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Navsource Online: Frigate Photo Archive
Ship's patch courtesy
of Mike Smolinski

USS George Philip (FFG 12)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - S - G - P
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Navy E Ribbon /4 - National Defense Service Medal - Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/2 stars
"Intrepide Impelle"
(To Go Boldly)
Specifications:
Class: Oliver Hazard Perry (Short Hull, As Built)
Type: SCB No. 201 / 1973 - 1978
Number in Class: 25 (7, 9 - 34) / 26
Displacement: 3109 tons (std), 3993 tons (full)
Length: 408' (wl), 445' (oa)
Beam: 45.4' (extreme)
Draft: 24' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 GE LM 2500 gas turbine engines; 41,000 shp; 1 shaft, cp propeller, 325 hp retractable propeller pods
Speed: 29 kts
Range: 4,500 nm @ 20 knots, 5400 nm @ 16 knots
Complement: 13 / 206 (includes 19 man air detachment)
Missiles: 1-Mk 13 Mod 4 launcher, 4-SSM McDonnell-Douglas Harpoon missiles, 36-GDC-Pomona Standard SM-1MR missiles
Guns: 1 OTO Melara Mk 75 3"/62 cal., 1 Vulcan Phalanx CIS, 4-.50 cal. MGs
ASW Weapons: 6-324mm Mk 32 (2 triple) tubes / Mk 46 torpedoes
Radars: AN/SPS-55 (surface), AN/SPS-49(V)214 (air)
Sonars: AN/SQS-56, AN/SQR-19 TACTAS (Towed Array)
Elec. Warfare: SLQ-25 Nixie System, SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Countermeasures System
Fire Control Systems: 1 Mk13 Weapon-Direction System, 1 Mk92 weapons FCS, 1 modified SPG-60 STIR radar (Separate Target Illumination Radar)
Helicopter: 1 - SH-2 LAMPS Helicopter
George Philip (FFG 12) Building and Operational Data:
  • 27 February 1976: Building contract awarded to Todd Shipyard Corp.
  • 14 December 1977: Keel laid by the Todd Shipyard Corp., Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, Cal.
  • 16 December 1978: Launched and christened, sponsored by Snow Philip, daughter of Commander Philip
  • 10 October 1980: Commissioned at San Diego, Cal., Cmdr. James L. Turnbull in command, assigned to the Pacific Cruiser-Destroyer Force
  • 18 January 1986: Assigned to Naval Reserve Force at Long Beach, Cal.
  • 15 March 2003: Decommissioned at San Diego, Cal. after 22 years and 5 months of service
  • 24 May 2004: Struck from the NVR
  • 15 December 2015: Contract awarded to Southern Recycling LLC, New Orleans, La. for vessel demilitarization, dismantling, and recycling
  • 24 June 2015: Arrived under tow by tug Delta Pacer at Southern Recycling, Port Fourchon, La.
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    George Philip
    071201

    George Philip

    		 57k Commander George Philip was born in Fort Pierre, South Dakota on 14 April 1912. He attended South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City before his appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy. After completion of the course of instruction at the Naval Academy, he was commissioned an Ensign on 06 June 1935. Ensign Philip continued to progress in grade until his promotion to Commander on 04 September 1944. During this period he served under a variety of commands including: USS Mississippi (1935-37), USS California (1937-38), USS Ellet (1938-40), USS O'Bannon (1942-43), and Operational Training Command, Pacific Fleet, San Diego, California (1943-44). He then served as Commanding Officer of USS Twiggs (1944-46). Commander Philip established a skilled fighting reputation while simultaneously serving as the Executive Officer, Navigator and Combat Intelligence Officer of the famed O'Bannon. For his conspicuous gallantry during the crucial stages of the Solomon Island Campaign, Philip was awarded the Silver Star Medal and O'Bannon received the Presidential Unit Citation. Commander Philip was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while commanding Twiggs during an 84-day period of combat near Okinawa. He died following a dusk attack by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft on 16 June 1945. On 12 March 1946, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal stated, during the presentation of the Navy Cross to his widow:

    "His courage, fortitude and initiative in the performance of a difficult and hazardous duty characterized Commander Philip as a brilliant leader and seaman, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service, he gallantly gave his life in the service of his country."

    In addition to the Navy Cross, Silver Star Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation, Commander Philip received the American Defense Service Medal, and the Purple Heart.

