USS Mobile (LKA-115)

USS Mobile (AKA-115/LKA-115) was a Charleston class amphibious cargo ship named after the city of Mobile, Alabama. She was the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear that name. She served as a commissioned ship for 24 years and 4 months. LKAs had the distinction of being the only ships in the "Gator Navy" that were not flat bottom. They would drop anchor several hundred yards offshore and use their Mike 8's (LCM-8) and Mike 6's (LCM-6) to ferry in the Marines and their equipment.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Mobile.
History
United States
Name: USS Mobile
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.
Laid down: 15 January 1968
Launched: 19 October 1968
Commissioned: 20 September 1969
Decommissioned: 25 February 1994
Fate: Awaiting disposal by scrapping
General characteristics
Class and type: Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship
Displacement:
  • 8,368 tons (light)
  • 18,600 tons(full load)
Length: 575 ft 6 in (175.41 m)
Beam: 82 ft (25 m)
Draft: 25 ft 5 in (7.75 m)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 18 × LCM-8 and LCM-6 landing craft
Complement: 50 officers, 592 men
Armament: 4 × twin 3"/50 caliber guns
Service record
Operations:

The name was assigned on 6 November 1967, and the ship was laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA, 15 January 1968 as AKA-115. As of the date of her article in DANFS, she was still under construction, and was scheduled to be completed in early spring 1969.

Mobile was extensively involved in the Vietnam War.

In April 1975, Mobile participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam.[1]

Mobile took part in WestPac 84 and was involved in numerous operations. In the Gulf War, she was part of an 18-ship amphibious task force that was the largest such force since the Korean War. The task force arrived on station in the North Arabian Sea on 12 January 1991.

The ship was decommissioned on 4 February 1994 at Long Beach, CA. She is berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, PA.

Mobile earned 15 awards and campaign ribbons for her service.

References
  1. By Sea, Air and Land: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy and the war in Southeast Asia Chapter 5: The Final Curtain, 1973-1975
USS Mobile mothballed at Philadelphia NISMF, in January 2008.


USS Mobile LKA-115 was part of the Operation Eagle Claw rescue attempt in April 1980. Awards issued to crew from that rescue attempt included the Navy expeditionary medal and Armed Forces expeditionary Medals issued July 1980 for participation in the Rescue attempt called Eagle Claw.

OS2 Richard Medeiros, USN, coordinated emergency evacuation establishing communications with AFB in Germany from USS Mobile CIC center.

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