to bear the name.
Decommissioned on July 14, 1993, and stricken from the Navy list on September 24, 1993, the IWO JIMA was sold for scrapping on December 18, 1995. The ship has been scrapped at Brownsville, TX.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: January 30, 1958 |
| Keel laid: April 2, 1959 | |
| Launched: September 17, 1960 | |
| Commissioned: August 26, 1961 | |
| Decommissioned: July 14, 1993 | |
| Builder: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. | |
| 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 | |
| Crew: 80 officers, 638 enlisted, 1,750 Marine Detachment |
Crew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS IWO JIMA. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
USS IWO JIMA Cruise Books:
Accidents aboard USS IWO JIMA:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 1966 | San Diego, Ca. | USS CORAL SEA (CV 43) and USS IWO JIMA briefly bump each other in San Diego, Ca., causing slight damage. |
| March 3, 1975 | 1,000 miles southwest of the Azores | USS IWO JIMA and USS NASHVILLE (LPD 13) are severely damaged when the IWO JIMA loses steering control and crashes into the NASHVILLE during highline transfer. |
| February 13, 1976 | Caribbean | USS IWO JIMA suffers a boiler casualty while exercising in the Caribbean. The accident limits the ship's speed to 15 knots and half power. IWO JIMA got underway for New Orleans for repairs. |
| July 3, 1979 | Norfolk Naval Shipyard | USS IWO JIMA suffer a fire in two berthing spaces injuring five. A sailor is arrested on arson 3 days later. |
| November 17, 1985 | A CH-46 helicopter embarked aboard USS SAN DIEGO (AFS 6) crashes into a parked USMC helicopter aboard the USS IWO JIMA during a night replenishment, killing one and injuring five personnel. | |
| October 11, 1989 | 80 miles southeast of Norfolk, Va. | USS EL PASO (LKA 177) accidentally hits the USS IWO JIMA with rounds from its Phalanx CIWS during gunnery practice. One sailor aboard IWO JIMA is killed and another is injured. Damage is slight. |
| October 30, 1990 | Manama, Bahrain | USS IWO JIMA experiences a boiler casualty while getting underway from Manama, Bahrain. A leaking boiler valve blows causing large amounts of steam to be dumped into the boiler room. There are 10 casualties reported as a result of the explosion. |
USS IWO JIMA Patch Gallery:
![]() | ![]() |
USS IWO JIMA Image Gallery:
![]() | ![]() contributed by Bruce Gillikin | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Back to Amphibious Assault Ships list.
Back to Ships list.
Back to Selection Page.
Back to 1st Page.