USS Knox (FF-1052)

USS Knox (FF-1052)

USS Knox (DE/FF-1052) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the United States Navy. Knox was named after Commodore Dudley Wright Knox, and was the second US Navy ship named Knox. In 1975, she was redesignated a frigate. She served from 1969 to 1992 and was sunk as a target in 2007.

Design and description

The Knox-class design was derived from the modified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ship had an overall length of Template:Cvt, a beam of Template:Cvt and a draft of Template:Cvt. It displaced Template:Cvt at full load. Its crew consisted of 16 officers and 211 enlisted men.Template:Sfn

The ship was equipped with one Westinghouse geared steam turbine that drove the single propeller shaft. The turbine was designed to produce Template:Cvt, using steam provided by two C-E boilers, to reach the designed speed of Template:Cvt. The Knox class had a range of Template:Cvt at a speed of Template:Cvt.Template:Sfn

The Knox-class ship was armed with a single /54 caliber Mark 42 gun. It mounted an eight-round ASROC launcher between the 5-inch gun and the bridge. Its close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The ship was equipped with a torpedo-carrying DASH drone helicopter; its telescoping hangar and landing pad were positioned amidships aft of the mack. Beginning in the 1970s, the DASH was replaced by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter and the hangar and landing deck were accordingly enlarged. Most ships had an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher added in the early 1970s.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Construction

She was laid down on 5 October 1965, by Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington; launched on 19 November 1966; sponsored by Mrs. Peter A. Sturtevant, the granddaughter of Commodore Knox; and was commissioned on 12 April 1969, with Commander William A. Lamm in command.Template:Sfn

Service history

Knox performed search and rescue operations and provided evacuation, blockade, and surveillance support, when necessary, for the Pacific Fleet. In April 1975, Knox participated in Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Template:Sfn Knox was redesignated a frigate on 30 June 1975 as FF-1052.Template:Sfn

Disposition

Decommissioned on 14 February 1992, Knox was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 January 1995. NAVSEA temporarily placed Knox on the donation hold list but removed her from the list around 2003. Knox was sunk as a target off Guam, during "Exercise Valiant Shield" (2007) on 7 August 2007.Template:Sfn

Awards, citations and campaign ribbons

Bronze star Bronze star Template:Ribbon devices/alt	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (with two bronze service stars)
File:Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg	Navy Expeditionary Medal
Bronze star Template:Ribbon devices/alt	National Defense Service Medal (with one bronze service star)
Bronze star Template:Ribbon devices/alt	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with one bronze service star)
Bronze star Template:Ribbon devices/alt	Vietnam Service Medal (with one bronze service star)
File:Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg	Humanitarian Service Ribbon
File:Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg	Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
File:Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg	Vietnam Campaign Medal

Gallery

• Knox in 1969.
  Knox in 1969.
• Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". passes tow line to Knox after Knox was disabled by a JP-5 fire in engineering spaces on 4 March 1971, while en route from Guam to Hawaii.
  passes tow line to Knox after Knox was disabled by a JP-5 fire in engineering spaces on 4 March 1971, while en route from Guam to Hawaii.

In popular culture

Knox appears in the original Hawaii Five-O season 8 episode "Murder: Eyes Only".

References

• Public Domain This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• USS Knox (DE/FF-1052) Reunion Association
• hazegray.org: USS Knox

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