Fifth N a v y LHA Commissioned At I n g a l l s S h i p b u i l d i n g Y a rd

The Peleliu (LHA-5), fifth and last ship in a series of general-purpose, amphibious assault vessels designed and built for the U.S. Navy by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries, officially joined the fleet during May 3 commissioning ceremonies at the shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Principal speaker at the commissioning was Adm.

Thomas B. Hayward, USN, Chief of Naval Operations.

The LHA, second largest class of vessels in the Navy today, is designed to carry a complete battalion landing team of marines and put them ashore, along with all the vehicles and supplies necessary to sustain the assault. The ship has a flight deck with nine helicopter spots for simultaneous takeoffs and landings, and a well deck in the stern that is flooded to launch or retrieve landing craft.

Each LHA performs tasks and functions previously requiring four different classes of assault ships.

The Peleliu carries a crew of 800 officers and enlisted men.

Leonard Erb, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding Shipbuilding and senior vice president of Litton Industries, noted that "early criticism of the LHA amphibious assault ship suggested that the vessel had a capability whose time had passed — that the necessity for amphibious landings had ceased to exist. A steady stream of events since have proven just how shortsighted those critics were," he said. "Fortunately," Mr. Erb concluded, "today the Navy has five of the most capable amphibious assault ships in the world." The USS Peleliu will be home-ported in Long Beach, Calif., and will join two other LHAs in service with the Pacific Fleet—USS Tarawa (LHA-1) and USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3). The other two ships of the class— USS Saipan (LHA-2) and USS Nassau (LHA- 4)—are operating with the Atlantic Fleet.

Other stories from June 1980 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.