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USS Knox (FF 1052)

- decommissioned -
- formerly DE 1052 -
- sunk as a target -


USS KNOX was the lead ship of the KNOX class and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. Built and commissioned as a destroyer escort, USS KNOX was redesignated a frigate on June 30, 1975. The ship was decommissioned on February 14, 1992, and was stricken from the Navy List on January 11, 1995. KNOX spent the following years laid-up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Bremerton, Wash. Later, the KNOX was moved to Suisun Bay. From there, she was towed to Guam in 2007 where the KNOX was finally sunk as a target during exercise Valiant Shield 2007 on August 7, 2007. The USS KNOX was last homeported in Long Beach, Ca.

General Characteristics:Awarded: July 22, 1964
Keel laid: October 5, 1965
Launched: November 19, 1966
Commissioned: April 12, 1969
Decommissioned: February 14, 1992
Builder: Todd Pacific Shipyards Corp., Seattle, Wash.
Propulsion system: 2 - 1200 psi boilers; 1 geared turbine, 1 shaft; 35,000 shaft horsepower
Length: 438 feet (133.5 meters)
Beam: 47 feet (14.4 meters)
Draft: 25 feet (7.6 meters)
Displacement: approx. 4,200 tons full load
Speed: 27 knots
Armament: one Mk-16 missile launcher for ASROC and Harpoon missiles, one Mk-42 5-inch/54 caliber gun, Mk-46 torpedoes from single tube launchers, one Mk-25 BPDMS launcher for Sea Sparrow missiles
Aircraft: one SH-2F (LAMPS I) helicopter
Crew: 18 officers, 267 enlisted


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS KNOX. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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Accidents aboard USS KNOX:

DateWhereEvents
March 4, 1971central PacificUSS KNOX suffers a JP-5 fire in her engineering spaces while underway from Guam to Pearl Harbor, Hi. The fire causes extensive damage and prevents KNOX from traveling under her own power. USS CHICAGO (CG 11) subsequently tows the KNOX for 1 1/2 days until relieved by a Navy tug.


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About the Ship's Name:

Dudley Wright Knox, born 21 June 1877 in Fort Walla Walla, Wash., graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy 5 June 1896. During the Spanish-American War he served on board screw steamer MAPLE, a tender, in Cuban waters. He commanded gunboats ALBANY and IRIS during the Philippine Insurrection and the latter during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion. He then commanded three of the Navy’s first destroyers: SHUBRICK (Torpedo Boat No. 31), WILKES (Torpedo Boat No. 35) and DECATUR (DD 5) before commanding the First Torpedo Flotilla. During the cruise of the "Great White Fleet", sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt, he was ordnance officer of battleship NEBRASKA (BB 14). In the years before World War I, he was Fleet Ordnance Officer in both Atlantic and Pacific, served the Office of Naval Intelligence, and commanded the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. In November 1917, he joined the staff of Admiral Sims, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in European Waters, and earned the Navy Cross for "distinguished service" serving as Aide in the Planning Section, and later in the Historical Section. He was promoted to Captain 1 February 1918.

After returning to the United States in March 1919 for a year on the faculty of the Naval War College, he successively commanded armored cruiser BROOKLYN (ACR 3) and protected cruiser CHARLESTON (C 22) before resuming duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Transferred to the Retired List of the Navy 20 October 1921, he continued active duty simultaneously serving as Officer in Charge, Office of Naval Records and Library, and as Curator for the Navy Department. Early in World War II, he was assigned important, additional duty as Deputy Director of Naval History. For a quarter of a century his leadership inspired diligence, efficiency, and initiative while he guided, improved, and expanded the Navy's archival and historical operations. During his tenure he contributed a written legacy that honored both the Nation and the Navy.

A master of content and style, his clear writings include "The Eclipse of American Sea Power" (1922) ; "The Naval Genius of George Washington" (1932) ; and "A History of the United States Navy" (1936), the latter recognized as "the best one-volume history of the United States Navy in existence." Advanced to Commodore 2 November 1945, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for "exceptionally meritorious conduct" while directing the correlation and preservation of accurate records of the U.S. naval operations in World War II, thus protecting this vital information for posterity.

Commodore Knox was relieved of all active duty 26 June 1946. He died 11 June 1960.



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