View source for USS Duluth (LPD-6)

{{Short description|United States Navy amohibious transport dock}}
{{other ships|USS Duluth}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
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|Ship image=USS Duluth (LPD 6).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Duluth'' in 2004
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|2005}}
|Ship name=''Duluth''
|Ship namesake=[[Duluth, Minnesota]]
|Ship ordered=21 September 1961
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|Ship laid down=18 December 1963
|Ship launched=14 August 1965
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|Ship commissioned=18 December 1965
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|Ship decommissioned=13 October 2005
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|Ship struck=28 September 2005
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|Ship homeport=[[San Diego]], California
|Ship identification=[[Hull number]]: LPD-6
|Ship motto=*Official: ''Fortiter in Re'' ("Bold in Action")
*Unofficial: "6 the Hard Way"
|Ship nickname=Dirty D or the Battle Pig or Dulucifier-"A billion dead spirits with hammers of hell pass through the waters ringing evils bell".
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|Ship fate=Scrapped in 2014
|Ship notes= One of the anchors is now in Duluth, Minnesota on display.
|Ship badge= [[File:USS Duluth LPD-6.svg|150px|left|USS Duluth insignia]]
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|Ship class={{sclass|Austin|amphibious transport dock}}
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|Ship displacement=* {{cvt|9201|LT|t}} light
* {{cvt|13914|LT|t}} full load
|Ship length=* {{cvt|173.4|m|ftin|order=flip}} overall
* {{cvt|167|m|ftin|order=flip}} waterline
|Ship beam=* {{cvt|32.9|m|ftin|order=flip}} extreme
* {{cvt|25.6|m|ftin|order=flip}} waterline
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|Ship troops= about 600
|Ship complement=101 officers, 1,337 [[Enlisted rank|enlisted]]
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'''USS ''Duluth'' (LPD-6)''', an {{sclass|Austin|amphibious transport dock}}, was the second ship of the [[United States Navy]] named for [[Duluth, Minnesota|the city]] in [[Minnesota]].

''Duluth'' was laid down on 18 December 1963 by the [[New York Naval Shipyard]].  She was [[ship naming and launching|launched]] on 14 August 1965 and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 18 December 1965.  She was the last ship to be launched from the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard]] before it was closed.

==History==

===1965–1970===
The ship left New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, in April 1966 for the US Naval Shipyard Philadelphia for final fitting out and preparation for refresher training and transit to its Home Port of US Naval Station San Diego, California.  On 15 June 1966, a [[Sikorsky H-34]] from [[HC-4]] made the first helicopter landing on board. ''Duluth'' arrived via the Panama Canal in San Diego in September 1966. In April 1967 ship sailed via Hawaii and Australia to join the Amphibious Ready Group, [[U.S. 7th Fleet]] in the [[Vietnam War]].

In 1967, from the months of May until November ''Duluth'' operated with Amphibious Ready Group, Seventh Fleet, in South China Sea. Conducted amphibious landing operations [[Operation Bear Claw|Bear Claw]] and [[Operation Beacon Guide|Beacon Guide]] at [[Huế]] (7 June), [[Chu Lai]] (12 June), [[Cửa Việt Base]] (3, 27 July) and [[Phú Lộc District|Phú Lộc]] (21 July). Took part in Operations [[Operation Beacon Gate|Beacon Gate]] at Song Cua Dai and Chu Lai ( 7–16 August) and [[Operation Beacon Point|Beacon Point]] off [[Thừa Thiên-Huế Province|Thừa Thiên Province]]. The LPD then steamed off [[Quảng Nam Province|Quảng Nam]] and [[Quảng Tín Province]]s during [[Operation Ballistic Charge]] (16–28 September). After refitting at [[U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay]], ''Duluth'' participated in helicopter-centered [[Operation Bastion Hill]] near Cửa Việt (10 October – 1 November). Following vehicle ferry operations from Subic early in the month, the LPD steamed to [[Hong Kong]], arriving there 17 November.

