USS Leahy (DLG-16) - History

History

After shakedown in the Caribbean, Leahy departed Boston on 19 September 1963 and reported to Charleston, South Carolina., where Rear Adm. E. E. Grimm, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 6, selected her as his flagship. She then proceeded to the Jacksonville, Florida operating areas for type training. She briefly put in to home port in November, then returned to the Caribbean to participate in AA warfare exercises.

On 2 January 1964, the DLG was again bound for the Caribbean for missile training, which ended 26 February. From 1 April to 10 April, she joined in an amphibious exercise, “Quick Kick V,” and on 1 June was permanently assigned to Destroyer Squadron 6.

Leahy departed for duty with the Sixth Fleet on 17 July as part of a Fast Carrier Task Group, which included USS Forrestal (CV-59), and participated in a coordinated fleet exercise, “MEDLANDEX-64,” between the Balearic Islands and Sardinia. She then carried out independent training in the eastern Mediterranean before departing from Naples, Italy, on 22 September to join in NATO exercise, “FALLEX-64.” She returned to Naples on 26 October and, in November, participated in another fleetwide exercise, “POOPDECK-IV,” which brought some 40 ships of Task Force 60 together off the coast of Spain.

Leahy departed from Barcelona, Spain, on 2 December for replenishment, and on 14 December drew the curtain on 32,750 nautical miles (60,653 km) of steaming while deployed with the Sixth Fleet. She arrived at Charleston on 22 December and began a period of restricted availability in preparation for extensive tests to evaluate the Terrier Missile System. During these tests, which were completed in September, Leahy was briefly deployed for the Dominican Republic Crisis from 28 April to 7 May 1965 as a unit of the Strike and Covering Force.

She departed from Charleston on 30 November for the Mediterranean and relieved USS William V. Pratt (DLG-13) at Pollensa, Majorca, 9 December. During this second deployment with the Sixth Fleet, she operated throughout the Mediterranean participating in ASW, gunnery, and AA warfare exercises as well as major fleet tactical operations alongside other NATO ships.

Leahy returned home to Charleston on 8 April 1966. During June and July, she gave some 60 midshipmen from Annapolis valuable at-sea training, and visited ports along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. Following this, Leahy conducted exercises with the navies of many South American countries as part of operation UNITAS VII. She sailed through the Panama Canal in early September, thence south and through the Straits of Magellan at the end of October.

The operation was completed on 6 December and the DLG returned to Charleston on the 15th. Leahy then prepared for massive modernization at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, arriving there on 27 January 1967 and decommissioning on 18 February. For over a year she received new AAW and ASW equipment, allowing her to utilize the most recent developments in the technology of naval warfare. She was placed in commission, special, on 4 May 1968 for the extensive period of testing her updated weapons systems. Leaving Philadelphia on 18 August, she arrived at her new home port, Norfolk, 3 days later.

A second shakedown cruise and training on the new weapons systems lasted into 1969. In August, Leahy took part in UNITAS X, which included ships from the navies of Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay. She returned to Norfolk, VA shortly before Christmas.

In September 1970, while on a routine missile exercise, Leahy was ordered to make an emergency deployment to the eastern Mediterranean as part of a contingency force in response to the Jordanian Crisis. She remained there for more than seven months operating with the USS Forrestal (CV-59) battle group, returning in May 1971. For her efforts, she received the first of her five Meritorious Unit Commendations. Leahy deployed once more to the Mediterranean in 1972 and, after an overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, again in 1974. During the 1974 deployment, she operated extensively with the USS America (CV-66) battle group and made port calls in France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

In 1975, Leahy deployed to the Mediterranean for a sixth time. Prior to entering the Mediterranean, she participated with USS Tattnall (COMCRUDESGRU 12, RADM Langille, and staff embarked) in an historic port call at Leningrad in the USSR. The Leahy and the Tattnall were the first U.S. warships to visit the Soviet Union since World War II. During the five day visit, Leahy hosted over 12,300 visitors. Her crew participated in a variety of athletic contests with local teams, and enjoyed visits to a hockey game and the Kirov Ballet. She also received a visit from Elizabeth Taylor, who was on location filming The Blue Bird. Leahy then made port calls in Helsinki, Finland and Portsmouth, England before making her way into the Mediterranean. During the deployment she visited Spain, France, Monaco (for 4th of July celebrations and HSH Princess Grace's Red Cross Ball), Italy, Greece and Turkey.

USS Leahy was redesignated CG-16 (guided missile cruiser) on 30 June 1975, as part of the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification. Her sister ships were also redesignated as guided missile cruisers.

In January 1976, Leahy was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and, after transiting the Panama Canal, entered her new home port of San Diego. On 6 June 1976, she rescued 22 crewmembers off the research vessel Aquasition, which caught fire at sea and eventually sank. On 1 November 1976, she entered drydock for an overhaul at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which lasted a year. She did not make her first deployment to the Western Pacific until July 1978, when she served as part of the USS Constellation (CV-64) carrier battle group. She made stops at Okinawa, Yokosuka, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea before returning to the United States in February 1979.

Leahy’s next deployment to the Western Pacific began in May 1980. By September, she was in the Arabian Sea supporting the USS Midway (CV-41) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) carrier battle groups. In October, she entered the Persian Gulf to provide anti-aircraft support for Saudi Arabia against possible attacks by Iran. Her stay in the gulf was short and the Leahy returned to San Diego on 4 December. She began another overhaul in January 1981 that lasted into May.

Leahy’s next Western Pacific deployment began in March 1983 as part of a battle group with the newly reactivated battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62). During the cruise, she visited ports in the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. In 1984, she operated with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, then deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1985. In 1986, again escorting the Carl Vinson, she deployed to the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf.

After a New Threat Upgrade that lasted into 1988, Leahy returned to regular duty with the Pacific Fleet. In 1990, she served as the senior host ship for the Soviet Navy’s historic first trip to San Diego, which was also the first Russian visit to any west coast naval base. In April 1991, she arrived in the Persian Gulf shortly after the completion of Operation Desert Storm. In 1992, while serving part of the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) battle group, Leahy helped direct United Nations UNOSOM relief flights into Mogadishu, Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope. In early 1993, Leahy was ordered to the northern Persian Gulf to take part in the newly authorized Operation Southern Watch, enforcing a “no-fly” zone in southern Iraq.

In 1993, Leahy won a Battle “E” for outstanding combat preparedness, as well as excellence awards in anti-aircraft warfare and anti-submarine warfare. At the time, she was the oldest conventional cruiser in the Navy’s inventory.