USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Bonhomme Richard.

USS Bonhomme Richard on 8 August 2017
History
United States
NameBonhomme Richard
NamesakeUSS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31)
Ordered11 December 1992
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding
Laid down18 April 1995
Launched14 March 1997
Commissioned15 August 1998
Decommissioned15 April 2021
Stricken15 April 2021
HomeportSan Diego
Identification
MottoI have not yet begun to fight!
Nickname(s)
  • Bonnie Dick
  • BHR
FateScrapped
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeWasp-class amphibious assault ship
Displacement40,358 long tons (41,006 t) full load
Length844 ft (257 m)
Beam105 ft (32 m)
Draft27 ft (8.2 m)
Installed power
  • 2 600 psi (4,100 kPa) boilers
  • 70,000 shp (52,000 kW)
Propulsion
  • 2 geared steam turbines
  • two shafts
Speed22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range9,500 nmi (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Well deck dimensions266-by-50-foot (81 by 15.2 m) by 28-foot (8.5 m) high
Boats & landing
craft carried
Troops1,894 troops (plus 184 surge) Marine Detachment
Complement1,108
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Aircraft carried

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) was a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy commissioned on 15 August 1998. Like the previous five Wasp-class ships, Bonhomme Richard was designed to embark, deploy, and land elements of a Marine Corps landing force in amphibious assault operations by helicopter, landing craft, and amphibious vehicle, and, if needed, to act as a light aircraft carrier.

LHD-6 was the third ship of the United States Navy to bear the name first given by John Paul Jones to his Continental Navy frigate, named in French "Good Man Richard" in honor of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, the publisher of Poor Richard's Almanack who at the time served as U.S. ambassador to France.[2]

On 12 July 2020, a fire started on a lower vehicle-storage deck while the ship was undergoing maintenance at Naval Base San Diego. It took four days for firefighters to extinguish the fire, which injured at least 63 sailors and civilians and severely damaged the ship. After a lengthy investigation into the cause of the fire, a sailor was charged with arson but was acquitted at trial.[3][4] Repairs to the ship were estimated to take up to seven years and cost up to $3.2 billion, so the ship was decommissioned on 15 April 2021 and sold for scrap.

  1. ^ "Fact File: Amphibious Assault Ships - LHD/LHA(R)". U.S. Navy. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  2. ^ "LHD-1 Wasp class". Federation of American Scientists. 9 May 2000. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference charged was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference acquitted was invoked but never defined (see the help page).