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USS Conolly (DD 979)

USS CONOLLY was the 17^th SPRUANCE - class destroyer and the first ship in the Navy named after Admiral Richard Lansing Conolly. USS CONOLLY was last homeported in Mayport, Fla. Both decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on September 18, 1998, the CONOLLY spent the following years laid-up at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility at Philadelphia, Penn., and was hold on donation for future use as a floating museum. In 2007, those plans were cancelled and the CONOLLY was sunk as a target during the multinational exercise UNITAS on April 29, 2009. CONOLLY was sunk off the US east coast.

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Crew List:

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

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS CONOLLY memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS CONOLLY Cruise Books:

• Middle East Force Cruise Book 1992

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Accidents aboard USS CONOLLY:

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History of USS CONOLLY:

USS CONOLLY, the seventeenth SPRUANCE-class destroyer, was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her keel was laid on September 29, 1975, and she was launched on June 3, 1977. Named in honor of Admiral Richard Lansing Conolly, a distinguished naval officer who served during both World Wars and later commanded U.S. Naval Forces in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, the destroyer was commissioned on October 14, 1978, with Commander Raymond A. Sharpe Jr. as her first commanding officer. CONOLLY subsequently joined the Atlantic Fleet and was homeported at Norfolk, Virginia.

Following commissioning, CONOLLY completed fitting-out activities, sea trials and the training required to prepare her crew for operational service. During 1979, she conducted exercises in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, including shiphandling, engineering, damage control, naval gunfire support and antisubmarine warfare training. As a SPRUANCE-class destroyer, her principal mission initially emphasized antisubmarine warfare, although her combat systems also provided capabilities for surface warfare, air defense and naval gunfire support.

In August 1980, CONOLLY began her first deployment to the Middle East Force, operating in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf. The deployment took place during a period of increasing instability in the region following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran. On September 22, 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, beginning the Iran-Iraq War. American naval forces maintained a presence in the region to monitor the developing conflict and protect U.S. interests and maritime communications. CONOLLY conducted surveillance, presence operations and exercises with other naval units before returning to Norfolk in December 1980.

Following a period of maintenance and training in 1981, CONOLLY departed Norfolk in October for a second deployment with the Middle East Force. She again operated in the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, conducting maritime surveillance and exercises during the continuing Iran-Iraq War. The deployment required coordination with American and allied forces operating in the region, as well as routine replenishment and maintenance during extended periods at sea. CONOLLY returned to Norfolk in February 1982.

During the spring of 1982, CONOLLY operated in the Caribbean, including the waters around Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. During these operations, her bow-mounted sonar dome was damaged, requiring the destroyer to return to the United States for repairs. While proceeding toward Newport News, Virginia, a fire broke out in one of her engineering spaces. The crew contained the fire, and CONOLLY continued to Newport News, where she underwent drydock repairs before returning to operational service.

In September 1982, CONOLLY deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, where she joined the U.S. Sixth Fleet during a period of increasing tension in the eastern Mediterranean. Following Israel's invasion of Lebanon in June 1982 and the subsequent deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force to Beirut, American naval units maintained a presence off the Lebanese coast. CONOLLY conducted surveillance, readiness exercises and other Sixth Fleet operations in support of American naval commitments in the region. The deployment continued into the opening months of 1983.

In June 1983, CONOLLY departed Norfolk for UNITAS XXIV, the annual multinational exercise series conducted by the United States Navy with South American naval forces. The deployment, combined with the West African Training Cruise 1983, was scheduled to extend from June 15 through December 16. CONOLLY served as flagship of Commander, U.S. South Atlantic Force, with the command staff embarked. The American task force conducted successive exercise phases with participating South American navies, including antisubmarine warfare, surface warfare, tactical maneuvering, communications and replenishment training. The exercises also provided opportunities for professional exchanges and visits to naval bases and ports throughout the region.

During operations along the Pacific coast of South America, CONOLLY experienced engineering difficulties involving the pneumatic clutch-brake assemblies of her forward gas-turbine engines. Repairs were carried out while the ship was operating in Chilean waters and during the subsequent passage toward Uruguay. At Montevideo, a damaged LM2500 gas turbine was replaced in approximately 82 hours with the assistance of a floating crane. Following the repairs, CONOLLY resumed her assigned exercises and continued the UNITAS deployment.

