Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship (1973)

USS Tarawa, Saipan, Bellau Woods, Nassau, Peleliu built 1971-80, decom. 2009-2015

The Tarawa class were the first modern Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) class. Succeeding to the 1960s Iwa Jima class helicopter only assault ships, they added a well deck to the hull, which was far larger, giving the United States Navy a brand new amphibious assault capability. Five were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in 1971-1980, with the last four planned, canceled, and redesigned as the next the Wasp-class LHA. At 44,000 tonnes fully loaded they were already much larger than the WW2 Essex class fleet carriers. They saw a lot of service on the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean, and were modernized at least twice each. By March 2015, they had been all decommissioned after 30+ year careers. The Tarawa class were replaced by the America-class from 2014, succeededing to the Wasp class, keeping the same basic formula. Unlike the Iwo Jima, the Tarawa class could operate Harrier jump-jets, making them even more versatile.

Genesis of the LHA

The first Dock ships: LSD

hms highway, ex US LSD
The Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) had an origin going all the way back to WW2 and the Pacific war, but also the needs of the Atlantic and Mediterranean allied amphibious operations. Several types of ships were tailored but the standard was either ships that beached and delivered their heavy armour and trucks by a ramp, or assault transport that carried landing crafts of all sizes, but mostly for infantry and light vehicles. The concept of a landing ship, dock (LSD in US nomenclature) or “Dock landing ship” was invented early in WW2, a result of a British requirement for a ship able to carry large landing craft across the Atlantic at speed. The advantage of the formula was to be able to load more easily men and material in these landing craft instead of an always dangerous loading via rope ladders and davits on standard assault transports.

But the predecessor of all modern LSDs was Japanese, the Shinshū Maru ordered, designed and built in 1934-35 for the Imperial Japanese Army Chinese operations (In WW2 the Army had its own fleet or carriers and amphibious vessels, gunboats or even submarines, separated from the Navy, just as its own air force). This vessel was designed to be able launch infantry landing craft using an internal rail system and stern ramp, so not a flooded well deck. She took also part in all landings until 1942. On the allied side, the first LSD was a design from Sir Roland Baker, behind also the first British landing craft tank. The concept had a landing ship stern chute and the ship chosen as proof of concept was a converted train ferry (Train Ferry No. 1 already used by the British Army in WWI). This early attempt already had built-in rails, on which 13 LCMs could be moved along. In 1940, renamed Princess Iris, she was used for tests, the only “Landing Ship Stern Chute” of the war until return to civilian service in 1946. It was also tested with a gantry-carrying tanker with a crane to transfer landing craft at sea, up to 15 LCM in 30 minutes.

The came the US Landing, Ship Dock (LSD) tailored to carry 36 LCM at 16 knots (30 km/h) with the latter travelling on dry deck, then once the ship arrived, it took 30 minutes for the dock to be flooded down, the landing crafts could all exit in a matter of minutes (versus up to an hour for a classis assault transport) and 15 minutes to pump it out and be underway again. When static and staying flooded, the ships could also used as permanent docks for small vessel repairs or as a supply hub for DUKW landing craft, or floating hospital. LSD in operations also carried full-tracked and wheeled amphibious assault and support vehicles. It had no flight deck, the area above its well deck being reserved for extra landing crafts to be craned down in operations. The aft bay could be completely open as well. Four were also used by the RN, others went to France and Greece. But the real successors of these were LPDs, the Thomaston (1954), Raleigh (1962), Austin (1964), Anchorage (1969), Whidbey Island (1983) and now the San Antonio class (2000), all using the same formula. The last classes had a short deck and for the last, hangars for a limited air group, helicopters only.

From the LSD to the LHA.

But the concept also received a revival through the use of helicopters. They first appeared in WW2, pioneered in the US by Russian-born engineer Sikorsky, and the S.2 started a limited production, suitable mostly for SAR roles. But tests from ships were limited to the Coast Guard. However with the war in Korea, helicopters became a very versatile and useful airborne asset, which could deployed from ships, converted ex-WW2 carriers. USS Block island (CVE-106), a Commencement Bay class, was planned for conversion under project SCB 159. Instead, USS Thetis Bay (Casablanca-class) was converted in 1955 under SCB 122, as a first dedicated assault helicopter aircraft carrier, CVHA-1. More would follow, many still active in Vietnam. In between, these late 1950s experiments proved definitively that a dedicated helicopter carrier would be a more sensible choice than using a converted Essex class, far larger, with more manpower, maintenance and supplies (and age to factor in). These WW2 veterans were considered “cheap” stopgaps, for that new class to be built, the LPH of the Iwo Jima class.

The Iwo Jima were a new concept of heliborne assault, something experimented in Korea, but which really took off in Vietnam, from 1965 onwards. They were the culmination of a long Marine Corps development of “vertical envelopment” (helicopter assault), by the fear of nuclear bombardment on concentrations of landing craft on restricted beaches. Helicopters could instead approach from greater distances, and preserved concentration and surprise, with a dispersal of assault shipping. The design was started in 1957 after conversion studies of alternative hulls. The ships themselves were very capable: They had troop spaces with accommodation for 2,000 troops (and air conditioning) special vehicle stowage areas, special cargo facilities, a “spotted” flight deck for up to seven CH-46 or four CH-53 helicopters, with 19 + 11 of these in hangar. USS Inchon (LPH 12) was the only one sporting davits to accommodate two LCVP landing craft. The Iwo Jima class ships however in operations (they were completed from1961 to 1970), taking part in Vietnam and many other cold war operations, were criticized for not being able to carry themselves landing crafts and amphibious vehicles.