    USS George Philip (FFG 12) (1980-2003) was the first ship to be named in his honor.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    George Philip
    071202    		 76 - -
    George Philip
    071203    		 199k 05 May 1982: at sea - An aerial starboard bow view of the George Philip, foreground, and Wadsworth (FFG 9) underway during sea trials.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-83-07301 by Bath Iron Works, from the Defense Visual Information Center)    		 Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    George Philip
    071204    		 161k 05 May 1982: at sea - An aerial starboard beam view of the George Philip underway during sea trials.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-83-07307 by Bath Iron Works, from the Defense Visual Information Center)
    George Philip
    071205    		 134k 20 June 1984: San Diego Harbor - Port side view of the George Philip preparing to pass beneath the Coronado Bridge.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-01742 by PHC O'Connor, from the Defense Visual Information Center)
    George Philip
    071212    		 258k 1987: Vancouver, B.C. - George Philip making up to a tugboat off Vancouver.

    (Photo by Rick Garcia, from the collection of  Chris Howell)    		 Chris Howell
    Southland Ship Stores Ltd
    Port of Bluff, New Zealand
    George Philip
    071213    		 663k 07 July 1990: Vancouver, B.C. - George Philip underway slowly heading into Vancouver.

    (Photo by Rick Garcia, from the collection of  Chris Howell)
    George Philip
    071209    		 158k 01 December 1993: San Diego, Cal. - GSE1 Wilton Law checks the clearance between the blades on a gas turbine engine on board the Naval Reserve Force guided missile frigate USS George Philip during routine maintenance.

    (U.S. Navy photo #DN-ST-95-00252by PH2 Eric A. Clement, from the Navy Newstand)    		 Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    Wadsworth
    070918    		 1046k 23 January 1994: at sea - Destroyer Squadron One (DesRonOne) steaming in formation off the coast of San Clemente Island. The formation consists of seven FFG class ships of the Naval Reserve Force. From left to right, rear to front; left row (rear) USS Sides (FFG 14), (front) USS Mahlon S. Tisdale (FFG 27), middle row (rear) USS Duncan (FFG 10) (center) USS Copeland (FFG 25) (lead ship) USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23), right row (rear) USS George Philip (FFG 12) and (front) USS Wadsworth (FFG 9).

    (U.S. Navy Photo, Local ID #330-CFD-DN-ST-95-01112, NAID #6491772 from the United States National Archives)
    		 Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    George Philip
    071206    		 300k 29 June 1997: George Philip underway off the coast of Camp Pendleton, California in support of Exercise Kernel Blitz '97. The George Philip's home port was Naval Station, San Diego, California.

    (U.S. Navy photo #970629-N-0485L-008 from the Navy Newstand)    		 Bill Gonyo
    Downey, Cal.

    Assoc. Researcher
    Navsource
    George Philip
    071207    		 76k 14 February 2002: At sea - A Standard SM-1 surface-to-air missile is launched from the ship’s forward missile rail during training exercises off the California coast.

    (U.S. Navy photo #020214-N-4319P-001 by PH2 Kenneth Pace, from the Navy Newstand)    		 Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    George Philip
    071210    		 144k 05 May 2002: Maura Port, Brunei - U.S. Navy sailors onboard the Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate USS George Philip (FFG 12) heave the messenger bolo pier side as the ship prepares to moor at Maura Port, Brunei for the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Exercise. The Mark 13 rail missile launcher is visible on deck. CARAT is the Navy's premier bilateral exercise series that takes place in six Southeast Asian nations. This marks the eighth CARAT exercise, which aims to enhance regional cooperation and increase interoperability.

    (U.S. Navy photo VIRIN #020505-N-1289R-009 by JO1 Dwayne Rider, from Defense Imagery.Mil)
    George Philip
    071208    		 97k 11 September 2002: Cairns, Australia - SM3 Sean Polidore of Franklin, La., raises the "Navy Jack" in lieu of the "Union Jack" aboard George Philip during the ship's morning flag raising ceremony. The guided-missile frigate, on a routine deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations, is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (U.S.), which gives the Sailors aboard the ship the honor of being the first to raise the "Navy Jack." Under direction of the Secretary of the Navy, Gordon R. England, all U.S. Navy ships will fly the Navy Jack in place of the Union Jack for the duration of the war on terrorism. The Navy Jack is a flag consisting of a rattlesnake superimposed across thirteen horizontal alternating red and white stripes, with the motto, Don’t Tread on Me. Previously, only the oldest active commissioned ship, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), was authorized to fly the "Navy Jack." The temporary substitution of the "Navy Jack" serves as a historic reminder of the United States' and U.S. Navy's origin, as well as the will of its people to persevere and triumph.