After completing the South American phases of UNITAS XXIV, CONOLLY departed Brazil in November 1983 and crossed the South Atlantic for the West African Training Cruise. Initially operating in company with USS JESSE L. BROWN (FF 1089), she visited Libreville, Gabon; Lagos, Nigeria; Monrovia, Liberia; and Dakar, Senegal. The port visits were accompanied by training activities and professional exchanges with regional naval forces. During the Atlantic crossing, CONOLLY conducted an unusual fuel transfer to USS JESSE L. BROWN, using fire hoses to supply fuel when the frigate required additional reserves to complete its scheduled itinerary. Following the West African visits, CONOLLY crossed the Atlantic, refueled at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and returned to Norfolk in mid-December 1983.

On February 15, 1984, CONOLLY arrived at the Bath Iron Works repair facility in Portland, Maine, to begin a major regular overhaul. The yard period lasted approximately ten months and included extensive repairs and modernization of the destroyer's machinery, hull and combat systems. During the overhaul, CONOLLY received the Tomahawk Weapons System, including armored box launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles, together with the Mk 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System and the Mk 23 Target Acquisition System. These modifications considerably expanded her capabilities for land attack, close-range defense and surface warfare.

The overhaul was conducted at Bath Iron Works' recently established Portland repair facility, which had begun operations in December 1983. During the yard period, Commander Harold V. Maixner Jr. was relieved as commanding officer by Commander Gary M. Voorheis on April 7, 1984. After completion of the overhaul in December, CONOLLY underwent sea trials, equipment testing and refresher training to restore her operational readiness.

On October 7, 1985, CONOLLY departed the U.S. East Coast for another Middle East Force deployment, sailing in company with USS TATTNALL (DDG 19), USS GALLERY (FFG 26), and USS BOONE (FFG 28). The deployment took the American ships across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean before they proceeded through the Suez Canal toward the Middle East. CONOLLY subsequently operated in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters during the continuing Iran-Iraq War, when attacks on merchant shipping and oil tankers had become a major concern for the United States and other maritime nations.

During the deployment, American naval units maintained radar surveillance and conducted operations intended to monitor shipping movements and preserve freedom of navigation. CONOLLY participated in maritime security operations and exercises with other U.S. Navy ships assigned to the Middle East Force. The deployment also took place amid tensions between the United States and Iran over the treatment of commercial shipping, including an incident involving the boarding of an American-flagged vessel by Iranian forces. CONOLLY returned to the United States in April 1986, after which she resumed Atlantic Fleet training and maintenance.

In June 1987, CONOLLY departed for another Mediterranean deployment with the Sixth Fleet. During the cruise, she participated in operations and exercises with American and NATO naval forces, including antisubmarine warfare, surface surveillance and tactical maneuvering. The deployment took place during a period in which American naval forces were maintaining commitments in both the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. CONOLLY continued routine Atlantic Fleet operations and training during 1988.

In 1989, CONOLLY returned to the Middle East Force, operating in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea following the August 1988 ceasefire between Iran and Iraq. Although the major hostilities had ended, the region remained unstable, and American warships continued surveillance, maritime security and readiness operations. CONOLLY operated with other units assigned to the Middle East Force, maintaining a naval presence along important commercial shipping routes.

On July 26, 1989, a member of CONOLLY's crew was lost overboard while the destroyer was conducting patrol operations in the Persian Gulf. The incident occurred during the ship's Middle East deployment. Following completion of her assigned operations, CONOLLY returned to the United States and resumed Atlantic Fleet duties.

In January 1991, CONOLLY entered the Metro Machine Corporation shipyard in Norfolk for a regular overhaul. The yard period involved repairs and maintenance intended to restore the ship's material condition and prepare her for subsequent deployments. Following the availability, CONOLLY conducted sea trials, combat-system evaluations and training during the remainder of 1991, including preparations for renewed operations in the Middle East.

On March 24, 1992, CONOLLY departed Norfolk for a six-month Middle East Force deployment designated MEF 2-92. Before beginning the Atlantic crossing, the destroyer stopped at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia, to exchange her load of eight Tomahawk cruise missiles. During the west-to-east Atlantic transit, she operated in company with USS ROBERT G. BRADLEY (FFG 49) and the Canadian destroyer HMCS RESTIGOUCHE. On April 1, CONOLLY refueled at Ponta Delgada in the Azores before continuing into the Mediterranean Sea.