The concept of a ship combining a flooded dock to launch landing craft and airplanes went all the way back to the Army Type C, Akitsu Maru and Kumano Maru completed in 1942 and 1945 with their full-length flight decks launching autogyros and observation aircraft, hangar and well deck. So in the 1960s already the Marine Corps expressed the need to the Navy of having a ship designed to embark a reinforced battalion of the United States Marine Corps and their equipment, that could be delivered both through a well deck (landing crafts and vehicles) and from their flight deck (assault helicopters). It was theorized at first an accomodation capacity of up to 1900 marines and 30,000+ cubic feet of equipment and supplies. The combination of helicopters and heavier landing platforms could ensure the simultaneous or combined delivery of several platoons at once, with heavy support, for a bridgehead.

The Tarawa class thus, was to be the centerpiece of a multi-ship Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG). The combination concept called for “tactical integrity”: One ship, one Batallion, acting also as a base, with facilities and supplies. Several assault tactics were envisioned, notably a preliminary heliborne assault against shore defences, then a classic landing craft/vehicle assault in reinforcement. At the time the USMC had a range of amphibious tracked vehicles, like the LVTP-5, 6 and 7 (later AAV-7) for such assaults, as APCs, some modified for artillery support to the beach and beyond. The well deck was designed to be spacious enough to allow two LCU and LCM-8 side by side for example.

So the projection capacity worked out in the 1960s was to be a full Marine Batallion, and the ship itself was to be a large “swiss knife”, a general-purpose amphibious assault ship combining functions initially performed by the amphibious assault ship (LPH), amphibious transport dock (LPD), amphibious cargo ship (LKA), and dock landing ship (LSD). The design work went on, with many revisions given the complexity of the ship, a multi-layered cake of utility decks (well deck, vehicle hangar, troop/equipment hangar, helicopter hangar, and flight deck). Despite this complexity, a good part of the R&D had been done already for helicopter management, and other aspects had been well researched, notably for the LSD and LPDs, so the combination of all of these elements into a single package was the real difficulty. In essence the USN created a design that had no equivalent worldwide.

The final design was sanctioned and approved in 1968, with a first ship planned FY1969 but laid down two years later. Naming-wise, the nine ships planned initially would be all names, like the previous LHA, from WW2 amphibious battles. The lead ship, USS Tarawa (LHA-1) was also the second named for the Battle of Tarawa after an escort carrier (CV-40). She was laid down in November 1971 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, launched on 1 December 1973, and commissioned on 29 May 1976. More followed: Saipan (LHA-2) between July 1972 and October 1977, USS Belleau Wood (ex-Philippine Sea) or LHA-3 from March 1973 to September 1978, USS Nassau (ex-Leyte Gulf) or LHA-4 from 1973 to 1979 and USS Peleliu (ex-Da Nang, ex-Khe Sanh) or LHA-5 from November 1976 to May 1980. The last three were also planned, but cancelled and reaffected to the next Wasp class, which were far more advanced and solved many issues.

Construction, in the wake of the “winner takes all” inherited from the past “whiz kids”, the RAND Corporation working with Robert McNamara, the TPP ordering plan of all nine vessels was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, Tarawa was approved FY1969, two more in FY1970 and FY1971. However, delays amounted as design problems emerged early in the program. In the wake of the “Total Package Procurement” concept, the Concept Definition Contract Formulation procedure which also produced the Spruance class. The Navy was heavily involved in the design process and eventually, from nine ships originally contracted it went to five in January 1971 as delays and costs amounted, the other four were never built but appropriation benefited the follow-up class. They were built over a decade and sea trials of Tarawa from 1976 brought lessons passed on partly to the last ship in class, but mostly to the next Wasp.

Design of the Tarawa class

a tarawa class, LHA-2 Saipan (pinterest)

Hull and general design

The Tarawa were very different from the Iwo Jima, first in scale, with a displacement rising from 11,000 tons (light) to 25,884 and up to 27,165 tonnes standard for 39,438 and up to 40,891 or even 44,056 short tons full load. That was more than double. In size, the hull was now 834 feet (254 m) long (versus 592 ft/180 m for the Iwo Jima), and in beam from 84 ft (26 m) to 131.9 feet (40.2 m), also 1/3 more, and in draught, 25.9 feet (7.9 m) light versus 27 ft (8.2 m) on the Iwo Jima. This is explaine by the much more bulkier hull, basically a parallelepipedic ship whereas without need to build a well deck, the Iwo Jima class ended with a more classic poop, narrowed at the waterline. The flight deck was rounded on its forward and aft corners, but far less than the one on Iwo Jima.

