USS BAINBRIDGE
- Name: USS BAINBRIDGE
- Ship Class: Destroyer Tender
- Ship Number: CGN 25
- Date Commissioned:
- Status: Unknown
Ship History:
The keel for the USS BAINBRIDGE was laid on May 15, 1959 by Vice Admiral
Hyman Rickover at the Bethlehem Steel Company. Fore River Shipyard, Quincy
Massachusetts as the world’s first nuclear frigate. Launched in April 1961, by Mrs.
Robert Goodale, the great – great grand daughter of Commodore William Bainbridge,
she is the fourth naval vessel to have the honor or bearing the name “BAINBRIDGE”.
The keynote speaker at the commissioning ceremony was Admiral Arleigh A. Burke,
the Chief of Naval Operations. The world’s first nuclear frigate carried an impressive
list of equipment: two pressurized water reactors; two twin Terrier missile launchers;
two twin 3" .50 caliber radar controlled gun mounts; two torpedo mounts; an ASROC
launcher; and a state of the art electronic and communications suite. Commanded by Captain Raymond E. Peet she departed for her first home port, Charleston, South Carolina. Bainbridge completed her shakedown in three weeks, setting the standard for the future in terms of excellence.
destroyer squadron. BAINBRIDGE began her historic first deployment in February 1963 and rendezvoused with the world’s first nuclear carrier, USS ENTERPRISE in the Mediterranean. Her first foreign port of call was Toulon, France. Later that year, in June, she earned her first of her ten Battle “E” Ribbons for warfare efficiency, given to the best ship of a squadron or group.
In April 1964, during her second Mediterranean deployment she joined USS LONG BEACH for the first time and later in May, along with USS ENTERPRISE formed the world’s first nuclear powered task group. Task Group 60.1 under RADM Bernard M. Stream. In July 1964 Capt. Hal C. Castle relieved Capt. Peet as Commanding Officer. BAINBRIDGE for the second strait year won the Navy’s Battle “E” Award setting a tradition of excellence which became her motto, The first nuclear task group began an around the world cruise (OPERATION SEA ORBIT),thereby becoming the first ships of the U.S. Navy to sail around the world since the “GREAT WHITE FLEET” in 1908. During this cruise, BAINBRIDGE crossed the equator for the first of twenty times.
In October 1964, BAINBRIDGE returned to Charleston South Carolina from Operation SEA ORBIT after steaming more than 30,000 miles. In June 1965, BAINBRIDGE embarked the first of the many midshipmen she would host in her long life.Later that year, she sailed for Long Beach, California and completed the first of eight home port shifts, arriving in November. In December 1965, she began her first Pacific Fleet deployment in the South China Sea, off the coast of South Vietnam. Along with the USS ENTERPRISE, she was part of the first nuclear powered ships to enter actual combat, engaging in air strikes on North Vietnam.
In June 1966, BAINBRIDGE ended her first WEST PAC Cruise, having steamed over 72,000 miles. Later that year, she departed Long Beach for her second Pacific cruise. In December, CAPT. James H. Doyle relieved CAPT. Castle as her third commanding officer. She ended the year on “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin for the second strait year. While on port visits to Australia, Bainbridge set a speed-distance record on her return transit to the Gulf of Tonlin from Australia, sailing over 6,660 miles in less than two weeks, and averaging 29.9 knots. In the summer of 1967, she returned stateside by way of San Francisco, enroute to her third home port, Valiejo, California. She entered dry dock at Mare Island Shipyard in August 1967 for her first refueling. Her first five years had produced numerous accolades, awards and records, and she had covered over 300,000 miles of ocean. BAINBRIDGE was accorded the nickname, the “Gray Ghost of the Orient”, for her speed and endurance. In April 1968 both of BAINBRIDGEs reactors were once again critical and she began her second period of active life. She returned to sea for sea trials under the auspices of VADM Rickover. She celebrated her sixth birthday conducting local operations and the crew celebrated the new year at home for the first time in a long time. January 1969 began with BAINBRIDGE underway once again for a WEST PAC cruise. BAINBRIDGE assisted the USS ENTERPRISE in a two day search for survivors, after the carrier suffered a disastrous and deadly flight deck fire. “Yankee Station” became a familiar local over the next several years. In August, BAINBRIDGE shifted home ports to Long Beach, California. BAINBRIDGE was awarded her first Pacific Fleet Missile “E”. In April 1970, BAINBRIDGE began her fourth WEST PAC deployment, and she won her fourth Battle “E” award. In August Captain W. R. Sheridan relieved CAPT Doyle and became her fourth Commanding Officer. In late October, BAINBRIDGE completed her latest WEST PAC deployment having steamed over 50, 000 miles and visiting 9 major ports in four foreign countries. The crew spent the holiday at home with grateful dependents. Between the years 1971 and 1973 BAINBRIDGE continued to accumulate the miles steamed, winning accolades, awards and earning friends in many other countries. She won the Navy’s “Environmental Practice Award”, in 1972. She also won the Navy Battle “E” Ribbons in 1971, 1972, and 1973, her 5th 6th and 7th respectively, and acted as a plane guard for returning POW flights from North Vietnam to the Philippines. In 1973 she became the first nuclear powered surface ship to receive an overall grade of “Excellent” in an Operational Reactor Safeguard Exam (ORSE). In late 1973 she got underway once again for the Western Pacific, this time to “GONZO Station” in the Arabian Sea. This deployment was her 11th in a row. During this cruise CAPT B. Bruce Newell relieved CAPT Sheridan as Commanding Officer. BAINBRIDGE became the first nuclear powered ship to perform an alongside restricted availability outside the United States alongside the USS SAMUEL GOMPERSin Subic Bay, Philippines in March 1974. This cruise would be the last for a while as she began a 27 month shipyard modernization and overhaul in Bremerton Washington. In 1974 while in the shipyard, her 3" .50 caliber guns were removed and replaces with .20MM cannon, she received the ANSPS-48 radar and and the NTDS system was installed. Additionally, the aft superstructure was constructed and an additional level was added on the forward superstructure to support the SLQ-32. Rear Admiral Watkins delivered her 8th Battle “E” Award while in the shipyard. Bainbridge Island, Washington adopted the ship as part of the Bicentennial of 1975. The ship and its sailors were declared honorary residents of the island. During this period BAINBRIDGE’s very first sailor of the year, YN1 Edward B. Kehavan, was selected. The worlds first nuclear frigate, BAINBRIDGE was declared to bo no longer a frigate, on 30 June DLGN 25 became CGN 25 as BAINBRIDGE was redesignated as a cruiser during the Navy’s reorganization.
