| USS Preble (DDG-46) | |
|---|---|
 USS Preble (DDG-46) | |
| Career (US) |  |
| Ordered: | 26 October 1956 |
| Builder: | Bath Iron Works |
| Laid down: | 16 December 1957 |
| Launched: | 23 May 1959 |
| Acquired: | 28 April 1960 |
| Commissioned: | 9 May 1960 |
| Decommissioned: | 15 November 1991 |
| Struck: | 20 November 1992 |
| Fate: |
Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling 10 February 2003 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Farragut-class guided missile destroyer |
| Displacement: | 5,800 tons |
| Length: | 512.5 ft (156.2 m) |
| Beam: | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Draught: | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 1200psi boilers, 2 geared turbines |
| Speed: | 36.5 knots |
| Range: | 4500nm @ 20 Knots |
| Complement: | 377 (21 officers + 356 enlisted) |
| Sensors and processing systems: | AN/SPS-48E air-search radar, AN/SPS-49V1 air-search radar, AN/SPG-55B fire control radar, AN/SPG-53F gun fire control radar, AN/SPS-10C Surface Search Radar, |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: | AN/SLQ-32 |
| Armament: | one Mk 42 5-inch/54 (127mm/54) caliber gun, Mark 46 torpedoes from two Mk-32 triple mounts, one Mk 16 ASROC Missile Launcher, one Mk 10 Mod.0 Missile Launcher for RIM-2 Terrier / Standard (ER) Missiles, two Mk 141 Harpoon missile launchers |
USS Preble (DLG-15/DDG-46) was a destroyer in the United States Naval Service. She was the fifth ship named to honor after Commodore Edward Preble (1761–1807). Preble was laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, 16 December 1957. She was launched 23 May 1959 and sponsored by Mrs. Ralph E. Wilson. Preble was commissioned in the Boston Naval Shipyard 9 May 1960, Commander Edward G. Fitz-Patrick in command. She was decommissioned 15 November 1991 and struck 20 November 1992 to be scrapped.
History[]
After shakedown off the East Coast, Preble transited the Panama Canal and arrived San Diego 2 September. After exercises along the coast of California, she got underway 27 February 1961 en route to the Far East for a six-month tour with the 7th Fleet. She returned to San Diego 28 September to rejoin the 1st Fleet. She remained in the eastern Pacific through 1963 and on 26 February 1964 departed California for another tour of duty in the Far East, 13 March – 20 July.
Rotated regularly to WestPac over the next five years she spent much of her deployed time with the 7th Fleet off the coast of Vietnam. During these tours she served as plane guard for carriers in the Tonkin Gulf, patrolled on SAR, and bombarded enemy positions along the coast. On 19 June 1968 Navy Lt.jg. Clyde Everett Lassen of Helicopter Squadron 7, embarked aboard USS Preble, and his crew flew a hazardous rescue operation deep into North Vietnam to evacuate two downed US Navy pilots. Lassen was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
Returning from WestPac in July 1968, she operated briefly along the California coast and in December got underway for Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. There for an extensive overhaul, she decommissioned 31 January 1969, recommissioned 23 May 1970, and returned to the Pacific Fleet.
On 24 January 1973, the United States Seventh Fleet reported that the Preble's torpedo tubes and three antennae were damaged by North Vietnamese artillery while the ship was operating off Quảng Trị Province just below the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone.[1]
Decommissioned on 15 November 1991 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 20 November 1992, Preble was transferred to the James River Reserve Fleet on 30 June 1993. Preble was sold for scrap to J&L Metals of Wilmington, NC on 15 April 1994. Repossessed from the scrap yard and resold on 10 February 1999 to International Shipbreakers of Brownsville, Tx for $85,000, Preble was repossessed for a second time on 10 July 2000 after the scrap yard failed to take delivery of the ship in a timely manner. A contract to dismantle Preble was issued on 20 March 2002 to Metro Machine of Philadelphia, Pa for $3,400,000. Preble was completely dismantled on 10 February 2003.
References[]
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
- ↑ "Fighting Soars; US Ship Is Hit". Modesto, California. 25 January 1973. p. A-1. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OXUuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_IAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3086%2C2369430. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
External links[]
The original article can be found at USS Preble (DDG-46) and the edit history here.