Below the waterline, differences continued, with a single shaft versus two on the Tarawa, and thrice the output (from 22K to 77K hp). The forward bow had side cutouts sponsons to install main 5-in guns for AA defence with one placed aft starboard, either side of the large axial lift (see below air facilities). The ships also had a very large island, which took about 1/4 of the full lenght and occupied a large deck area (non sponsoned) almost 35%, with a lower section forward supporting a Sea Sparrow launcher. There was a twin bridge forward, none aft, and fore and aft lattice masts, two funnels on starboard. A raised platform had service boats stacked, and it also covered deck tractors and utility safety vehicles. To servoce these and the two supply lifts there was a deck crane.

The Tarawa were planned with helicopters only from the start, however it should be noted that at the early design stage in 1965, not much thoughts were given to have alternative AV-8A Harrier VSTOL aircraft. Harriers prototypes in the UK were showcased to NATO staff and the US took notice. It’s in 1968-69 that negociations commenced for its production in the US. A formal partnership was formulated in 1968 with McDonnell Douglas, which had a direct impact on the Tarawa design, as when approved FY1969, the flight deck and facilities received no significant alterations. The USMC received 102 AV-8A and 8 TAV-8A Harriers from 1971 and 1976, before the Tarawa class started to be commissioned and yet, all reports points out to a late adoption, after significant modifications to 1988. The class completed Phase 1, 2, and 3 of Harrier certification, with the first 1988-1989 models deployed being the far more advanced AV8B Harrier II instead.

Powerplant

Propulsion was based as seen above on two shafts, with Combustion Engineering V2M-VS boilers, enough for 400 tons of steam per hour, connected to two Westinghouse geared steam turbines. This was for an output of 70,000 horsepower (52,000 kW) to its two propeller shafts. The ship was capable 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) with a maximum range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi), at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). Top speed was thus two knots faster than the Iwo Jima but this was not required for Amphibious Operations. However they innovated by adopting a 900 hp bow thruster for port evolutions. It had also a generous electrical power subsystem capable of generating 14,000 kilowatts (18,700 shp) to provide electrical power for the ship and an air conditioning equipment capable of producting 1,500 tons of fresh air at any moment.

Protection

It was limited to the usual measures for unarmoured vessels: Heavy compartimentation (1,400 compartments) below and above the waterline to limit flooding, double bottom, main bulkheads, and in the helicopter hangar, extra fire-fighting measures with fire curtains mid-way through the hangar, roof sprinklers, safety water-filled fuel piping, fire posts with manual and autonomously fed pumps. The ammunition magazines, deep inside, as well as a avgas tanks were well protected, same standard as the Nimitz-class, likely using a combo of STS steel and kevlar (still classified). The ship was also fully protected NBC. For active protection (ECM, jammers, decoys), see below. The ship used mostly steel, but with 3,000 tons of aluminum when it required extra stability.

Amphibious Complement

Combined operations from the stern of USS Tarawa.

The ship had a large well deck at the waterline level, almost as large as the hull itself, enough for two LCMs side by side, but not very long. It measured 81.7 meters (c270 ft) in lenght for 23.8 meters in width (78 ft) and 8.1 meters (26 ft) high. This well deck had a powerful pumping system to flood it or empty it fast, up to 12,000 tons of seawater for trimming, and sealing by a large hydraulic door, sharing these systems with the latest LSDs. The remainder of the useful forward space above the waterline was the vehicle’s parking and crew’s facilities. The aero hangar was located directly above. Thus, instead of later LHDs that had the vehicle parking above the almost full lenght well deck, in this first version, both the well deck and parking shared the same level.

The ship can carry supplies (116,900 cubic feet/3,310 m3) of all sorts for a full Marine Batallion, from ammunition to food, shelter, workshops and generator sets. There was a 460m² training and acclimatization room. It also had an internal workshop for vehicle repair at the same level as the vehicle’s deck. Accomodations for up to 2,000 men also ensure they arrived rested (the standard was between 1700 and 1800), with a scalable mess system. The Tarawa class also had a state of the art medical facilities with 17 ICU beds, 4 operating rooms, 300 extra beds plus a 1,00-unit blood bank and full dental facilities, orthopedics, trauma, general surgery, and x-ray capabilities. Note that this alsop benefited the regular ship’s crew, 56 officers and 874 enlisted.

Its vehicle stowage garage was forward of the docking well over 3,134m² of parking space, and palletized cargo holds for 3,311m³. The detail of vehicles changed along USMC vehicle procurement, with the largest tanks operated in the 1970s being the M60A3+ Patton. The LVTP-7 amphibious APC could also be carried (45 if only these) immersed directly from the gradual ramp from the vehicle parking to the well deck, in order to load them. This means the Landing Crafts had to exit tail first. These were 135-foot Landing Craft Utility (LCU1610), four of them, or two LCU and three LCM-8 or 17 LCM-6 and up to 40 LVTP-7 on the vehicle deck. In time, this started to change, with one LCAC (hovercraft) or seven LCM(8).

Air Group & Facilities

3 views
The flight deck measured 820 x 118.1 foot (249.9 by 36 meters), with 2 aircraft lifts, one axial aft and one side lift, smaller, on the port side. The deck was tailored with spots for twelve CH-46 Sea Knights (22 troops) or nine CH-53 Sea Stallions (55). Parking, rotors folded, was on the port (island) side, the taking-off spots on starboard. The hangar deck had 30 of the first and 19 of the latter, combining a capacity of 1705 (660+1045) men, so almost the entire batallion in two waves given the lack of spots.

