View source for USS Germantown (LSD-42)

{{other ships|USS Germantown}}
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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:USS Germantown (LSD-42).jpg|300px]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Germantown'' passing the Coronado Bridge in San Diego Bay in August 2003.
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country= United States
|Ship flag=  {{USN flag}}
|Ship name=''Germantown''
|Ship namesake= [[Battle of Germantown]]
|Ship ordered=26 March 1982
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder= [[Lockheed Shipbuilding]]
|Ship original cost=
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|Ship laid down=5 August 1982
|Ship launched=29 June 1984
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|Ship commissioned=8 February 1986
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|Ship homeport=San Diego, California
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|Ship motto=''Folgen Sie unseren Fusspuren!'' (''Follow in Our Footsteps'')
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|Ship status={{Ship in active service}}
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|Ship badge=[[File:USS Germantown LSD-42 Crest.png|150px]]
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class={{sclass|Whidbey Island|dock landing ship}}
|Ship displacement=*11,496 tons (light)
*16,396 tons (full)
|Ship length={{convert|610|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|84|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
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|Ship draft={{convert|21|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
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|Ship propulsion=4 Colt Industries, 16-cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, {{convert|33000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed=over {{convert|20|kn}}
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|Ship boats=5 [[Landing Craft Air Cushion|LCAC]]s
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops= Marine detachment: 402 + 102 surge
|Ship complement=22 officers, 391 enlisted
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|Ship armament=*2 × 25 mm [[M242#Naval|Mk 38]] cannons
*2 × 20 mm [[Phalanx CIWS|Phalanx]] [[CIWS]] mounts
*2 × [[RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile|Rolling Airframe Missile]]
*6 × [[M2 Browning|{{convert|0.5|in|mm|abbr=on|1}}]] M2HB machine guns
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'''USS ''Germantown'' (LSD-42)''' is the second {{sclass|Whidbey Island|dock landing ship}} in the [[United States Navy]]. She is the second navy ship named after the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] [[Battle of Germantown]].

''Germantown'' was the first ship in the class to serve in the Pacific. The [[Amphibious assault ship|amphibious ship]]'s mission is to project power ashore by transporting and launching amphibious craft and vehicles loaded with embarked [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] in support of an amphibious assault. The ship was designed specifically to operate with [[Landing Craft Air Cushion]] (LCAC) vessels. She has the largest capacity for these landing craft (four to five) of any US Navy amphibious platform.

==Construction and career==
The navy ordered USS ''Germantown'' on 26 March 1982. Four years later, on 8 February 1986, the ship was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]]. In 1990–1991, she played a significant role during [[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operations Desert Shield]] and [[Operation Desert Storm|Desert Storm]]. The ship participated in mock amphibious assaults in Oman after the start of the air war in preparation for a possible amphibious assault.

On 16 August 2002, {{USS|Harpers Ferry|LSD-49|2}} relieved ''Germantown'' as a forward-deployed naval unit at [[U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo|Sasebo]], Japan. ''Germantown'' returned to San Diego, California, where she underwent a US$ 25 million overhaul. One year later, the ship deployed to the [[Persian Gulf]] as part of Expeditionary Strike Group One. ''Germantown'' supported [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Operation Iraqi Freedom]] by landing Marines and equipment from the [[13th Marine Expeditionary Unit]].

In September 2003, ''Germantown'' deployed with the first ever [[Expeditionary Strike Group]] to support [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]], providing support for Marines in Iraq and Kuwait while also patrolling the Persian Gulf.

In February 2006, ''Germantown'' deployed to the [[Persian Gulf]] in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], carrying the [[11th Marine Expeditionary Unit]] to Kuwait. She assisted Iraq in the North Persian Gulf by responding to an oil fire on the Khwar Al Amaya Oil Terminal and by querying vessels before they entered Iraqi waters. ''Germantown'' conducted "Presence Operations" throughout the Persian Gulf before returning to San Diego, California in August 2006.

''Germantown'' departed for the Persian Gulf on 5 November 2007 to support [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] by transporting members of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit to Kuwait for field exercises. She then proceeded to conduct maritime security operations throughout the Persian Gulf and was later tasked with conducting oil platform defense in the narrow Shatt-Al-Arab waterway on the Iran-Iraq border. She returned home to San Diego on 3 June 2008 and began preparations for an extended mid-life overhaul to commence in the winter of 2008.

