Garcia class frigate

"Garcia" class frigates were United States Navy warships. These frigates were originally ocean escorts bearing the hull classification DE or DEG until 1975. The ships were commissioned between 1964 to 1968 and decommissioned between 1988 to 1990.

Description

Frigates fulfill a Protection of Shipping (POS) mission as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) combatants for amphibious expeditionary forces, underway replenishment groups and merchant convoys.

The "Garcia" class was a larger version of the "Bronstein" class.

The "Bronstein" ocean escort was a response to the development of high speed nuclear submarines in the late 1950s. They were powered by steam engines instead of diesel engines and incorporated a first class anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon system: the SQS-26BX sonar, MK 112 ASROC rocket launcher, and MK 32 torpedo tubes. Gun (naval artillery) armament (MK 33 3 inch/50 caliber) was changed in the "Garcia" class to two MK 30 5 inch/38 caliber guns.

There were two distinct breeds of ships bearing the DE hull classification, the World War II destroyer escorts (some of which were converted to DERs) and the postwar DE/DEG classes, which were known as ocean escorts despite carrying the same type symbol as the WWII destroyer escorts. All DEs, DEGs, and DERs were reclassified as FFs, FFGs, or FFRs on June 30, 1975 by the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification.

After decommissioning, USS "Bradley" (FF-1041), USS "Davidson" (FF-1045), USS "Sample" (FF-1048), and USS "Albert David" (FF-1050), were transferred to the Brazilian Navy, as the "Pernambuco" (D 30), "Paraíba" (D 28), "Paraná" (D 29), and "Pará" (D 27), respectively.

USS|Glover|FF-1098 was a Garcia class modified for research use, commissioned as AGDE-1 in 1965, redesignated AGFF-1 in 1975, and redesignated FF-1098 in 1979.

Units

Gallery

ee also

*Destroyer escort DE
*Frigate FF
*List of frigates of the United States Navy
*List of frigates by country and by frigate class

Notes

External links

* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/coldwar/garciaclass.html "Garcia"-class frigates] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]
*Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships from Naval Historical Center - information about person whom ship was named after plus early ship history
** [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g1/garcia.htm Garcia] picture
** [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/v4/voge.htm Voge]
** [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s3/sample.htm Sample]
** [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k5/koelsch.htm Koelsch]
** [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a5/albert_david.htm Albert David] picture
** [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o1/ocallahan.htm O'Callahan]
* [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/s_FF.htm Frigate] from Naval Vessel Register - all these ships have been decommissioned - see link for status
* [http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/classgarcia.html The Garcia class] from Destroyers OnLine - pictures, history, crews
* [http://www.desausa.org/ Destroyer Escort Sailors Association] more information and history about DEs
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20021015135449/http://www.geocities.com/bigwulfe/voge.html USS Voge] former crewmember's site with pictures (archive link, was dead)