From April 8 to 12, 1992, CONOLLY visited Athens, Greece. During the port visit, the commanding officer and executive officer attended a luncheon hosted by Commodore Athanasiou of the Hellenic Navy on April 10. The destroyer also underwent the replacement of a main propulsion gas turbine, with assistance from Naval Sea Systems Command technicians and personnel from the destroyer tender USS SIERRA (AD 18), which was operating with the Sixth Fleet. An awards ceremony was held aboard CONOLLY on April 12 before she resumed her deployment.

On April 14, CONOLLY transited the Suez Canal southbound and proceeded into the northern Red Sea. The following day, she began Maritime Interception Force (MIF) operations in support of United Nations sanctions imposed on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The operations were intended to prevent prohibited goods from reaching Iraq through commercial shipping routes, including vessels passing through the Red Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba. CONOLLY conducted merchant-vessel challenges, inspections and boardings, working with other coalition warships assigned to the Maritime Interception Force.

During the first two weeks of these operations, CONOLLY conducted 26 merchant-vessel boardings. Merchant traffic entering and leaving the Gulf of Aqaba subsequently decreased, but the destroyer continued regular interception patrols and boarding operations. During approximately ten weeks of Maritime Interception Force operations in the northern Red Sea, her boarding teams inspected a total of 118 merchant vessels. In June, CONOLLY conducted her 100th boarding of the deployment, an achievement recognized aboard the ship as membership in the "Centurion Club."

CONOLLY interrupted her Red Sea patrols for visits to Hurghada, Egypt, from April 21 to 26, May 12 to 15 and May 27 to 31. She also conducted periods of uninterrupted interception operations between these visits. On May 9, the staff of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 20 embarked at Hurghada, and CONOLLY assumed duties as flagship of Commander, Task Group 152.1. During this period, she supported the coordination of maritime interception operations conducted by American and coalition naval forces in the northern Red Sea.

On May 19, CONOLLY hosted a luncheon for Maritime Interception Force commanding officers, attended by Rear Admiral Katz, Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, and Commodore Christie of the Royal Australian Navy, Commander, Flotillas Command. On May 21, she received ammunition during a vertical replenishment from the ammunition ship USS SURIBACHI (AE 21). During the deployment, CONOLLY also embarked naval midshipmen for training, including a cruise beginning on May 27.

On June 18, Rear Admiral R. A. K. Taylor, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, visited CONOLLY while she was conducting operations in the Red Sea. The staff of Destroyer Squadron 20 disembarked on June 25, after which the ship began her passage toward the Persian Gulf. During the transit, CONOLLY conducted a passing maneuver with HMCS RESTIGOUCHE. She arrived at Bahrain on July 3, 1992, and entered a Restricted Availability and Tender Availability lasting until July 15.

During the Bahrain availability, CONOLLY received maintenance and technical assistance from Surface Repair Unit Bahrain and the destroyer tender USS ACADIA (AD 42). The work was intended to restore machinery and equipment readiness following the prolonged Maritime Interception Force operations in the Red Sea. The ship also continued her midshipman training program during the availability.

On July 15, CONOLLY departed Bahrain for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where she remained from July 16 to 21. During this port visit, the destroyer held a change-of-command ceremony on July 21, when Commander Robert E. Maskell was relieved by Commander Robert L. Holt. Commodore Richard Robbins, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15, served as guest speaker. After the change of command, CONOLLY returned to operational duties in the Persian Gulf.

On July 22, CONOLLY began another period of patrol operations in the Arabian Gulf. The following day, she embarked the staff of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 35 and prepared for Exercise GULFEX XIII, conducted from July 24 to 27. The exercise involved USS BUNKER HILL (CG 52), USS FIFE (DD 991), HMS EDINBURGH of the Royal Navy and the French frigate JEAN DE VIENNE. Training included divisional tactics, underway replenishments, anchoring evolutions, boarding operations and over-the-horizon targeting. The exercise provided an opportunity for American and allied forces to practice coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf.

From August 1 to 5, CONOLLY participated in a Nautical Swimmer Exercise with the Royal Saudi Naval Force. The participating American units included USS GRIDLEY (CG 21), while four Saudi naval vessels also took part. CONOLLY visited Jubail, Saudi Arabia, from August 1 to 2, and hosted a dinner with Saudi naval representatives during the port call. Following the exercise, she resumed patrol operations in the Persian Gulf until mid-August.