Underway for a WestPac cruise on 1 May 1970, ''Duluth'' loaded BLT [[1st Battalion, 9th Marines]] at [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] for transfer to Subic Bay at the end of the month. She then made several cargo lifts to [[Da Nang]] or to [[Yankee Station]], delivering an [[Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King|H-3]] helicopter to {{USS|America|CVA-66|6}}, spare parts, and carried YFU-52 back to Subic Bay before steaming to [[United States Fleet Activities Sasebo]], Japan, for rest and recreation 3–15 July. Returning to Subic on 19 July, she spent the next three months conducting amphibious training and logistics operations from Subic to Da Nang and [[Vũng Tàu]]. In mid-October, ''Duluth'' embarked 140 Philippine marines for a joint exercise near [[Manila]], but disaster recovery efforts in the wake of [[Typhoon Joan (1970)|Typhoon Joan]] forced a cancellation of the operation. Arriving in Lagoney Gulf on 22 October, ''Duluth'' operated as a fuel stop and ready deck ship for helicopters during three days of relief operations in a swath of devastated barrios and villages 80 by {{convert|20|mi|km|0}} wide and including the cities of Virac and Naga. Following another month of logistics support out of Subic Bay, ''Duluth'' steamed for home, reaching San Diego on 10 December.

===1971–1975===
After a restricted availability to repair a damaged rotor blade in her port turbine, ''Duluth'' sailed for another WestPac deployment on 1 October 1971. The ship loaded elements of BLT [[2nd Battalion, 4th Marines]] at Okinawa on 18 October before resuming Da Nang logistics support operations out of Subic Bay. The LPD delivered vehicles, equipment and humanitarian supplies to Da Nang and embarked deck cargo and damaged PTFs for return to Subic. The LPD remained there until through the winter, conducting the occasional amphibious exercise in the Philippines and transporting troops and supplies between Subic Bay and Buckner Bay. On 1 April, following the outbreak of the North Vietnamese [[Easter Offensive]], ''Duluth'' sailed to a holding station off South Vietnam to await developments. With the North Vietnamese offensive blunted by the end of the month, the LPD steamed to Subic Bay for rest and relaxation, 8–21 May. Returning to Vietnam, ''Duluth'' embarked 300 [[Republic of Vietnam Marine Division|South Vietnamese marines]] at Tan My and landed them in [[Quảng Trị Province]] on the 24th, during which operation ''Duluth'' took desultory enemy fire from a shore battery. The LPD conducted a similar mission in early July, when Marine helicopters deployed South Vietnamese marines during [[Second Battle of Quảng Trị|Operation Lam-Son 72]], before sailing for home on 14 July and arriving in San Diego on 4 August 1972.

On 28 March 1975, ''Duluth'' got underway for a WestPac deployment via Pearl Harbor, Okinawa and Subic Bay. Arriving off Vũng Tàu on 21 April, ''Duluth'' participated in [[Operation Frequent Wind]], the evacuation of [[Saigon]], Vietnam.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19980703151752/http://www.history.navy.mil/seairland/chap5.htm By Sea, Air and Land: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy and the war in Southeast Asia Chapter 5: The Final Curtain, 1973-1975]</ref> On 29 April, fourteen South Vietnamese, Marine and Air America helicopters landed delivering over 900 refugees to ''Duluth'' alone, including the Italian ambassador. The refugees were later transferred to {{USNS|Sgt. Truman Kimbro|T-AK-254|6}}. The following day another 1,391 refugees arrived, forcing ''Duluth''{{'}}s crew to jettison three [[Republic of Vietnam Air Force]] helicopters over the side to make room for the arriving [[CH-53]] helicopters. The ship then steamed to Subic Bay and disembarked the refugees on 5 May. Over the next four days, working parties of volunteers reported to [[Grande Island]] to assist and process refugees. The LPD was reassigned to the task force heading to [[Cambodia]] to participate in the [[Mayaguez Incident|rescue operation of SS ''Mayaguez'']]. ''Duluth'' was approaching her mission when the rescue operation was cancelled before the second wave could strike. They steamed back to Subic Bay to continue with assisting and processing of the South Vietnamese refugees.

===1982===
In March, ''Duluth'' participated as one of many amphibious ships in Operation [[Team Spirit]] '82.  This was a joint training exercise between the U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps and the forces of South Korea.  Her specific mission was to transport the [[1st Battalion, 1st Marines]] from [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] to [[South Korea]] and back.  There was also a training evolution in support of a U.S. Marine Corps [[AV-8 Harrier]] unit.  This involved landing and refueling some of the jets on the flight deck. During the transit to South Korea, ''Duluth'' was over flown by a Soviet [[Tu-95]] Bear while in international waters.