OV-10A on USS Nassau, 1983.
The flight deck parking space was around 20 helicopters but when the Harriers were carried, the central taking-off stripe for VTOL take-offs at full charge needed to be left open. The early Sky Night and Stallion were heavy helicopters, having not proper combat capacity, so this was mixed with attack helicopters such as the AH-1W Super Cobra, and later in their career, the UH-1N Huey, MH-60S Knighthawk and eventually the MV-22B Osprey. She also operated the OV-10 Bronco, which had short (STOL), 500ft (152 meters) capabilities as well, for observation.

AV-8B takeoff roll on USS Tarawa
The elephant in the room was their later aircraft complement composed of six AV-8B VSTOL from 1988 onwards. These brought an extra anti-air protection to the ship (as a CAP) but their main intended role was to support the USMC on shore with deeper strikes (like preventing enemy reinforcements). In that case, the helicopter complement was reduced to 12 CH-46E, 6 CH-53E, 6 AH-1W, 4 UH-1N helicopter. The ships also were tested to carry a total of twenty AV-8B VSTOL, to act as extra support. With time, the aicraft complement varied from 46 down to 35, which became the standard. However Tarawa tested the AV-8A ealry in her career, for a short qualification, and LHA-4 USS Nassau also in 1981 operated a full complement of twenty AV8A for a common air support test with USS Saratoga.

Armament

The Tarawa class themselves boasted still a good self-defence for their size, with two octuple Sea Sparrow SAM (16 RIM-7), three 5-in(127mm)/54 Mk 45 guns, and six 20mm/80 Mk 67 CIWS. However in time, this was modernized. After 1988 (Harrier conversion), they had two Mk.49 launchers for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), and two Mk.15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) for a good balance of medium, short to close range AA defence, with the AV8B Harrier II providing the long range defence. Another recent additionwas the Mk.38 25mm Machine Guns, two posts to deal with asymetric threats.

Mk.45 Mod.2 guns

Lightweight gun with an L54 Mark 19 gun on a Mark 45 mount manufactured by United Defence and later BAE systems.
Specs: 270 in (6,86 m) long. Shell 70 lb (31,75 kg).
Elevation: – 15° to + 65°, 16-20 rpm, effective range 13 nm (24,1 km).
They were removed in 1997-98 and replaced by RAM CIWS.

Sea Sparrow SAM

One octuple mount located on the forward bridge step (A position) and another on the port rear sponson, opposite the 5-in/54.

⚙ specifications RIM-7 Sea Sparrow

Weight 510 lb (230 kg) Dimensions 12 ft x 8 in (3.7 m x 20 cm) wp 3 ft 4 in (1.02 m) Propulsion Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor Speed 4,256 km/h (2,645 mph) Range/Ceiling 10 nmi (19 km) Payload Annular blast fragmentation warhead, 90 lb (41 kg)* *Proximity fuzed, expanding rod, with a 27 ft (8.2 m) kill radius.

20mm/80 Mark 67

Single mounts, improved version of the Oerlikon.

20mm/76 Mark 15 Phalanx CIWS (1980s)

The venerable Vulcan-Phalanx close-in weapon system, widespread in the USN at the time. More.

Armament Upgrades

In the early 1980s Saipan lost one Sea Sparrow SAM for an additional 20mm/76 Mk 15 Phalanx. Nassau kept both but also gained an extra CIWS, whereas Tarawa, Belleau Wood and Peleliu lost in the early 1990s their port aft 5-in/54 main gun, as well as Saipan and Nassau, and the latter two gained a single extra Phalanx CIWS, the first three gained two. Between 1995 and 1997, Sea Sparrow were removed entirely as well as the remaining main guns. RAM CIWS were installed (one on the bridge roof) at some point before 1999. In the 2000s, for all ships, three 25mm/75 Mk 38 Bushmaster RWS were installed, whereas until 1999, all 20 mm/80 AA guns were replaced by eight Browning M2HB 0.5 inches.

Sensors

The ship had a full array of sensors for a medium range coverage, with important command and control facilities to operate as amphibious flagship). Externally, it had an extensive electronic array above the island with the 3D radar (SPS-52) for limited fighter control around its landing area. It later received more substantial command and control (C4I) facilities, with sophisticated SHF and EHF satellite communications in addition to area tactical link.

The original suite comprised the SPS-53, SPS-52B, SPS-10F, SPS-40B, SPN-35A, LN-66, SPG-60 radars and the SPQ-9A jammer, four Mk 95 radars for the Sea Sparrow, and the ITAWDS Combat Command System. Once upgraded, this went to a Mk 90 radar associated with the first Phalanx CIWS installed, and later the Mk 23 Mod. 3 TAS radars. In the 1990s the whole radar suite was upgraded with the SPS-67(v)3, SPS-48E, SPN-43B and SPS-64(v)9 radars.