On August 16, CONOLLY visited Bahrain for two days before departing the Persian Gulf and beginning her return passage toward the Mediterranean. She arrived at Hurghada, Egypt, on August 24 and remained until August 26. On August 27, the destroyer transited the Suez Canal northbound and proceeded to Rhodes, Greece, arriving the following day. CONOLLY remained at Rhodes until September 3, during which time she also received a visit from an Engineering Mobile Training Team.

After leaving Rhodes, CONOLLY proceeded westward through the Mediterranean and visited Benidorm, Spain, from September 7 to 11. On September 12, she made a brief fuel stop at Rota, Spain, before beginning her Atlantic crossing the following day. The return passage included an additional refueling stop at Ponta Delgada in the Azores. On September 22, a Return and Reunion Team embarked to provide counseling and support to crew members preparing to reunite with their families following the extended deployment. CONOLLY arrived at Norfolk at 10:00 a.m. on September 24, 1992. A post-deployment leave and standdown period continued until October 26.

During the opening months of 1993, CONOLLY resumed Atlantic Fleet operations and training. Later that year, she was assigned to operations off Haiti following the military coup of September 1991 that had removed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power. The United States and other countries imposed sanctions intended to pressure the military authorities to restore constitutional government. American and allied warships were deployed to monitor maritime traffic and enforce the restrictions.

CONOLLY participated in Operation Support Democracy, serving with the multinational naval force assigned to monitor and enforce sanctions against Haiti. The operation required surveillance of merchant shipping, identification of vessels entering and leaving Haitian ports and coordination with American and allied naval and Coast Guard units. On October 31, 1993, CONOLLY was photographed operating off Port-au-Prince, Haiti, during the enforcement operation. Her duties included maintaining a naval presence near the capital and supporting the wider international effort to implement the embargo.

During June 1994, CONOLLY participated in activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Allied landings in southern France during World War II. From June 6 to 10, she visited Cavalaire-sur-Mer, France, where American and French representatives participated in ceremonies and commemorative events. The visit preceded further operations in the Mediterranean and Red Sea as the destroyer continued her Sixth Fleet deployment.

During the summer of 1994, CONOLLY returned to the northern Red Sea for Maritime Interception Operations enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq. The operation involved monitoring commercial shipping and boarding vessels suspected of carrying prohibited cargo. On July 12, 1994, while operating in the Red Sea, CONOLLY received a distress call from the Panamanian-registered passenger ferry AL-LOLOA, which had caught fire near the Egyptian resort of Hurghada. The ferry had been traveling from Suez, Egypt, toward Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where it was scheduled to embark passengers.

CONOLLY proceeded to the scene of the fire and began rescue operations. Sixty-one members of the ferry's Egyptian crew had abandoned the vessel and were located in five life rafts. A boarding team from CONOLLY inspected the burning ferry and discovered that the fire was beyond the ship's ability to control. During the inspection, the team located the remaining crew member, who had not been accounted for, and brought him to safety. All 62 Egyptian crew members were rescued without reported injuries.

The destroyer transported the rescued sailors to Hurghada, while USS BRISCOE (DD 977), which was also operating in the region, remained near the burning ferry to assist with firefighting efforts and direct commercial shipping away from the danger area. The incident brought CONOLLY and USS BRISCOE into direct cooperation during the continuing multinational naval operations in the Red Sea.

Following completion of the 1994 deployment, CONOLLY returned to Atlantic Fleet duties. During 1995, she conducted training, maintenance and preparations for her next Mediterranean deployment. On October 26, 1995, the destroyer entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, Virginia, for emergency repairs. The work required the ship to enter drydock, where she remained during December. The yard period interrupted her normal operational schedule as repairs were completed in preparation for her next overseas assignment.

During December 1995, CONOLLY participated in preparations associated with Joint Task Force Exercise 96-1, the final certification exercise for the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) Battle Group and its accompanying amphibious ready group. The exercise evaluated the ability of the assembled forces to conduct coordinated operations involving aircraft, surface ships, submarines and amphibious forces. Following completion of the training cycle, the battle group prepared for its next Mediterranean deployment.

