BELLEAU WOOD was the third ship in the TARAWA - class and the first amphibious assault ship home ported outside the United States. In 2000, the BELLEAU WOOD was relieved by the USS ESSEX (LHD 2) which became the new forward deployed amphibious assault ship in Sasebo, Japan. Decommissioned on October 28, 2005, the USS BELLEAU WOOD spent the following months at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor, Hi. On July 13, 2006, the BELLEAU WOOD - which was the first TARAWA - class amphibious assault ship to be decommissioned - was sunk as a target off Kauai, Hawaii.
General Characteristics: Awarded: November 15, 1969
Keel laid: March 5, 1973
Launched: April 11, 1977
Commissioned: September 23, 1978
Decommissioned: October 28, 2005
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss.
Propulsion system: two boilers, two geared steam turbines
Propellers: two
Aircraft elevators: two
Length: 833,34 feet (254 meters)
Flight Deck Width: 132,2 feet (40.3 meters)
Beam: 106,6 feet (32.5 meters)
Draft: 26,25 feet (8 meters)
Displacement: approx. 39,300 tons full load
Speed: 24 knots
Aircraft: (depends upon mission)
6 AV-8B Harrier attack planes or 6 AV-8B Harrier attack planes
4 AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters 12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters 9 CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters
9 CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters
4 UH-1N Huey helicopters
Crew: Ship: 82 officers, 882 enlisted Marine Detachment: 1,900+
Armament: two Rolling Airframe Missile Systems (RAM), four 25mm Mk 38 Gun Mounts, two Phalanx CIWS, four .50 Cal. Mounts
In July 2000, BELLEAU WOOD took part in the largest crew swap to date when she was relieved as forward deployed amphibious assault ship. The procedure started when USS ESSEX (LHD 2) arrived in Sasebo on July 13, 2000. The swap was part of a planned rotation of forward deployed naval forces in Japan, and was the third crew-swap exchange. The ships’ crews simply switched ships, minimizing the impact of moving families from home port to home port. Sailors in Sasebo assigned to USS BELLEAU WOOD, moved on to ESSEX, while Sailors from San Diego assigned to ESSEX moved aboard BELLEAU WOOD. BELLEAU WOOD and the San Diego-based crew then returned to San Diego in mid-August to begin overhaul and maintenance cycles. BELLEAU WOOD was forward deployed to Sasebo since the fall of 1992.
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