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USS SOUTH CAROLINA

(CGN-37)

Prepared in Mind and Resources
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The USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37), a California class nuclear powered cruiser, was commissioned on 25 JAN 1975. Her early Mediterranean deployments in the late 1970s extended in the Indian Ocean in the 1980s and 90s as needed. SOUTH CAROLINA over her service career was North of the Arctic Circle and south of the Equator, and traveled the North Atlantic, Caribbean, North Sea, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. USS SOUTH CAROLINA served her country for 24 years, 6 months and 5 days, until decommissioned on 30 JUL 1999. SOUTH CAROLINA's sole transit of the Panama Canal took place while moving to the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Facility at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where she was disposed of in March 2000.

The USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:

CGN-37 Deployments - Major Events

Add a CGN-37 Shellback Initiation Add a CGN-37 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
DEC 1970 Keel Date: 1 DEC 1970
at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Newport News VA
JUL 1972 Launch Date: 1 JUL 1972
JAN 1975 Commissioned: 25 JAN 1975
OCT 1975 - DEC 1975 North Atlantic
JUL 1976 - FEB 1977 Mediterranean
JUN 1977 Shellback Initiation - 17 JUN 1977 - Atlantic Ocean
JUN 1977 - Shellback Initiation - 17 JUN 1977 - Atlantic Ocean
NOV 1977 - JUL 1978 Mediterranean
APR 1980 - DEC 1980 Indian Ocean / Persian Gulf / Staits of Hormutz
JAN 1982 - JUL 1982 Mediterranean
JAN 1983 - JAN 1984 Dry Dock
DEC 1984 - SEP 1985 Mediterranean
AUG 1986 - OCT 1986 North Atlantic
DEC 1986 - JUL 1987 Mediterranean
AUG 1988 - OCT 1988 North Atlantic
DEC 1988 - JUN 1989 Mediterranean
OCT 1990 - MAR 1991 Mediterranean - Indian Ocean - Desert Shield & Storm
AUG 1995 - FEB 1996 Mediterranean
SEP 1997 - MAY 1998 Mediterranean
JUL 1999 Decommissioned: 30 JUL 1999

CGN-37 General Specifications

Class: California class cruiser

Named for: South Carolina

Complement: 40 Officers and 544 Enlisted

Displacement: 10500 tons

Length: 597 feet

Beam: 61 feet

Flank Speed: 30 knots

Final Disposition: Stricken to be disposed of by recycling 30 July 1999



USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37)



The fifth South Carolina (DLGN-37), a nuclear-powered guided missile frigate, was laid down on 1 December 1970 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. at Newport News, Va.; launched on 1 July 1972; sponsored by Mrs. J. Fred Buzhardt; and commissioned on 25 January 1975, Capt. William C. Neel in command.

Upon commissioning, South Carolina steamed to Charleston, S.C., to repeat the traditional post-commissioning visit to the state of South Carolina. There she received a silver service for the wardroom symbolic of the close ties between the frigate and her namesake state. Immediately thereafter, South Carolina joined the Atlantic Fleet nuclear task force, operating out of Norfolk, Va, As of May 1975, she remained so employed.

[Note: The above USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]