USS Raleigh (LPD-1)

History
United States
NamesakeRaleigh, North Carolina
Ordered19 December 1958
BuilderNew York Naval Shipyard
Laid down23 June 1960
Launched17 March 1962
Commissioned8 September 1962
Decommissioned13 December 1991
Stricken25 January 1992
FateDisposed of as a target, 4 December 1994
General characteristics
Class and typeRaleigh-class amphibious transport dock
Displacement13,600 long tons (13,818 t)
Length522 ft (159 m)
Beam100 ft (30 m)
Draft23 ft (7.0 m)
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement490 officers and enlisted
Armament8 × 3"/50 caliber guns

USS Raleigh (LPD-1), the lead ship of her class of amphibious transport docks, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy named for the capital of North Carolina, which in turn honors the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, the first to attempt the establishment of an English settlement in the United States of America.

Her keel was laid down by the New York Naval Shipyard of Brooklyn, New York, on 23 June 1960. She was launched on 17 March 1962 sponsored by Mrs. Terry Sanford, wife of the Governor of North Carolina, and commissioned on 8 September 1962.

She was decommissioned in 1991 after deploying for the Gulf War.