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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Accidents aboard the Ship Image Gallery to end of page |  |  |
USS PONCE is the 12th and last ship in the AUSTIN - class of Amphibious Transport Docks. The ship is named after the city in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, discoverer of Florida, first governor of Puerto Rico.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: May 17, 1965 |
| Keel laid: October 31, 1966 | |
| Launched: May 20, 1970 | |
| Commissioned: July 10, 1971 | |
| Builder: Lockheed Shipbuilding Co., Seattle, Wash. | |
| Propulsion system: two boilers, two steam turbines | |
| Propellers: two | |
| Length: 569 feet (173.4 meters) | |
| Beam: 105 feet (32 meters) | |
| Draft: 23 feet (7 meters) | |
| ballasted: 34 feet (10.4 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 16,900 tons | |
| Speed: 21 knots | |
| Well deck capacity: one LCAC or one LCU or four LCM-8 or nine LCM-6 or 24 amphibious assault vehicles (AAV) | |
| Aircraft: none, but telescopic hangar installed aboard. The hangar is not used to accommodate helicopters but on the flight deck there is space for up to six CH-46 helicopters. | |
| Crew: Ship: 24 officers, 396 enlisted | |
| Marine Detachment: approx. 900 | |
| Armament: two 20mm Phalanx CIWS, two 25mm Mk 38 guns, eight .50-calibre machine guns | |
| Homeport: Norfolk, Va. |
back to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS PONCE. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
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Accidents aboard USS PONCE:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 / 1978 | Moorehead City, NC | Either in the fall or spring of 1977 or 1978, the USS PONCE runs aground outside of the harbor of Moorehead City, NC, after missing the harbor entrance. The PONCE was about to embark Marines for a Med cruise. Damage was minor and the PONCE was laid up for about a week. Info by Richard Othmer, former BM3 aboard PONCE. |
| February 2, 1982 | Atlantic | USS PONCE collides with USS FORT SNELLING (LSD 30) during a towing exercise which causes minor damage to PONCE's port side, mainly to the accommodation ladder and flight deck catwalk. The two ships were en route to Portsmouth, UK. |
| February 14, 1984 | Radio Island, near Moorehead City, NC | During attempts to move an assault craft to Radio Island, USS PONCE suffers a major casualty when her sterngate is damaged and eventually lost. PONCE goes to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for repairs. |
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS PONCE Image Gallery:
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