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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AKA / LKA-115 Mobile

Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Sierra - Juliet
 NYSJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1- Op. Frequent Wind) - Vietnam Service Medal (4)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Frequent Wind) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medial
Charleston Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 January 1968, as (AKA-115), at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 19 October 1968
  • Redesignated (LKA-115), 1 January 1969
  • Commissioned USS Mobile (LKA-115), 29 September 1969
  • During the Vietnam War Mobile (LKA-115) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    23 to 26 July 1970
    9 to 12 August 1970
    8 to 10 September 1970
    12 to 14 September 1970
    19 to 23 September 1970
    15-APR-1971 18-APR-1971    		 Consolidation II
    17 to 22 January 1972
    6 to 20 February 1972
    Consolidation I
    30 October to 3 November 1971
    17 to 19 November 1971    		 Vietnam Ceasefire
    30 March to 3 April 1972
    8 April to 27 May 1972
    14 to 16 June 1972
    19 to 21 June 1972
    24 June to 15 July 1972

  • Decommissioned, 4 February 1994, at Long Beach, CA.
  • Assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC)
  • Moved to Bethlehem Steel Shipyards Sparrows Pt,, MD. for conversion to mixed civilian/Naval Reservist manning
  • Conversion canceled, moved to Philadelphia and placed out of service, 1 November 1996
  • Laid up at th Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia, PA., in Maintenance Category B
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,368 t.(lt) 18,600 t.(fl)
    Length 575' 6"
    Beam 82'
    Draft 25' 5"
    Speed 20 kts.
    Armament
    four twin 3"/50 DP gun mounts
    Complement
    50 Officers
    592 Enlisted
    Boats 18 landing craft
    Propulsion single shaft with geared turbine machinery, shp 22,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Mobile 16k Mobile (LKA-115) underway, early in her career when she was still armed with 3"/50 gun mounts at the bow. .
    Mobile 100k Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Mobile 69k Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Art Hutson
    USS Mobile web site
    Mobile 76k Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Art Hutson
    USS Mobile web site
    Mobile 85k Mobile (LKA-115) moored at White Beach, Okinawa in 1977 Dr. Kenneth Hartman
    Mobile 112k Mobile (LKA-115) moored at White Beach, Okinawa in 1977 Dr. Kenneth Hartman
    Mobile 98k Mobile (LKA-115) underway off Eniwetok in 1977. Dr. Kenneth Hartman
    Mobile 95k Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Mobile 96k Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown. Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.
    Mobile 339k Starboard broadside view of Mobile (LKA-115) underway in San Diego Bay during February 1990.
    DOD Still Media Records Center, Washington DC, photo # DN-ST-90-06640 by PHCS Terry C. Mitchell, USN.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Mobile 209k Mobile (LKA-115) (outboard), El Paso (LKA-117) (center) and Charleston (LKA-113) (inboard closest to the pier) laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), 29 October 29, 2007. Photo by ©Marc Piché Vercheres, Quebec, Canada. TJ Tropea, Courtesy Marc Piché
    View the Mobile (AKA/LKA-115)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LKA-113 Charleston Class Specifications
    USS Mobile (LKA-115) Commemorative Site
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo (AKA) Ship Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 24 January 2008