USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3)

USS "Niagara Falls" (AFS–3), a "Mars" class combat stores ship, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named after the Niagara Falls.

"Niagara Falls" was laid down on 22 May 1965 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California; launched on 26 March 1966; sponsored by Mrs. Jacob Javits, wife of the senior Senator from New York; delivered to the Navy at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Long Beach, California, on 20 April 1967; and commissioned on 29 April, with Captain Horace C. Holley in command.

"Niagara Falls" was designed to deliver refrigerated stores, dry provisions, technical spares, and general stores type material to the Fleet at sea. Her configuration provides for rapid issue rates using a minimum of men and the latest in transfer-at-sea methods, cargo handling, storage techniques, and automation. She is capable of simultaneous replenishment of one ship on each side as well as transfer of material by cargo helicopters, which she carries.

After initial shakedown, the new combat store ship loaded 2500 tons of stores at Naval Supply Center, Oakland, California and through September completed final acceptance trials and post-shakedown availability at San Diego.

Vietnam Era

By 4 February 1968, "Niagara Falls" completed her shakedown availability and continued preparations for her first deployment. She steamed for WestPac on 28 March, arrived at Subic Bay on 14 April, and there conducted the first of many replenishmerits.

Upon arrival on 22 April at An Thoi, South Vietnam, she transferred over 100 tons of material, and two days later she supplied amphibious units in Vung Tau. In Cam Rahn Bay 25 April, "Niagara Falls" supplied ships and the Naval Support Activity there. She also supplied ships of the Naval Gunfire Support Group off the Vietnam coast, and made several replenishment swings through the Yankee Station and Market Time areas.

"Niagara Falls" completed the last replenishment of her deployment on 15 September, called at Hong Kong from 17 through 21 September, at Pearl Harbor from 9–10 October, and arrived back at San Diego on 17 October. Completing preparations for another deployment and transfer of homeport to Sasebo to commence 3 January 1969 with the arrival of the New Year, "Niagara Falls" steamed for WestPac a second time.

During the Vietnam War the "Niagara Falls" participated in the following campaigns: Vietnamese Counter Offensive Phases IV, V, VI; Tet 69 / Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer/Fall 69; Vietnam Winter/Spring 70; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VII; Consolidation I; Vietnam Ceasefire.

On 14 September 1970, "Niagara Falls" found and rescued the convert|42|ft|m|0|sing=on sailboat "Galilee" that had been the object of an intense search for more than a month. When sighted, the boat was about convert|400|nmi|km|-1 west/northwest of Honolulu. The three crew members had been without food since 27 July (the "Galilee" departed Tahiti on 17 June for Honolulu).

During the period July 15-30, 1971 "Niagara Falls" and USS "Sacramento" (AOE-1) are noted by USS "Enterprise" operating at Yankee Station as conducting a complex 4 helicopter VERTREP.

October 31, 1971, USS NIAGARA FALLS is slightly damaged by a maindeck fire while moored at Hong Kong. The fire is later determined to be caused by arson.

Reagan era

On September 6, 1983, "Niagara Falls" changed homeports to Guam and became part of the forward deployed elements of CTF 73/75, part of the 7th Fleet. From that time until January 1991 the ship conducted 3 Refresher Training sessions, 5 OPPRE's, 4 SMI's, 5 ARE's, and 3 INSURV Inspections. She made port calls to numerous locations such as Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan; Hong Kong; Subic Bay and Cebu, Philippines; Bali, Indonesia; Fremantle/Perth, Australia; Singapore; Muscat, Oman; Bahrain; Pattaya and Phuket, Thailand; Fujiarah, UAE; and Diego Garcia. A number of these locations were visited more than once. "Niagara Falls" participated in numerous Fleet Support Operations including repeated Masirah Airheads, Operation Team Spirit and PACEX-89.

The "Falls" received the "7th Fleet Finest Combat Logistic Support Ship" award for her performance in PACEX-89, a combined US, Korean, and Japanese naval exercise which was the largest since the end of the Korean War. Included in PACEX-89 such notables as the USS "New Jersey", USS "Missouri," USS "Enterprise," and USS "Nimitz." During PACEX-89 "Niagara Falls" was the command ship for the Underway Replenishment Group.

Due to the nature of the tasking of a combat stores ship, and the outstanding performance the "Niagara Falls" has provided in logistic support service, she has earned the nickname "Fighting Falls" by the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet. Through 1991 the "Fighting Falls" had supported Seventh Fleet operations during 15 WestPac/Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf deployments. The "Niagara Falls" was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation as well as receiving the Battle "E" after an extended deployment for almost eight months followed immediately by another short fuse deployment.

"Niagara Falls" participated in The Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War supporting Operation Prime Chance and Operation Earnest Will. In one near action the "Niagara Falls" crossed paths with an Iranian minelayer and during a tense hour the "Fighting Falls" prepared to defend herself. There was no exchange of fire, the intelligence on the minelayer was relayed by Captain Gay to the fleet and the Iranian ship was subsequently intercepted by US Navy combatant forces. "Niagara Falls" often visited Bahrain, Fujiarah, Muscat, and the obligatory Masirah Airhead Evolutions during this time.

"Niagara Falls" was one of the first non-depot ships to be assigned female crew members, starting with LCDR Carol Rengstorff as Executive Officer. Approximately 30 female sailors and officers were made part of the "Niagara Falls" crew shortly thereafter.

