USS Newport News (SSN-750)

USS "Newport News" (SSN-750), a "Los Angeles"-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Newport News, Virginia.

History

Construction

The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 19 April 1982 and her keel was laid down on 3 March 1984. She was launched on 15 March 1986 sponsored by Mrs. Rosemary D. Trible, and commissioned on 3 June 1989 with Commander Mark B. Keef in command. Mayor Jessie M. Rattley presented the ship with a commemorative plaque containing the poem "Newport News," written by Newport News native Ronald W. Bell, whose poem "Admiral Rickover" also appears upon a plaque aboard the "Los Angeles"-class sub USS "Hyman G. Rickover". The poem appears on this page with permission from the author:::"Newport News":Harbor of a thousand ships:Forger of a nation's fleet:Gateway to the New World:Where ocean and river meet:Strength wrought from steel:And a people's fortitude:Such is the timeless legacy:Of a place called Newport News.

Initial operations

"Newport News" returned to Norfolk, Virginia, following a six-month overseas deployment that included operations in the Middle East. She deployed in August 2004, first to take part in joint operations with allied navies in the North Atlantic, then to the U.S. Central Command area of operations "in support of national security interests and the global war on terrorism."

Collision with Japanese ship

On January 8, 2007, "Newport News" was operating submerged in the Arabian Sea south of the Straits of Hormuz when it hit the Japanese tanker "Mogamigawa". [ [http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/08/japan.us.ship/index.html U.S. sub collides with Japan ship] , CNN, January 8, 2007.] She had been operating as part of Carrier Strike Group 8 (CSG-8), [ [http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=24919 Eisenhower Strike Group Completes JTFEX 06-2] ] organized around the aircraft carrier "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CVN-69). The Carrier Strike Group was re-deploying to the Indian Ocean to support a maritime cordon during the war in Somalia when the incident happened.cite news
title=U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Al-Qaeda Figure
publisher=Washington Post
date=2007-01-08
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801822.html] The "Newport News" suffered damage to her bow, but there was no damage to the sail, mast or reactor, and it made for port in Bahrain under its own power.cite news
title=Navy sub damaged in collision heads for port in Bahrain
url=http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=117306&ran=215063
date=2007-01-09
publisher=The Virginian-Pilot
accessdate=2007-01-11 ] An official of the Kawasaki Kisen Company (or K Line), which owns the tanker, announced that"Mogamigawa"'s hull and propellers were damaged. [cite news
title=Japan's tanker sustains hull breach, propeller damage
url=http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11146345&PageNum=0
date=2007-01-11
publisher=ITAR-TASS
accessdate=2007-01-11]

According to a Navy Spokesman, the collision occurred as a result of the venturi effect. The tanker drove over the area where the submarine was submerged and this created a sucking effect that forced the submarine upward to the surface. [cite news
title=Navy says speed of tanker sucked submarine up to surface
url=http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=117352&ran=77484&tref=po
date=2007-07-10
publisher=The Virginian-Pilot
accessdate=2007-01-11] The incident was the third collision between a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine and a Japanese civilian ship. [Kiroku Hanai, "U.S. presence vs. the public will", "The Japan Times", January 23, 2007, [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20070123kh.html] ]

On 29 January, After the boat returned to Bahrain for repairs, administrative personnel actions (Admiral's Mast) were taken against several members of her crew, which included relieving the boat's commanding officer, Commander Matthew A. Weingart, of command due to a lack of confidence in his ability to command. [cite news
title=USS Newport News Commanding Officer Relieved Of Duty
url=http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=6005197&nav=ZolHbyvj
date=2007-01-29
publisher=WTKR Newschannel 3
accessdate=2007-01-30]

On 10 April the Iranian Fars News Agency reported that the "Newport News" has been leaking radioactive and chemical pollution in the Persian Gulf and claimed that following this formal complaint, the ship departed the gulf for a complete overhaul. [cite news
title=US Submarine Forced to Leave Persian Gulf
url=http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.php?nn=8601210568
date=2007-04-10
publisher=FARS News Agency
accessdate=2007-04-11 (Note that the image accompanying the FARS article is not a Los Angeles class submarine.)] The US Navy Fifth Fleet denied this claim restating that damage was limited to the bow and that the sail, mast and reactors were not damaged. [cite news
title=U.S. withdraws damaged sub said by Iran to leak radiation into Gulf
url=http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/07/front2454204.01875.html
date=2007-04-13
publisher=World Tribune
accessdate=2008-02-01] On October 2, 2007 the U.S. Navy agreed to pay Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd, the company that owns "Mogamigawa" an undisclosed amount in compensation for the collision. [Kyodo News, "U.S. to Pay Kawasaki Kisen over Submarine-Tanker Crash", "The Japan Times", October 3, 2007.]

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.csg2.navy.mil/Newport%20News/newportnews.htm US Navy Commander Submarine Group Two]