Active Protection

Originally in the 1970s this was the WLR-1 ECM suite.
Then with 1980 modernizations, the former was replaced by a SLQ-32(v)3 ECM suite and four Mk 36 SRBOC decoy launchers.
Then in the 1990s modernizations, a SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoy system was installed as well.

⚙ specifications
Displacement	27,000t standard, 39,967 t full load, see notes
Dimensions	834 x 131.9 x 25.9 ft (254 x 40.2 x 7.9 m)
Propulsion	2 shafts, CE boilers, Westinghouse turbines: 70,000 hp (52,000 kW), bow thruster
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range	10,000 nm (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 20 knots
Armament	2×8 MK.25 Sea Sparrow, 3×5-in/54 Mk 45, 6x 20mm/80 AA, see notes
Capacity	4× LCU 1610/2x LCU+ 2LCM-8/17 LCM-6/45 AAVP, 1,703 troops
Active Protection	WLR-1 ECM, SLQ-32(v)3, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC, SLQ-25A Nixie
Sensors	SPS-53, SPS-52B, SPS-10F, SPS-40B, SPN-35A, LN-66, SPG-60, SPQ-9A, 4x Mk 95 radars, WLR-1 ECM suite, ITAWDS CCS
Air Group	19 Sea Stallions, 26 Sea Knights/6 Harrier II jets
Facilities	820 x 118.1 ft (249.9 by 36.0 m) deck, 2 lifts, hangar
Crew	56 officers + 874 ratings

LHA-1 USS Tarawa (1973)

USS Tarawa (LHA-1) was laid down on 15 November 1971, launched on 1 December 1973 and commissioned on 29 May 1976. Her first Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment however only intervened in 1979, three years after trials, workout, qualifications, and fixes. She visited along the way Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Manila, Subic Bay ad well countris such as South Korea, Singapore, Pattaya in Thailand and Okinawa in Japan, then Hong Kong. She experimented with Marine close air support AV-8A Harrier, rescued 400 South Vietnamese refugees adrift. She made a second deployment in 1980-1981 in the Indian Ocean and in 1983, in her third she was in the Mediterranean supporting UN peacekeepers in Beirut. In 1985 she joined the Pacific 7th Fleet, for Operation Valiant Blitz with the 3rd USMC Division for amphibious landing, helicopter operations, off the coast of Okinawa. She later had R&R at Hong Kong and Subic Bay. From June 1989 she made another six-month WESTPAC, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Camp Horno, Pendleton) and the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. By December 1990 she became flagship of an amphibious task force supporitng Operation Desert Shield. She took part in the Sea Soldier IV diversionary action in January, and on 24 February landed Marines in Saudi Arabia, south of the Kuwaiti border.

In May 1991, Tarawa was off Bangladesh for Operation Sea Angel, humanitarian assistance after a cyclone. In May 1992 she was again in the Western Pacific, for Eager Mace 1992–93 with the Kuwaiti Navy, and inserted Pakistani troops into Somalia with the UN relief. She was back to HP San Diego in November 1992. Her 1992 deployment included Asia but also the Persian Gulf, Somalia, and Australia. By April 1996 she had an overhaul at Long Beach and left San Diego for another (9th) WestPac, and a US/Thailand amphibious training in the Gulf of Thailand, as well as exercise Indigo Serpent with the Saudi Navy, exercise Infinite Moonlight between the US and Royal Jordanian Navy in the Red Sea. Next was Operation Southern Watch (no-fly zone over southern Iraq), and Operation Desert Strike. She was bacl at San Diego in October 1996. On 7 February 1998 she made another six-month deployment, five days ahead of schedule, to the Persian Gulf. The Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), consisting of more than 2,100 Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), operated in the western Pacific, Indian Ocean Persian Gulf. She also had special operations certification exercises and later dashed back to the Persian Gulf within 31 days at 17 knots due to a new threat of war with Iraq. With the 11th MEU she arrived in the Persian Gulf on 11 March 1998, relievung USS Guam (LPH-9). In the summer of 1998 her Amphibious Ready Group evacuated 250 people from Asmara (Erithrea) at war and startving, back on 7 August.

In mid October 2000, Tarawa was in the Strait of Hormuz when USS Cole was attacked. She raced to assist her in the Port of Aden, Yemen, joining USS Donald Cook, USS Hawes, HMS Marlborough for logistical support and harbor security. This became “Operation Determined Response”. After the damaged Cole was secure on the Norwegian heavy-lift MV Blue Marlin, she was back to duty in the Persian Gulf. By 17 January 2001 she had a WESTPAC in which she lost her port anchor and chain while in Hong Kong, due to a brake failure while in Victoria Harbor. Scuba certified drivers found her anchor, lifted later by a local barge-crane, unsuccessful as it could not relocate the anchor. On 6 January 2003 Tarawa with the 15th MEU on board was deployed to the middle east, and in mid-February, elements established a training camp in Northern Kuwait. She returned from mid-2005 to early 2006 for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Bright Star in Egypt with the 13th MEU. Later in her deployment she visited Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