In January 2011, ''Germantown'' reversed the 2002 hull swap with ''Harpers Ferry'', to return to Sasebo, and immediately proceeded to join the {{USS|Essex|LHD-2|2}} Amphibious Ready Group for Cobra Gold 2011, a multinational exercise hosted annually by the Kingdom of Thailand.

''Germantown'' was one of several ships participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.<ref>Rabiroff, John. [http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/earthquake-disaster-in-japan/u-s-military-delivers-40-tons-of-supplies-to-hardest-hit-areas-1.138003  "U.S. military delivers 40 tons of supplies to hardest-hit areas,"] ''Stars and Stripes'' (US). 17 March 2011; Seawaves,[http://www.seawaves.com/japan2011.asp "Warships Supporting Earthquake in Japan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323003053/http://www.seawaves.com/japan2011.asp |date=23 March 2011 }}</ref> The ship departed Sasebo in September 2011 for a patrol of the western Pacific. Accompanying the ship were {{USS|Denver|LPD-9|2}} and {{USS|Essex|LHD-2|2}}.<ref>''[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]'', "[http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/japan/essex-ready-group-and-31st-meu-underway-for-fall-patrol-1.156127 Essex Ready Group and 31st MEU underway for fall patrol]", 26 September 2011.</ref> In November 2013, ''Germantown'' and {{USS|Ashland|LSD-48|2}} supported relief operations in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.<ref>{{cite web 
|url= http://www.stripes.com/news/amphibious-ships-900-marines-replace-gw-group-in-philippines-1.254136
|title= Amphibious ships, 900 Marines replace GW group in Philippines
|author= Seth Robson
|date= 22 November 2013  
|website= Stars and Stripes
|publisher= [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]
|quote= GUIUAN, Philippines – Two amphibious ships, the USS Ashland and the USS Germantown, along with 900 Okinawa-based Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, have arrived in the Philippines to boost Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts.}}</ref>

In March 2014, the ship's commanding officer, Commander Jason Leach was relieved of duty by the head of the [[United States Seventh Fleet|7th Fleet]]'s amphibious unit "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command." News reports indicated that "The relief was not related to a single incident but was the result of a poor command climate on board the ship and the commanding officer's failure to use the good judgment expected of leaders in the navy and to uphold standards."<ref>Germantown CO Sacked for "poor command climate" 7 March 2014, Navy Times</ref> In January 2015, the ship's command master chief Jesus Galura pleaded guilty to a number of charges stemming from an investigation into a prostitution procurement ring between him and four other chief petty officers on board the ship.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Slavin|first1=Erik|title=CMC Pleads Guilty to Prostitute Procurement Conspiracy|url=http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/01/28/cmc-pleads-guilty-to-prostitute-procurement-conspiracy.html?comp=7000023468025&rank=3|website=military.com|access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref>

In December 2020, the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed Out of Commission in Reserve in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/10/2002549918/-1/-1/1/SHIPBUILDING%20PLAN%20DEC%2020_NAVY_OSD_OMB_FINAL.PDF|title=Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels|publisher=Office of the Chief of Naval Operations|date=9 December 2020|accessdate=2 February 2021|page=16}}</ref>

On 15 October 2021 the ''Germantown'' completed ten years of forward deployed service in Japan and completed a homeport shift to San Diego. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/Media/News/Article/2812562/uss-germantown-completes-forward-deployment-to-japan-arrives-in-san-diego/|title=USS Germantown completes forward-deployment to Japan, arrives in San Diego|publisher=surfpac.navy.mil|date=15 October 2021|access-date=14 October 2022}}</ref>

== Awards ==
'''Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons'''
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon, 2nd award.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 4th award.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991–2016).svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
:''The above content is based on the [https://web.archive.org/web/20090707005627/http://www.germantown.navy.mil/Site%20Pages/about.aspx] description at the official website, which is in the [[public domain]].''

==External links==
* [https://archive.today/20131209220531/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/lsd42 USS ''Germantown'' official website]

{{Whidbey Island class dock landing ship}}

{{Wikipedia|USS Germantown (LSD-42)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Germantown (LSD-42)}}
[[Category:Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships]]
[[Category:Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:Amphibious warfare vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:1984 ships]]