Page 6: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1984)

Lockheed Launches U.S. Navy

Dock Landing Ship 'Germantown'

Ahead Of Schedule

Lockheed Shipbuilding Com- pany, Seattle, Wash, recently launched the U.S. Navy dock land- ing ship Germantown (LSD-42) five weeks ahead of schedule.

The 609-foot amphibious assault ship was christened by Mrs. Bar- bara Kelley, wife of Gen. P.X.

Kelley, Commandant of the U.S.

Marine Corps. The Germantown has an 84-foot beam, a draft of ± 20 feet and a displacement of ap- proximately 11,100 light tons and 15,900 full load.

The ship, the second of three identical ships now under con- struction for the Navy at Lock- heed's Seattle shipyard, was named for the historic area of Philadel- phia, Pa. where General George

Washington's troops engaged the

British under the command of Sir

William Howe in October 1777.

Dock landing ships (LSD's) are traditionally named for historic sites.

The Germantown and all other ships of this class (the Whidbey Is- land class) are designed to trans- port combat-ready U.S. Marines and their equipment and supplies to designated trouble spots around the world. The ship is operated by the U.S. Navy, and will carry four air-cushion landing craft (LCAC's) which transport the Marines from the ship to the tactical assault points ashore. Lockheed Ship- building is building the dock land- ing ships only—not the LCAC's.

The Germantown, whose keel was laid August 5, 1982, is being built for the U.S. Navy under a $304-million contract awarded to

Lockheed in early 1982.

The Germantown will spend the next 15 months in Lockheed's out- fitting facility in West Seattle undergoing outlitting, testing, fit- ting out, dock trials, builder's sea trials, Navy sea trials and deliv- ery. Delivery to the Navy is sched- uled for October 5, 1985. After commissioning, the USS German- town is destined to become a part of the Amphibious Group-Eastern

Pacific, homeported in San Diego,

Calif.

The first ship of the class, the

Whidbey Island (LSD-41), was launched by Lockheed on June 10, 1983. That ship is nearing the end of its outfitting and testing phase and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy on November 30, 1984.

It is expected that the Whidbey Is- land will be commissioned in

Lockheed's West Seattle yard sometime in December 1984.

Lockheed also has a third LSD under construction—an identical ship to the Whidbey Island and

Germantown. That ship, the LSD- 43 is still unnamed. It is scheduled to be launched December 15, 1985.

The Germantown is the second

U.S. Navy vessel to bear that name. The first was a wooden "sloop-of-war" built in 1846. She was scuttled in Norfolk, Va. at the

U.S. Navy Dock Landing Ship Germantown (LSD-42) splashes into Seattle's Duwamish River after being launched by Lockheed Shipbuilding Company's inclined shipway. outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

The Confederate Navy salvaged her and she served until 1864 un- der the Confederate flag when the

Germantown was scuttled again— this time by the Southerners, to prevent the Union forces from cap- turing her.

Mrs. Kelley was named the ship's sponsor by Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman Jr.

The Secretary named her hus- band, General Kelly, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, princi- pal speaker at the launching ceremony.

The Germantown is the 147th ship built in the shipyard during its 95-year history.

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