USS Tarawa towed out of Pearl Habrour to be sunk as target at RIMPAC 2024

She returned to Bangladesh, after the ravages of Cyclone Sidr for relief efforts with USS Kearsarge, Operations Sea Angel II. Her last deployment was from 7 November 2007 to 8 June 2008, with the 11th MEU (1st Battalion, 5th Marines) again in the Middle East for Op. Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom. Back to San Diego after seven months she returned to Bangladesh for for tsunami victims buut also visited Australia and Hawaii. She was decommissioned on March 31, 2009, transferred by the USNS Salvor, to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Middle Loch, Pearl Harbor, category B Reserve to be reactivated according to Marine Sealift Requirements. By July 2014 an Historical Society was formed by members of Tarawa’s commissioning crew (the “plankowners”) to make her the first amphibious ship museum, but never get the funds to purchase her. She stricken on April 30, 2024, sunk on 19 July 2024 iff Hawaii at RIMPAC 2024, largest ship sunk in that live fire exercise, finish off by an AGM-158C LRASM from an F/A-18F Super Hornet.

LHA-2 USS Saipan (1974)

uss saipaon

Saipan (LHA-2) was laid down on 21 July 1972, launched on 18 July 1974 and commissioned on 15 October 1977. In July 1979 she was sent to Special Contingency Operations, on standby to evacuate personnel from the Nicaraguan Revolution. She was moored at Naval Station Rota (Spain) by February 1982 with USS Raleigh and Dédalo. From February to April 1980 she took part in Anorak Express 80 landing a Marine battalion to Norway. In May, she assisted U.S. Coast Guard efforts to rescue Cuban refugees in the Straits of Florida, Mariel boatlift. On 25 August she departed Norfolk for her first Mediterranean deployment and 3 September 1981, made another Med TOD, visiting seven countries. Starting in August 1982 and until July 1983 she had her first overhaul at Norfolk. By September 1983 in Refresher Training at Guantanamo Bay, she took part in Operation Urgent Fury, off Grenada. In 1984, she made another North Atlantic deployment.
In January 1985 she made a 3rd Mediterranean deployment, covering 32,000 miles (51,000 km) and making 6,700 landings. She had a 4-month restricted availability in Norfolk and returned to training. On 17 August 1986 she made a 4th Med TOD, notably to the Eastern Mediterranean, and returned to Norfolk on 24 February 1987.

From late October 1987 to January 1989 she was in refit at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. From March to September 1990 she made a 6th Med TOD. By late May 1990 she was sent to the Eastern Atlantic, Mamba Station. She made there a evacuation of some 1,600 civilians from Liberia (Operation Sharp Edge). From September 1991 to March 1992 she was in Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm. She had an underway replenishment with USS Simpson at Phoenix Express 2006. She returned to the Mediterranean in March 1993 for Operation Deny Flight and Provide Promise and was back in September 1993 for a 3rd overhaul in April 1994. By June 1996 in the Mediterranean she took part in Operation Decisive Endeavor and other multi-national exercises, back to HP Norfolk in December 1996. For her 7thh Med TOD by July 1998 she was in the Adriatic Sea due to a grave crisis in Albania. On 28 July 1998 she rescued the motor yacht MY Huntress off Corfu, rescuing the crew and guests. For her 1998 deployment to the Mediterranean she carried the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 22nd MEU/SOC to support several missions like Operation Balkan Calm (Kosovo Observer Mission) from 15 July 1998 to 19 November 1998 as well as Operation Autumn Shelter, evacuating the embassy in Kinshasa in Congo on 10-16 August 1998, and Operation Resolve Resolute for the embassy in Tirana from 17 August to 15 November 1998. In 1999 she started testing the V-22 Osprey.

She joined a battle group with USS Anzio, Dwight D. Eisenhower, for a photographic exercise. In July 2000 she was back in the Adriatic at the Fall of 2000 for federal elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia back on 12 February 2001 at Norfolk for an overhaul. On 10 January 2003 she was back in the Persian Gulf for Operation Iraqi Freedom. From January 2005 to early March 2005 she joined USNAVSO in support of New Horizons, humanitarian civic assistance to Haiti. By June she visited Oslo for the country’s centennial. Next she was in the Royal Navy International Fleet Review off Portsmouth, seen by Queen Elizabeth II, and also took part in the 2005 International Festival of the Sea and Trafalgar 200 celebration. In May 2006 she was back to the Mediterranean for a multi-national training, Operation Phoenix Express in Spain, Morocco, and Algeria. She was back to Norfolk in July. From 16 August she was back in the Persian Gulf for Operation Iraqi Freedom and to Norfolk on 22 December. She was decommissioned on 20 April 2007 at Norfolk, used for weapons effect testing, transferred to the inactive fleet, Pier 4 at Philadelphia. On 30 September 2009 she was sold for BU to International Shipbreaking Ltd, Brownsville, towed there on 28 October, completed on 23 February 2011.

LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood (1977)

uss belleau wood

Laid down as USS Philippine Sea on 5 March 1973, she was renamed Belleau Wood when launched on 11 April 1977 and completed on 23 September 1978. She was named after the most famous USMC battle of WWI. She was homeported at San Diego in California from October 1978, and took part in a first full-scale operation in 1979 off Hawaii. In early 1979 she was back at Long Beach for a long engine overhaul. She started a major deployment in January 1981, rescing Vietnamese refugees in April, made three major exercises, nine port visits between Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Diego Garcia and Australia in May, then back to San Diego in August. In 1982 she was at four major amphibious exercises including one off Somalia and another off Australia, plus 11 port visits, back to San Diego in February 1983 and a yard period at Long Beach over 8 months to late October 1983. Her 3rd WestPack was from January 1984 with exercises off Korea and the Philippines back in July 1984.