On January 26, 1996, CONOLLY departed Norfolk with the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON Battle Group for a regularly scheduled six-month Mediterranean deployment. The destroyer embarked Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 44, Detachment 1, equipped with SH-60B Seahawk helicopters. Her responsibilities included antisubmarine warfare, surveillance and support for carrier operations, as well as participation in NATO and Sixth Fleet exercises during a period of continued international military involvement in the Balkans.

From February 23 to 29, CONOLLY participated in Ship Antisubmarine Warfare Readiness/Effectiveness Measuring Exercise 114 (SHAREM 114), also designated Invitational Exercise 1-96, conducted in the Gulf of Valencia off the eastern coast of Spain. The exercise was intended to evaluate shallow-water acoustic detection and antisubmarine warfare tactics in a multinational environment. Other American participants included USS BARRY (DDG 52), USS GROTON (SSN 694), and the fleet oiler USS MERRIMACK (AO 179), together with additional naval and aviation units. Participating countries included the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Canada and Germany.

In March 1996, CONOLLY participated in Exercise Destined Glory 96, a major NATO amphibious exercise conducted from March 13 to 26 in the central Mediterranean. The exercise involved operations near Sardinia and in the Tyrrhenian Sea, with participating forces from Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and the United States. Training included amphibious operations, air defense, antisubmarine warfare, surface warfare, communications and tactical maneuvering. After the exercise, CONOLLY visited Augusta Bay, Sicily, before resuming Sixth Fleet operations.

On April 3, 1996, a U.S. Air Force CT-43 aircraft carrying Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown and a delegation of American officials and business representatives crashed near Dubrovnik, Croatia, during severe weather. CONOLLY and other American warships in the Adriatic, including USS GUAM (LPH 9), USS BARRY, and the fleet oiler USNS LEROY GRUMMAN (T-AO 195), proceeded toward the Croatian coast in response to the emergency. The wreckage was subsequently located inland, and the naval vessels did not participate directly in the ground search at the crash site.

During April 1996, CONOLLY was diverted from Mediterranean operations to support Operation Assured Response, the evacuation of American citizens and other foreign nationals from Liberia following renewed fighting during the country's civil war. On April 11, she received orders to accompany the amphibious assault ship USS GUAM, the amphibious transport dock USS TRENTON (LPD 14), and the dock landing ship USS PORTLAND (LSD 37) from the Adriatic toward the West African coast. The broader American naval force associated with the operation also included USS TORTUGA (LSD 46).

The ships were diverted after fighting in Monrovia threatened the American Embassy and foreign nationals seeking protection. The amphibious force carried elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), which was assigned to support the evacuation and provide security for American personnel. CONOLLY operated with the naval force off the Liberian coast, providing escort and surface combatant support during the extended contingency. The operation continued for several weeks as American military forces evacuated civilians and monitored the security situation around Monrovia.

Following her assignment off Liberia, CONOLLY resumed Sixth Fleet operations in the Mediterranean. During the deployment, she participated in Operation Sharp Guard, the NATO and Western European Union maritime enforcement operation conducted in the Adriatic Sea in support of United Nations sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The operation required surveillance of commercial shipping and the identification and inspection of vessels suspected of carrying prohibited cargo. CONOLLY conducted maritime interception and surveillance duties alongside other NATO warships while supporting the continuing international effort to enforce sanctions connected with the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

In June 1996, CONOLLY participated in Exercise TAPON 96, a multinational naval exercise conducted in the Alboran Sea, the Gulf of Cadiz and the eastern Atlantic. The exercise involved American, Spanish and Greek naval forces, including the Spanish aircraft carrier PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS, the frigates BALEARES, SANTA MARIA and NUMANCIA, the Greek destroyer FORMION and the Spanish submarine DELFIN. The American nuclear-powered attack submarine USS GRAYLING (SSN 646) also participated. Training emphasized coordinated maritime operations, antisubmarine warfare, surface tactics and the control of important maritime approaches and chokepoints.

During the final phase of the deployment, CONOLLY conducted additional training in the Mediterranean, including naval gunfire exercises at the Avgo Nisi range north of Crete, Greece, and a torpedo-firing exercise in the central Mediterranean. These activities followed the earlier multinational exercises and operational assignments in the Adriatic and off the West African coast.

In July 1996, the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON Battle Group completed its scheduled Mediterranean deployment. The carrier was relieved in the operating area by USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65), which had departed Norfolk in late June for its own deployment. CONOLLY subsequently began the return passage across the Atlantic and arrived at Norfolk on July 23, 1996.

