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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Mobile (LKA-115)

International 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 - Navy Unit Commendation (1- Op. Frequent Wind)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3) - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1- Op. Frequent Wind) - *Vietnam Service Medal (4 or 5)
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 to 18 April 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
    Consolidation I
    30 October to 3 November 1971
    17 to 19 November 1971
    *Vietnam Evacuation (Operation Frequent Wind)
    29 to 30 April 1975
    Consolidation II
    17 to 22 January 1972
    6 to 20 February 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
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 2015
  • USS Mobile (LKA-115) earned four campaign stars for Vietnam War service and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Operation Frequent Wind or 5 campaign stars if the Armed Forces Medal is exchanged for the 18th Vietnam campaign Operation Frequent Wind.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, date unknown. Removed from the Philadelphia NIMSF, 29 September 2023, and towed to Brownsville, TX., where she will be scrapped. Arrived in Brownsville, 12 October 2023.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 10,216.(lt) 18,589 t.(fl)
    Length 575' 6"
    Beam 82'
    Draft 26'
    Speed 20 kts.
    Armament
    As Built - four twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Updated - two 20mm Phalanx CIWS
    Complement
    Officers 34
    Enlisted 375
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 211
    Boats
    four LCM-8s
    five LCM-6s
    two LCVPs
    two LCPLs
    Aircraft landing platform
    Propulsion
    one geared turbine
    two boilers
    one propeller, 22,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Mobile
    100211517
    16k USS Mobile (AKA-115) Art work by former Wing Commander Ian Hall from his mixed media original. Tommy Trampp
    Mobile
    100211524
    424k Mobile (AKA-115) and St. Louis (AKA-116) under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, Co., Newport News, VA. in 1968.
    U.S. National Archives and Recordes Administration, College Park, Identifier: 6932182
    Robert Hurst
    Mobile
    100211523
    716k Mobile (AKA-115) under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 1968.
    U.S. Navy photo
    MARAD
    Mobile
    100211521
    361k Mobile (AKA-115) ready for launching at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 19 October 1968. Dale Hargrave
    Mobile 309k The ship's sponsor, Mrs. John Sparkman, wife of the Senator from Alabama, breaking the traditional bottle of champagne over the ships bow during the launching ceremony of USS Mobile (LKA-115) at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. on 19 October 1968.
    Photo from Newport News Shipbuilding
    S. Dale Hargrave
    Mobile 438k Mobile (LKA-115) sliding down the builders ways during her launching at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 19 October 1968.
    Photo from Newport News Shipbuilding
    Dale Hargrave
    Mobile 16k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway, early in her career when she was still armed with 3"/50 gun mounts at the bow.  
    Mobile 100k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
     
    Mobile 107k Stern view of USS Mobile (LKA-115) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    Mobile 69k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Art Hutson
    USS Mobile web site
    Mobile 76k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Art Hutson
    USS Mobile web site
    BlueRidge
    100119150
    68k U.S. Navy Amphibious Squadron 5 (PHIBRON 5) underway in the Gulf of Tonkin, in 1972. The Squadron consisted of; the Amphibious Assault Ship USS Tripoli (LPH-10), left; the Amphibious Transport Dock USS Duluth (LPD-6), Dock Landing Ship USS Anchorage (LSD-36); and Attack Transport USS Mobile (LKA-115), right; and the Tank Landing Ship USS Schenectady (LST-1185), not visible. Also visible is the Amphibious Command Ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) on her first deployment. Blue Ridge and Anchorage are replenished by a Mars-class Combat Stores Ship. PHIBRON 5 was deployed to the Western Pacific, the Indian Ocean and Vietnam from 1 October 1971 to 8 August 1972.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Mobile (LKA-115) 1971-1972 cruise book
    Robert Hurst
    Mobile 85k USS Mobile (LKA-115) moored at White Beach, Okinawa in 1977 Dr. Kenneth Hartman
    Mobile 112k USS Mobile (LKA-115) moored at White Beach, Okinawa in 1977 Dr. Kenneth Hartman
    Mobile 98k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway off Eniwetok in 1977. Dr. Kenneth Hartman
    Mobile 95k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Mobile 96k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway, date and location unknown. Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.
    Mobile 339k Starboard broadside view of USS 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
    100211518
    241k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway outbound to sea from San Diego Bay, date unknown.
    Photo @copyGeorge Barber
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Mobile
    100211519
    247k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Mobile
    100211520
    225k USS Mobile (LKA-115) underway date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Mobile 209k Ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115) (outboard), ex- USS El Paso (LKA-117) (center) and ex- USS 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
    Ticonderoga 194k From outboard to inboard; ex-USS Yorktown (CG-47), ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115), ex-USS El Paso (LKA-117) and ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113) moored at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, date unknown. Ron Reeves
    Boulder
    1016119016
    183k Ex-USS Boulder (LST-1190) Ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115), Ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113) and Ex-USS El Paso (LKA-117) laid up in reserve at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., 21 October 2017.
    Photo courtesy of Chuck Homler
    Robert Hurst
    El Paso 286k From inboard to outboard; ex-USS El Paso (LKA-117), ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113) and ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115) moored at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, 20 April 2018 Joseph J. LaPenna Jr.


    For more photos and information about USS Mobile, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • LKA-113 Charleston Class Specifications

  • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Lorenz Jr., Samuel, USN20 September 1969 - 5 August 1970
    02CAPT. Ward, John David (Jake), USN5 August 1970 - 10 August 1971
    03CAPT. Burke, Edwin Joseph, USN10 August 1971 - 6 June 1973
    04CDR. Flynn Jr., John Joseph, USN6 June 1973 - 14 August 1975
    05CAPT. Sprunk Jr., William, USN14 August 1975 - 26 February 1977
    06CAPT. Buchanan, Edward Oliver, USN26 February 1977 - 10 June 1978
    07CAPT. Gillham, Richard Davison, USN10 June 1978 - 1 October 1979
    08CAPT. Lenahan, Robert Peter, USN1 October 1979 - 10 October 1979
    09CAPT. Connelly Jr., James Henry, USN10 October 1979 - 19 September 1981
    10CAPT. Flather, Charles Randolph, USN19 September 1981 - 17 October 1981
    11CAPT. Christenson, Robert Warnhoff Sigel, USN17 October 1981 - 21 October 1983
    12CAPT. Schriefer, Luther Frederick, USN (USNA 1960) :RADM21 October 1983 - 2 August 1985
    13CAPT. Knutson, Rodney Allen, USN2 August 1985 - 25 February 1987
    14CAPT. Gubbins, Philip Stanley, USN (USNA 1963)25 February 1987 - 20 January 1989
    15CAPT. Berg, Ronald Vincent, USN 20 January 1989 - 5 February 1991
    16CAPT. Myslivy, Guy Edeard, USN5 February 1991 - 31 July 1992
    17CAPT. Vanderberg, Mark Tompkins, USN31 July 1992 - 4 February 1994
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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    Last Updated 23 February 2024