She had a 11-month complex overhaul at Puget Sound from March 1985 to February 1986 and back to San Diego. Exercises in 1986 won her a Battle “E”. In January 1987 she made a 4th deployment with four major exercises, and a first winter amphibious off the Aleutian Islands, notably using her recent AV-8B Harrier. In Bering Sea she battled high waves and foul weather as two cyclones merged, having extensive damage repaired at Subic Bay. Later underway she lost power: Both engines and one generator stopped. She was adrift for five days until towed by USS Anchorage for Sydney. Repairs were done to the boilers. She later joined the Midway Battle Group and took part in RAN exercises. Full repairs were performed at Long Beach in 1987–1988. In January 1989 she sailed for th Western Pacific and for 5 months, had the Exercise Team Spirit 89 and Valiant Usher, Philippines and Korea. On 4 October she hosted the Pdt. Gorbatchev for an historic visit to the US.

She then had a second complex overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1990 and left on 31 August 1992 for San Diego, with her new homeport designated as Sasebo. Underway she provided assistancea and relief to Kauai after Hurricane Iniki. In Japan she joined Amphibious Group 1, Amphibious Squadron 11. On 27 October 1992, two crtwemen murdered another in a public park outside Sasebo, of homophobic nature, whuch shook the “omerta” about thes incidents with the US DOD. The was a collective punishment and the CO was relieved. On 24 November 1992, Belleau Wood ledt the Philippines for a final withdrawal of the USN from Subic Bay and NAS Cubi Point. She then took part in Valiant Usher (Austrlia), Team Spirit (Korea) Cobra Gold (Thailand), and Tandem Thrust, Guam , having pierside maintenance in Singapore. From January to April 1995 she was the Command Platform for Operation United Shield. In 1996 she took part in the 3rd Taiwan Strait Crisis and was deployed to East Timor for INTERFET TF 5-28 October 1999. By July 2000, was had a large crew swap until relieved by USS Essex from 13 July 2000. The crews switched ships, a gesture for families from the homeport. She had a new overhaul at San Diego.

From 17 January to 16 June 2001 she had a 5-month dry dock maintenance with her air conditioning improved and many revamped combat system and sensors. On 15 June 2002 she took part in Operation Enduring Freedom, exercises Infinite Moonlight in Jordan, Eager Mace in Kuwait and brought relied on the east coast of Djibouti in October, East Timor in November. She was back at San Diego on 15 December. In 2002 she took part in the movie Antwone Fisher.
On 22 January 2003, she had a last complex overhaul at National Steel and Shipbuilding Com. San Dieg until 8 October 2003. In November she became flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, a first in USMC history. By July 2004 she carried the 11th MEU to Kuwait and after middle east service, returned to San Diego, to be decommissioned on 28 October 2005, spent as target, sunk off Hawaii as part of RIMPAC 06 on 13 July 2006.

LHA-4 USS Nassau (1978)

USS Nassau, LHA-4

Laid down asUSS Leyte Gulf on 13 August 1973, she was renamed Nassau when launched on 21 January 1978 and commissioned on 28 July 1979. In October she was sent to Guantanamo base, earning the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation for her fast readiness. In April 1981 she was sent to the Mediterranean, meeting two carriers groups and statying for ten weeks as an aircraft carrier (full capacity of AV8A Harriers) to reinforce USS Saratoga, with Marine Attack Squadrons 231 and 542 (Air Group 32), for the first time. Nassau was deployed to Beirut with the 24th MEU from February 1984 after the barracks bombing. Fast forward in 1990 and she took part in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm for over eight months under an eight days’ notice. She was the flagship, Commander, Amphibious Task Force, and 4th MEB General.

She was a “Harrier Carrier” again, this time with twenty AV-8B Harrier II for local support.
She also took part later in Operations Uphold Democracy, Deny Flight, Allied Force, Noble Anvil as well as Navy and joint exercises across the the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Adriatic and received her first “Battle Effectiveness “E” award by November 1983, a second in 2007. In February 2008 deployment she was flagship, Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group for the Maritime Security Operations and Theater Security Cooperation, 5th and 6th Fleet areas, Atlantic and Med. She also served as logistics hub for mail, cargo and supplies. She deployed combat SAR and the tactical recovery teams for downed aircraft and personnel as well.