===1981===
''Duluth'' sailed on 12 November 1981 for a Westpac/Indian Ocean deployment as part of Amphibious Ready Group Alpha/Amphibious Squadron One ({{USS|Tripoli|LPH-10|6}}, {{USS|Mount Vernon|LSD-39|6}}, {{USS|Fresno|LST-1182|6}} and MAU 31st/HMM-265 'Flying Tigers' (REIN)) during which USS ''Duluth'' and Amphibious Squadron One visited [[HMAS Stirling|Fremantle]], [[Western Australia]] for R&R from 28 January to 3 February 1982. USS ''Duluth'' returned home on 15 May 1982

===1983===
In August, September and October 1983 ''Duluth'' served in support of the multi-national peace keeping mission to Beirut, Lebanon, and participated in the evacuation of Ambassador Robert Collins and family.

===1987===
In June ''Duluth'' embarked [[1st Battalion 9th Marines]], from [[Camp Pendleton, California]], as Battalion Landing Team One Slant Nine and set out on its six-month WestPac tour.  The official deployment was designated as the 13th MAU SOC (Marine Amphibious Unit, Special Operations Capable). Included in this deployment were {{USS|Tripoli|LPH-10|6}}, {{USS|Germantown|LSD-42|6}}, {{USS|Durham|LKA-114|6}} and {{USS|Frederick|LST-1184|6}}.  Aboard ''Germantown'', LCAC's ([[Landing Craft Air Cushion]]) 2, 3 and 4 were carried.  It was the first time that the LCACs were deployed in support of Naval and Marine Corps operations.  Several Humanitarian missions were executed in the Philippines and Indonesia.  Marines were also deployed to the Mediterranean to assault several terrorist-held oil rigs.  The Marines were also called upon to restore order and security around the Subic Naval Base after several "Sparrow teams" killed high ranking government officials in an attempted coup.  The ship received a Battle "E" and the Marines a Meritorious Unit Citation for actions throughout the deployment.

===1989–1994===
In January 1989 ''Duluth'' sailed on a WestPac cruise with MSSG-13 and SEAL Team 5 embarked.  In addition to port calls in Okinawa, the Philippines, Japan and Hong Kong, ''Duluth'' participated in Team Spirit 89 in Korea.  In late May after operations with the Australian Army and Navy, ''Duluth''{{'}}s port call in Mackay, Australia was cut short when the Amphibious Ready Group she was attached to was recalled "at best possible speed" across the Pacific to the evolving situation in Panama.  She returned to San Diego in early June.  In August 1989, ''Duluth'' sailed to [[Prince William Sound]], Alaska, for oil spill decontamination operations with HMM-268 embarked.  ''Duluth'' housed clean-up crews, provided medical and weather forecasting services and supported decontamination barge efforts.

''Duluth'' was underway 21 January 1994 for WestPac operations.  Arrived in Singapore 14 February and assigned to TG&nbsp;76.5 for duty off the coast of [[Somalia]]. The ship remained in Singapore for six days before getting underway for the Indian Ocean and arriving off [[Mogadishu]] on 3 March to assist in the evacuation of American forces from Somalia.  She remained there, other than a short trip to Melindi, Kenya, until 24 April when the LPD steamed to [[Mombasa]].  ''Duluth'' then steamed off Kipini, Kenya, holding for possible contingency operations owing to the civil war in Rwanda, until 4 June when she sailed for [[HMAS Stirling|Fremantle]], Western Australia. Following a five-day port visit, the LPD returned to San Diego via Pearl Harbor, arriving home on 21 July.

===1996–1997===

During the deployment, ''Duluth'' participated with the other ships of COMPHIBRON Three and [[13th MEU]] in a highly classified operation to capture [[Imad Mughniyah]]. This plan, Operation Return Ox, set sail at 1730C from [[Bahrain]] on 23 July 1996 to intercept the motor vessel ''Ibn Tufail'', a [[Pakistan]]i ship on which it was believed Mughniyah was embarked.  On 24 July, after all ships were at sea and [[Navy SEAL]]s had already begun shadowing the Pakistani ship, it was canceled.  Operators were told that the [[White House]] canceled the interception when they could not be given 100% assurance that Mughniya was actually on board.<ref>CNN interview with Colonel John Garrett, USMC (Ret), on 12 March 2002.  Colonel Garrett was the Commander of the [[13th Marine Expeditionary Unit]] which provided some of the force involved in the operation.</ref>