    (U.S. Navy photo #020911-N-0000H-001 by HMC Gary Mihalko, from the Navy Newstand)
    George Philip
    071211    		 345k 11 July 2011: Bremerton, Wash. - The mothballed guided missile frigates ex-George Philip and Sides (FFG 14) anchored in Sinclair Inlet, off the Kitsap Naval Base. This was shot from Mark's home in Port Orchard, Wash. Mark Nissen
    George Philip
    071217    		 187k 06 May 2015: Bremerton, Wash. - Two shots (one a large panoramic shot) of ex-George Philip departing the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for her trip to the ship breakers in New Orleans, La.

    (Photos by Ron Jensen    		 Ron Jensen
    George Philip
    071218    		 1.02M
    George Philip
    071216    		 120k July 2015: New Orleans, La. - A shot of ex-George Philip, ex-Sides and ex-Jarrett await scrapping while chained at the scrapping yard of EMR Southern Scrap near Lake Charles. Unfortunately, we can't tell which ship is which.

    From Peter E. Skoutas, ENC, USN, now serving in DDG 69: I wanted to identify the 3 FFG's grouped together on the FFG pages of 12, 14 and 33 (also attached) where it says they can't be identified. If you look at the last picture on the FFG-14 page, it shows 12 and 14 moored together. They are both missing their MK92 fire control radar and 12 is missing the 49 air search radar. So in the picture of the 3 moored together, ex-Jarrett is in the middle because it has the MK92 fire control radar, ex-Sides is to the starboard side of Jarrett because it has it's 49 radar and ex-George Philip is to the port side of Jarrett because it's missing it's 49 radar. So from the left of the pic to the right it's ex-Sides, ex-Jarrett and ex-George Philip.    		 Harley Bodden
    George Philip
    071214    		 155k 15 January 2016: New Orleans, La. - Two images of the ex-George Philip moored at the scrapping yard of Southern Scrap Metal Co.
    George Philip
    071215    		 297k
    George Philip Memorabilia
    Ship's Plaque
    (brass, unmounted)
    George Philip
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski    		 Ship's Plaque
    (brass, mounted)
    George Philip
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski    		 Ordnance Div.
    Patch
    George Philip
    Courtesy of
    Tommy Trampp
    George Philip History
    View the USS George Philip (FFG 12) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.
    George Philip's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    Number, Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.)  12 Nov. 1980 - 26 Nov. 1982Cmdr. James Laverne Turnball
    2.)  26 Nov. 1982 - 15 Mar. 1985Cmdr. Donald F. Berkebile
    3.)  15 Mar. 1985 -09 May 1987Cmdr. Frank Harold Tryon, Jr.
    4.)  09 May 1987 - 10 Jun. 1989Cmdr. Thomas C. William, Jr.
    5.)  10 Jun. 1989 - 15 Jun. 1991Cmdr. Dennis Leo Ryan III
    6.)  15 Jun. 1991 - 20 Feb. 1993Cmdr. Alfred W. Mitchell
    7.)  20 Feb. 1993 - 16 Dec. 1994 Cmdr. Harold Joseph Flammang, Jr.
    8.)  16 Dec. 1994 - 24 Oct. 1996Cmdr. Robert Alan Butt
    9.)  24 Oct. 1996 - 24 Apr. 1998Cmdr. Scott Alan Berg
    10.) 24 Apr. 1998 - 02 Nov. 1999Cmdr. Leland Hart Sebring, Jr.
    11.) 02 Nov. 1999 - 10 Jun. 2001Cmdr. David W. Glazier
    12.) 10 Jun. 2001 - 28 Mar. 2003Cmdr. Christopher L. Wall
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    None
    Note About Contacts

    Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
    made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
    a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
    Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

    Additional Resources
    Tin Can Sailors
    The U.S. Navy Memorial
    The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
    The Destroyer History Foundation
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    This page created by Daniel N. Dunham,
    expanded and maintained by Mike Smolinski
    All pages copyright Navsource Naval History
    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 11 March 2023