In July 2008, she returned from deployment and entered maintenance. At 4:30 pm on 18 September 2008, it was announced by local new medias she sailed to help Galveston Island after Hurricane Ike. She stayed 7 miles (11 km) offshore with Marines deployed with heavy machinery for cleaning-up and restore power. In January 2010, Nassau left with the 24th MEU on a routine deployment over 7 months. It was based at Camp Lejeune. Nassau proceeded with USS Mesa Verde and USS Ashland as the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group to operate with the 5th and 6th Fleet areas, including the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean (5th) and Mediterranean (6th fleet). She brought relief to Haiti on 21 January 2010 after an earthquake. She was then in mission in the Middle East, for a record 159 consecutive days. Back home a last time she was decommissioned in Norfolk on 31 March 2011, moored in Beaumont, Texas at the MARAD National Defense Reserve Fleet ships, but on disposal status from 31 March 2021. There were discussions to use her as a humanitarian vessel but an agreement was reached on 22 January 2019 (“FriendSHIP Act”) to a standby transfer to Japan on sale or grant. However this was never activated and instead she was sent on 30 April 2021 to Brownsville for disposal and recycling over 12 months, now complete.

LHA-5 USS Peleliu (1978)

USS Peleliu

Laid down as USS Khe Sanh on 12 November 1976 she was renamed Da Nang, then Peleliu when launched on 25 November 1978 and commissioned 3 May 1980. She steamed southwards and crossed Panama to the Pacific, the Equator on 27 May 1980, a record transit from commissioning to reaching Long Beach, as first HP. After the 17 October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake she brought her assets to the Sealift Command ships in assistance, sheltered c300 victims, provided helicopter support. She had a full deployment in the Western Pacific from January 1990, with Amphibious Ready Group for a serie of multinational exercises like Team Spirit with, Korea, Cobra Gold with Thailand and returned to Long Beach in July but had a shipyard availability period. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 she abbreviated preparations and sailed out for an accelerated pre-deployment training, but was not called for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She still left Long Beach in May 1991 for the Middle East. In June 1991 she was sent to Hong Kong and Philippines for the evacuations after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, starting at the maternity ward, Subic Bay naval hospital. Subic Bay, Cubi Point and Clark AFB were emptied and covered with ashes.

Back to Long Beach, Peleliu had a shipyard rehabilitation and proceeded on May 1992 for workups and inspections, then her new WESTPAC started on 21 January 1994. She also changed HP to San Diego and deployed the 11th MEU, stopping at Pearl Harbor and Singapore, then Mogadishu, Somalia for Operation Continue Hope and Quick Draw. From 3 March 1994 she remained for weeks in local operations, visited by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Rear Admiral James B. Perkins III, as well as CJTF Major General Thomas M. Montgomery, Brig. General Vercauteren of the USMC. While off Mombasa she took part in Operation Distant Runner between Rwanda and Burundi and provided medical assistance to civilians. She left on 4 June 1994 to Perth and 30 June 1994 she carried the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines to the namesake island of Peleliu fo the 50 anniversary of the Battle.

She was in the Persian Gulf in November 1995 and deployed the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit/Special Operations Capable and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, then arrived in the Persian Gulf for Operation Southern Watch after port calls. 26 October to 27 November 1999 saw her off East Timor for INTERFET (peacekeeping task force). She left San Diego in August 2001 with the 15th MEU for a 6-month deployment in the Western Pacific and learned about the 11 September attacks while in Darwin. She was rushed to the North Arabian Sea. On 26 November 2001, she took the 1st USMC to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. While now flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group One, she detained and interrogated 15 members of an intercepted a hostile boat in the Indian Ocean, finding 2,800 pounds (1,300 kg) of hashish coming from the North Arabian Sea. In all she remained for nine months, supporting air strikes into Iraq and dispatched her MEU in ground operations, southern Iraq.

Peleliu supported the Pacific Partnership mission from 23 May through 20 September 2007 and that included medical, dental, construction as well as other humanitarian assistance programs, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands. The medical personnel was beefered up by teams from ten other countries and three private assistance organizations. In 2008 she supported Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and was in antipiracy patrols. On 10 August 2008 she assisted the merchant ship Gem of Kilakari, attacked by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden. In August 2010 she was sent to Karachi, Pakistan, using her helicopters for rescues in massive floods of southern Pakistan, worst in recorded history. Her CO was relieved of command as being “unduly familiar” with several crewmembers relieved by the chief of staff for Expeditionary Strike Group 3. On 24 November 2010 she returned to Subic Bay after the evacuation of 1991 and visited others until back to San Diego on 18 December 2010. On 17 September 2012 she depployed the C5F AOR and on 14 May 2013 she was back after a 8-month deployment with USS Green Bay (LPD-20) and USS Rushmore (LSD-47). By February 2014, she was deployed in the Western Pacific and made numerous ports visits and exercises over 25,000 nautical miles (46,000 km; 29,000 mi). Her air group trained also with some from Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Argentina.

She was flagship, CO 7th Fleet, Amphibious Squadron 11, 31st MEU USS Germantown for an ARG for operations and exercises, PHIBLEX 15, cooperation exercises with allies. From June to August 2014, she departed with Amphibious Squadron Three for RIMPAC 2014, 3rd Fleet. Back to San Diego on 24 December 2014 after her last 6-month deployment there were preparations to decommission by March 2015, after 34 years service, 17 deployments, 990,000 miles in transit. Decommissioned on 31 March 2015 in San Diego she was sent to the reserve of Pearl Harbor, inactive reserve status, moored with Tarawa until struck on April 30, 2024 and staying at NAVSEA pending final disposal. She is still there as of 2026, “extant” and likely not to be scrapped given the international context.