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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Newport (LST-1179)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Lima - Mike - Whiskey
 NLMW

USS Newport (LST-1179) was transferred to Mexico, renamed ARM Sonora (A-4)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon
Bottom Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal - National Defense Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal
LST-1179 Newport Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 1 November 1966, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Launched, 3 February 1968
  • Commissioned USS Newport (LST-1179), 7 June 1969, CDR. Derwin T. Lamb in command
  • Decommissioned, 1 October 1992
  • Laid up in the Naval Ship Inactive Maintenance Facility (NISMF) Portsmouth, VA., maintenance category C
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 13 July 2001
  • Transferred, cash sale to Mexico, 23 May 2001, under terms of the Military Assistance Program, renamed ARM Sonora (A-4)
  • Named changed to ARM Papaloapan (A-411) in the fall of 2001
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown

    Newport was the lead ship of a twenty ship class of tank landing ships which replaced the traditional bow door design LST. Two derrick arms support a thirty-ton, 112-foot bow ramp for the unloading of tanks and other vehicles ashore, additionally, amphibious vehicles can be launched from the tank deck via the ship's stern gate and the ship's flight deck can accommodate most Navy helicopter types.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,190 t.(lt), 8,550 t.(fl)
    Length 522' 3" (ovl)
    Beam 69' 9 1/2" (max)
    Draft max forward (fl) 13' 6", max aft (fl) 16' 3" 15'
    Speed 27 kts. max.
    Complement
    14 Officers
    15 CPO
    226 Other Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    18 Officers
    21 SNCO
    268 Other Enlisted
    Boats
    three 36' LCVPs
    one 36' LCPL
    Aircraft
    flight deck one spot
    Armament
    As Built
    two twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Upgraded
    two .25mm chain guns
    six .50 cal machine guns
    one 20mm Phalanx (CIWS)
    Propulsion
    six 16 cylinder Electro Motive Engines (EMD 645 E-5) diesel engines
    two shafts, three engines per shaft, shaft horsepower 15,000
    two controllable reversible pitch propellers, twin rudders
    Three EMD 12 Cylinder 645 E-2 Generator sets, 1200 KW
    one 800 hp variable thrust bowthruster
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Newport 46k USS Newport (LST-1179 underway as seen from USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7), date and location unknown. © Richard Leonhardt
    Newport 48k USS Newport (LST-1179 moored pierside at Barcelona, Spain, 11 November 1976, (unfortunately partially hidden by the merchantman alongside). Note the pontoon causeway secured aft. The clearly visible opening in the superstructure permitted vehicles to shift between the tank deck (forward) and the helicopter deck (aft). Photo by Fabio Peņa
    Newport 1422k A U.S. Marine truck is unloaded from USS Newport (LST-1179) during Valiant Blitz, 1 January 1981. Valiant Blitz is the amphibious assault landing phase of exercise Team Spirit '82.
    Defense Imagery photo # DN-ST-82-05309 (1 January 1982), a US Navy photo by PH1 Felimon Barbante now in the collections of Defense Imagery.mil     		Robert M. Cieri
    Newport 132k USS Newport (LST-1179 underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Newport 56k USS Newport (LST-1179 beached while lowering her bow ramp during landing exercises, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Newport 65k USS Newport (LST-1179 underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Newport 206k USS Newport (LST-1179) underway, February 1987 with Amphibious Squadron Four (PhibRon 4) and Marine Amphibious Ready Group (MARG 2-87), 26th MAU embarked off the coast of Spain. Note: Floating causeway sections used to transport equipment from ship to shore secured to Newport's aft quarter. photo by
    Tom LaLumiere
    ex SGT USMC
    Newport 172k USS Newport (LST-1179) underway, February 1987 with Amphibious Squadron Four (PhibRon 4) and Marine Amphibious Ready Group (MARG 2-87), 26th MAU embarked off the coast of Spain. Photo by
    Tom LaLumiere
    ex SGT USMC
    Newport 89k USS Newport (LST-1179) underway in the Gulf of Teulada, Sardinia, March 1987 during Exercise Sardinia-87 Photo by Ignacio Lopez
    ex member Aramada Espanola
    Newport 70k USS Newport (LST-1179 underway in the Mediterranean Sea in 1989. Photo taken from USS Spartanburg County (LST-1192). Photo by Ward Creech SK2 USN USS Spartanburg County 1988-91
    View USS Newport (LST-1179) Memorabilia
    View the two USS Newport (LST-1179)
    DANFS history entries at the US Naval Historical Center
    Newport and
    Newport (LST-1179)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 12 September 2008