USS Carter Hall (LSD-50)

USS "Carter Hall" (LSD-50) is a "Harpers Ferry"-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for Carter Hall, an estate near Winchester, Virginia, built in the 1790s.

"Carter Hall" was laid down on 11 November 1991, by the Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, La.; launched on 2 October 1993 ; and commissioned on 30 September 1995 .

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"Carter Hall" and her plankowner crew departed on their first six-month Mediterranean deployment on 29 April 1997. Her crew completed its UNITAS/WATC deployment in November.

The mission of the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) is to transport and launch loaded amphibious craft and vehicles and crews and embarked personnel in an Amphibious Assault. LSDs also render limited docking and repair service to small ships and craft and act as the Primary Control Ship (PCS) during amphibious assaults.

"Carter Hall" is a Cargo Variant (CV) of the "Whidbey Island"-class. A significant difference between the two classes is that "Carter Hall"'s well deck has been shortened from 440 feet (134 m) to 180 feet (55 m). This provides embarked Marines with added vehicle and cargo storage areas. The well deck can hold two Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCAC) and a variety of landing craft and tracked amphibious assault vehicles. "Carter Hall"'s two-spot flight deck can land and service any helicopter in the Navy and Marine Corps inventory.

Conflict report

On June 2, 2007, the "Carter Hall" engaged pirates after they boarded the Danish ship "Danica White" off the coast of Somalia. She destroyed three small boats being towed behind the captured vessel, but was unable to pursue after the vessel entered Somalian waters. [cite web
url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,278135,00.html
title= "U.S. Warship Fires Warning Shots Over Vessel Boarded by Pirates Off Somali Coast"
date= June 05, 2007 |publisher= "Fox News"
accessdate= 2008-03-06 ] [ cite web
url= http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-06-06-us-navy-pirates_N.htm
title= "Navy: U.S. ship fired at pirates off Somalia"
date= |year= 2007 |month= |publisher= Associated Press
accessdate= 2008-03-06 ] [ cite web
url= http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/06/06/pirates/
title= " U.S. warship can't stop pirates off Somalia"
author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=
date= June 6, 2007 |publisher= "CNN"
pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=
accessdate= 2008-03-06 ]

As of 2008, "Carter Hall", is homeported at NAB Little Creek, Virginia, and assigned to Amphibious Squadron Six.

References

External links

* [http://www.carter-hall.navy.mil USS "Carter Hall" official website]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/12/1250.htm navsource.org: USS "Carter Hall"]
* [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/LSD50.htm nvr.navy.mil: USS "Carter Hall"]
* [http://navysite.de/ships/lsd50.htm navysite.de: USS "Carter Hall"]
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/LSD-50 LSD-50 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]