===2000–2005===
[[File:USS Duluth (LPD-6) 10090611.jpg|thumb|right|USS ''Duluth'' seen here off the coast of [[Aden, Yemen]], 29 January 2000.]]
''Duluth'' was again underway 14 August 2000 for operations in the Indian Ocean as part of the {{USS|Tarawa|LHA-1|6}} Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). Following stops at Pearl Harbor and Darwin, Australia, ''Duluth'' conducted three days of humanitarian assistance operations off [[East Timor]] ( 14–16 September) before a one-day stop at Singapore on 21 September.  Moving into the Indian Ocean, the ARG stopped at [[Phuket, Thailand]] (28 September – 1 October) before steaming on to the [[Seychelles]], where they arrived 9 October.  Three days later, ''Duluth'' received word that {{USS|Cole|DDG-67|6}} had been bombed in harbor at [[Aden, Yemen]], and the LPD quickly steamed north to Aden to provide small boat and helicopter operations in support of ''Cole''.  Following a short cruise north to [[Bahrain]] in late December, ''Duluth'' sailed east, arriving in San Diego on 14 February.  While en route, the LPD stopped at [[Iwo Jima]] to launch amphibious vehicles in commemoration of the World War II battle.

Underway for Operation Iraqi Freedom on 6 January 2003, ''Duluth'' loaded elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and HMM-161 and sailed west.  After a brief stop in Singapore on 29 January, the ships sailed into the Indian Ocean and arrived in the northern [[Persian Gulf]] on 10 February.  The LPD operated at sea until 19 March when hostilities began in Iraq.  The ship served as on-scene commander on 22 March when two helicopters from {{HMS|Ark Royal|R07|6}} collided in the vicinity of ''Duluth''.  After the initial surge of Marines ashore, ''Duluth''{{'}}s crew conducted boat operations in support of operations around Iraqi oil pipeline terminals.  Departing the Persian Gulf on 27 May, the ship stopped at Cairns, Australia and Pearl Harbor before arriving home on 23 July.

While anchored at Guam on 28 December 2004, the LPD was ordered south for [[Operation Unified Assistance]] to aid victims of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami.  ''Duluth'' arrived off Sri Lanka on 9 January 2005 and her crew and embarked Marines cleared helicopter landing zones, removed debris and helped clean up two devastated elementary schools.  During this deployment, ''Duluth'' delivered 210&nbsp;tons of supplies to Sumatra and [[Sri Lanka]].

The amphibious transport dock ship's last deployment ended in June 2005 after a six-month cruise to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Shortly after ''Duluth''{{'}}s final cruise, she was decommissioned at Naval Station San Diego in a ceremony on 28 September 2005 and LPD-6 was stripped from the national ship's registry.  The ceremony featured the crew leaving the ship in ranks and the lowering of the national colors.

''Duluth'' sat in San Diego for many months before being towed to the [[United States Navy reserve fleets|mothball fleet]] in Hawaii.
She was towed to Brownsville, Texas, in January 2014 for disposal. A team of former crew members, including two former commanding officers, boarded the ship prior to scrapping for final photographs and collection of mementos. The items removed are now in Duluth, Minnesota, at a museum. One of the anchors is also on display in Duluth.

==Awards==
''Duluth'' won many awards in its 39 years. The most recent was the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Award for supporting [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] [[Port Security Unit]]s during Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to May 2003.  Two Coast Guard units, PSUs 311 and 313, were assigned to defend the ABOT and KAAOT gas oil platforms (OPLATS) off the Iraqi coast after their seizure during the opening nights of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  ''Duluth'' provided the Coast Guard detachments support by performing significant repairs to platform power sources, quality of life upgrades, command and control system repairs and improvements.  More recently{{when|date=August 2014}} ''Duluth'' was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for tsunami relief efforts in the Sri Lanka area.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

* {{DANFSNVR}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|USS Duluth (LPD-6)}}
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/duluth-ii.html USS ''Duluth'' (LPD-6)]
* http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/09/0906.htm
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060409002921/https://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=20392 Navy News Release on Decommissioning]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051219213840/http://www.c3f.navy.mil/newspage_USS_Duluth_Decommissioned.htm US 3rd Fleet: USS ''Duluth'' Decommissioned After 39 Years Of Service]
* [http://www.uscg.mil/reservist/mag2003/OCT%2003/WOT.htm USCG Reservist Magazine October 2003]
* [http://www.uscg.mil/reservist/mag2004/MAY%2004/Medals.htm USCG Reservist Magazine May 2004]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140105035523/http://www.defendamerica.mil/archive/2003-03/20030323.html] ''Defend America'' Magazine 23 March 2003
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/ussduluth/ USS ''Duluth'' (LPD-6) Facebook Group]
* [http://www.ussduluth.org The USS Duluth Crewmembers Association]

{{Austin class landing platform dock}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duluth (Lpd-6)}}
[[Category:1965 ships]]
[[Category:Austin-class amphibious transport docks]]
[[Category:Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Vietnam War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States]]