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USS Belleau Wood on 11 July 2005
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Belleau Wood |
Namesake | USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) |
Ordered | 15 November 1969 |
Builder | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
Laid down | 5 March 1973 |
Launched | 11 April 1977 |
Commissioned | 23 September 1978 |
Decommissioned | 28 October 2005 |
Renamed | from Philippine Sea |
Stricken | 28 October 2005 |
Homeport | San Diego |
Identification |
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Fate | Sunk as target, 13 July 2006 |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship |
Displacement | 40,000 tons |
Length | 820 ft (250 m) |
Beam | 106 ft (32 m) |
Draft | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
Propulsion | Steam turbine |
Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) |
Troops | 2,000 Marines plus equipment |
Complement | 930 officers and sailors |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | 30 helicopters and Harriers |
USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), nicknamed "Devil Dog", was an amphibious assault ship and the second ship named after the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood. Her keel was laid down on 5 March 1973 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding. She was launched on 11 April 1977, and commissioned on 23 September 1978.
Belleau Wood was the third of five ships in a new class (Tarawa class) of general-purpose amphibious assault ships, which combined into one ship type the functions previously performed by four different types: the landing platform helicopter (LPH), the amphibious transport dock (LPD), the amphibious cargo ship (LKA), and the dock landing ship (LSD). She was capable of landing elements of a United States Marine Corps battalion landing team and their supporting equipment by landing craft, helicopters, or a combination of both.