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U.S.S. SAIPAN
(LHA-2)OMNIUS FASIMUS - WE DO IT ALL
Click to view crew list
The USS SAIPAN (LHA-2), a Tarawa class amphibious assault ship, was commissioned on 15 OCT 1977. USS SAIPAN served her country for 29 years, 6 months and 10 days, until decommissioned on 25 APR 2007. USS SAIPAN's first major deployment was the August 1980 through February 1981 North Atlantic - Mediterranean - Indian Ocean voyage while the Iranian Hostage Crisis was underway. That set the stage for her career. From her homeport of Norfolk, VA, she under took numerous MEDS, CARIBS and North Atlantic deployments. USS SAIPAN participated in special/contingency operations in Nicaragua, the Cuban Mariel boat lift, Grenada, Liberia, Yugoslavia and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following her decommissioning in 2007, USS SAIPAN is to be scrapped by International Shipbreaking Ltd., of Brownsville, Texas.
The USS SAIPAN (LHA-2) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:
LHA-2 Deployments - Major Events
| Add a LHA-2 Shellback Initiation | Add a LHA-2 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
| Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JUL | 1972 | - | Keel Date: 21 JUL 1972 at Ingalls Shipbuilding Pascagoula MS | ||
| JUL | 1974 | - | Launch Date: 20 JUL 1974 | ||
| FEB | 1977 | - | JUN | 1977 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
| OCT | 1977 | - | Commissioned: 15 OCT 1977 | ||
| JAN | 1979 | - | JAN | 1981 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
| APR | 1979 | - | MAY | 1979 | Guantanamo Bay |
| OCT | 1979 | - | OCT | 1979 | Guantanamo Bay |
| FEB | 1980 | - | APR | 1980 | Blue Nose - Arctic Circle |
| APR | 1980 | - | OCT | 1980 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
| APR | 1980 | - | OCT | 1980 | Operation Freedom Flotilla |
| APR | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 4 APR 1980 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
| APR | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 4 APR 1980 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
| APR | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 2 APR 1980 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
| JUL | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 15 JUL 1980 - Indian Ocean | ||
| AUG | 1980 | - | MAR | 1981 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
| AUG | 1980 | - | FEB | 1981 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
| AUG | 1980 | - | FEB | 1981 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
| AUG | 1980 | - | FEB | 1981 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
| AUG | 1980 | - | DEC | 1980 | First Mediterranean deployment by an LHA. |
| NOV | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1980 - Indian Ocean | ||
| NOV | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1980 - Indian Ocean | ||
| NOV | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1980 - Indian Ocean | ||
| JAN | 1981 | - | FEB | 1982 | shellback info correction, pierside 7 in feb 82.no s/b then |
| MAY | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 16 MAY 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
| MAY | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 16 MAY 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
| SEP | 1981 | - | FEB | 1982 | Mediterranean |
| OCT | 1981 | - | OCT | 1981 | Anwar al-Sadat Killed October 6 1981 Mediteranian |
| OCT | 1981 | - | OCT | 1981 | Mediterranean |
| NOV | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 NOV 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
| NOV | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 NOV 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
| NOV | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 NOV 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
| APR | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 APR 1982 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
| SEP | 1983 | - | DEC | 1983 | Operation Urgent Fury Grenada W.I. |
| JAN | 1984 | - | MAR | 1984 | North Atlantic |
| JAN | 1984 | - | MAR | 1984 | Blue Nose - Arctic Circle |
| JAN | 1985 | - | AUG | 1985 | Mediterranean-Lebanon |
| JAN | 1985 | - | JUL | 1985 | Mediterranean |
| MAR | 1986 | - | OCT | 1987 | Blue Nose - Arctic Circle |
| MAR | 1986 | - | JUL | 1986 | Northern Wedding |
| AUG | 1986 | - | MAR | 1987 | Blue Nose - Arctic Circle |
| AUG | 1986 | - | AUG | 1986 | Blue Nose - Arctic Circle |
| AUG | 1986 | - | MAR | 1987 | Mediterranean |
| AUG | 1986 | - | MAR | 1987 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
| AUG | 1986 | - | MAR | 1987 | Mediterranean |
| OCT | 1987 | - | Shellback Initiation - 10 OCT 1987 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
| FEB | 1989 | - | OCT | 1989 | Mediterranean |
| JAN | 1990 | - | MAY | 1990 | Mediterranean |
| MAR | 1990 | - | SEP | 1990 | Mediterranean/Operation Sharp Edge |
| MAR | 1990 | - | SEP | 1990 | Mediterranean-West Africa |
| MAR | 1990 | - | SEP | 1990 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
| MAR | 1990 | - | SEP | 1990 | Mediterranean |
| JUL | 1990 | - | Shellback Initiation - 7 JUL 1990 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
| SEP | 1991 | - | MAR | 1992 | Desert Storm |
| MAY | 1992 | - | JUN | 1992 | Sea Trials |
| JAN | 1993 | - | JAN | 1994 | Mediterranean |
| JAN | 1993 | - | SEP | 1993 | Desert Storm |
| MAR | 1993 | - | SEP | 1993 | Mediterranean |
| MAR | 1993 | - | SEP | 1993 | Mediterranean |
| MAR | 1993 | - | SEP | 1993 | Desert Storm |
| APR | 1994 | - | MAY | 1995 | Regular Overhaul |
| JUL | 1995 | - | DEC | 1995 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
| JUN | 1996 | - | DEC | 1996 | Mediterranean |
| JAN | 1998 | - | JAN | 1999 | Mediterranean |
| JUL | 1998 | - | DEC | 1998 | Mediterranean |
| JAN | 2000 | - | JAN | 2002 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
| JUN | 2000 | - | DEC | 2000 | Mediterranean |
| JAN | 2001 | - | JAN | 2003 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
| JAN | 2003 | - | JUN | 2003 | OIF/OEF 2003 |
| MAY | 2005 | - | AUG | 2005 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
| AUG | 2006 | - | DEC | 2006 | Mediterranean Red Sea Arabian Gulf |
| APR | 2007 | - | Decommissioned: 25 APR 2007 | ||
LHA-2 General Specifications
Class: Tarawa class amphibious assault ship
Named for: Battle of Saipan
Complement: 65 Officers and 1009 Enlisted
Displacement: 27165 tons
Length: 820 feet
Beam: 106 feet
Flank Speed: 20+ kt
Final Disposition: Sold for Scrapping 30 September 2009 to International Ship
USS SAIPAN (LHA-2)
The second Saipan (LHA-2) was laid down on 21 July 1972 by the
Ingalls Shipbuilding Division
Litton Industries
Pascagoula
Miss.;
launched on 20 July 1974; sponsored by Mrs. J. William Middendorf II
wife of Secretary of the Navy Middendorf. Commissioning of the amphibious
assault ship is scheduled to take place in September 1975.
[Note: The above USS SAIPAN (LHA-2) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS SAIPAN (LHA-2) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]