Desert Storm

"Niagara Falls" participated in Operation Desert Storm, transiting the Straits of Hormuz at midnight on January 16th, 1991 and assigned operating area of the North Persian Gulf. Due to limited mine countermeasure assets in the Gulf and the "Fighting Falls" operating area, an EODMU detachment was assigned. During the course of the war the "Niagara Falls" destroyed five naval mines herself while operating in the northern Persian Gulf.

One interesting incident on the 23rd of January was the visible flash of an explosion reported by the aft lookout, possibly an errant Scud missile which had been reported heading out into the Gulf.

On March 29 the "Niagara Falls" assisted the M/V "Mercs Horana" which was undergoing a major shipboard fire. The "Falls" arrived at night and the crew was presented with the sobering image of the "Horana"s superstructure fully engulfed in flames, and four other coalitions ships, including the USS "Shasta" (AE-33) and USS "Francis Hammond" (FF-1867) circling the burning vessel. The "Niagara Falls" At-Sea Fire Party is told to stand ready to motorboat over, however the Commonwealth Coalition ship in charge at the scene declines the manpower and requests spare fire fighting foam be supplied.

For the 143 days in combat zone, and operating North of 28.30N and West of 49.30E between 1991-01-17 to 1991-02-28 the ship was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon. During the course of the war the "Niagara Falls" primary assignment was the USS "Missouri" battlegroup, however she also serviced the USS "Ranger", the Amphibious Group, and the hospital ships. During this period the "Niagara Falls" would mainly resupply from Jebel Ali near Dubai, however stops were also made at Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Post Desert Storm Era

While returning from the Gulf War and enjoying a liberty call at Phuket, Thailand the Mt. Pinatubo volcano erupted in the Philippines. The "Niagara Falls" duty crews loaded stores at Phuket while completing the liberty port call and immediately steamed to Subic Bay, Philippines to off load food and stores for the relief and recovery effort, named Operation Fiery Vigil. Even arriving in Subic Bay some days after the main eruption, the "Falls" was quickly covered in layer of ash reminiscent of a heavy snowfall.

Late of 1991 to early 1992 the ship entered drydock for refit and overhaul. This saw the upgrade to refueling station capacities by adding a "arm" to one of the ship's "M" Frames.

Spring-Summer of 1992, the ship took a mini-Westpac cruise of the south-west Asian ports of Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.

In August 1992, Typhoon Omar swept through island Guam. The ship's was down for service to main gear and was unable to goto sea. The ship was torn illiterally from its moorning lines and swept across the main harbor, hitting a refueling barge and ultimately running around on the lagoon's shallow shore. The damage to the ship was minimum, however her sister ship, USS White Plains (AFS-4), was torn from its mooring lines and run aground on hard coral beach in Apra Harbor.

Once made operational, the Niagara Falls sail to the USN Yokosuka Base's shipyard for further repairs and trials. The ship return to Guam in early September to load its stores for its next deployment. The ship left late September 1992 for the Persian Gulf.

TAR era

"Niagara Falls" was decommissioned in September 1994 and assigned to the Military Sealift Command where she was placed in service on 23 September 1994 as "USNS Niagara Falls" (T-AFS-3), assigned to the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, Far East.

On 19 April 1997, while conducting a VERTREP with USS "Constellation" (CV-64) one of the "Falls" UH-46E Sea Knight helicopters crashed into the sea. The crash occurred approximately convert|2000|nmi|km|-2 southwest of Hawaii and all four crew members were safely rescued. The helicopter crew members from Helicopter Support Squadron Five were rescued by the quick reaction of other CH-46 helicopters on-scene at the time of the incident. Assisting in the rescue was a motor-whale boat from "Niagara Falls." The four crew members, who escaped injury, were transported to "Constellation" for medical observation and were released to the "Niagara Falls" the same day.

On November 27, 2001 Supply Officer Donald J. O'Brien retired from the Military Sealift Command aboard the "Niagara Falls," thirty years after retiring from the U.S. Navy aboard the same ship.

Between September 11, 2001 and November 27, 2001 the "USNS Niagara Falls" broke both her Navy and TAR records for number of pallets moved with a total of 10,743 pallets, double the average number during a similar deployment time frame.

It was reported April 2003 that "Niagara Falls" crewman had developed a unique external method for transporting mail during VERTREP to overcome differences of the SH-60 helicopters compared to the older, roomier HH-46 helicopters.

"USNS Niagara Falls" was dispatched from Guam on January 2, 2005 in support of Tsunami Relief Operations (Operation Unified Assistance), ferrying relief supplies from Singapore to the USS "Abraham Lincoln" for distribution to the damaged areas.

October 27, 2005 USNS "Niagara Falls" runs aground while departing Malakal Harbor, Palau at 1pm local time, but is able to free itself two days later at 4:20 p.m. There were no reports of injuries or leakage from the ship. Over the period of two days, the "Niagara falls" transferred fuel and cargo aft within the ship, reducing the weight of the forward area of the ship. During the afternoon high tide period on October 29, the ship was able to free itself under its own power and with the assistance of a local tug boat.

Commanding Officers

References

USS "Niagara Falls" (AFS-3) Change of Command Pamphlet, January 1991

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n4/niagara_falls.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Niagara Falls"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/5203.htm navsource.org: USS "Niagara Falls"]
* [http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2003/April/niagarafalls.htm MSC Apr 2003: "Niagara Falls" delivers mail in a new, big way]