Following the deployment, CONOLLY underwent post-deployment maintenance and preparations for her remaining years of service. As part of a reorganization of the Atlantic Fleet's surface combatant forces announced in July 1995, the Navy planned to transfer several warships from Norfolk to Mayport, Florida. CONOLLY's homeport change was implemented in March 1997, when she relocated to Naval Station Mayport. From her new homeport, she conducted Atlantic Fleet training, maintenance and operational readiness activities.

During 1997 and early 1998, CONOLLY continued operations from Mayport as the Navy proceeded with plans to retire a number of SPRUANCE-class destroyers. These plans formed part of the wider restructuring of the surface fleet following the end of the Cold War, as newer guided missile destroyers entered service and the Navy reduced the number of older surface combatants in commission.

On September 18, 1998, CONOLLY was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, ending almost twenty years of commissioned service. Following her decommissioning, the former destroyer was transferred to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she remained in inactive status. Plans were subsequently developed to preserve the ship as a museum, but the proposed donation was eventually cancelled. By 2007, CONOLLY had been designated for disposal as a target ship.

On April 29, 2009, the former USS CONOLLY was sunk in the western Atlantic Ocean during a multinational sinking exercise conducted as part of UNITAS Gold, the 50th iteration of the annual UNITAS exercise series. The exercise involved naval forces from the United States and several Latin American and European countries. CONOLLY served as the target for a coordinated live-fire operation designed to test weapons employment, tactical communications and cooperation among participating naval and aviation units.

The attack began at approximately 9:30 a.m. when a Colombian Navy AS-555 Fennec helicopter operating from ARC ALMIRANTE PADILLA opened fire on the former destroyer. A Mexican Navy BO-105 helicopter from ARM MINA subsequently attacked with unguided rockets. During the six-hour exercise, fifteen warships and twelve aircraft participated in the attack, employing naval gunfire, aerial weapons and antiship missiles. The weapons expended included more than 450 rounds of ammunition, a Maverick missile, three Harpoon missiles, two Sea Sparrow missiles, rockets and four Mk 83 bombs. The former CONOLLY eventually sank at approximately 31° 14' 54" N, 76° 10' 24" W, in deep Atlantic waters off the southeastern coast of the United States.

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About the Ship's Name, about Admiral Richard Lansing Conolly:

A native of Waukegan, Illinois, Richard Lansing Conolly attended Lake Forrest Academy, Lake Forrest, Illinois prior to his appointment in 1910 to the Naval Academy. After graduation in 1914 he was ordered to Mexican waters where he served in USS VIRGINIA. He continued duty in that battleship until May 1915, when he reported aboard USS MONTANA for torpedo instruction. In November 1915 he rejoined VIRGINIA, and in March 1916 he was assigned to USS VERMONT as Torpedo Officer of that battleship for two months. Transferred in May 1916 to USS SMITH, he was aboard that destroyer when the United States entered World War I, in April 1917, and served aboard SMITH while she performed escort duty in European waters out of Brest, France.

He was awarded the Navy Cross for services while attached to SMITH in connection with salvaging the transport WESTBRIDGE, torpedoed by a German submarine in August 1918, as follows: "For distinguished service in the line of his profession on the occasion of the torpedoing of the WESTBRIDGE, when he, with a party of eight others remained on board for five days steering by hand and handling the lines from the tugs, while the ship was towed four hundred miles to port."

Detached from SMITH in November 1918, he returned to the United States. Until August 1920, he had consecutive duty in connection with fitting out, and as Executive Officer in turn of the destroyers FOOTE, WORDEN, and HUNT. From August 1920 until June 1922 he was under instruction in electrical engineering at the Postgraduate School, Annapolis, Maryland, and Columbia University, New York, where he received a Master of Science. He continued instruction at various Naval activities until September 1922, and in November of that year joined USS MISSISSIPPI. In March 1924 he was transferred to USS NEW YORK, and served as assistant Engineer Officer of that battleship until September 1925.

After duty as an instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, September 1925 until June 1927, he returned to sea as Engineer Officer of USS CONCORD. In August 1929 he assumed command of USS DUPONT. He completed the junior course at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island in May 1931, and remained on the staff for two years.

In May 1933 he reported as Aide and Flag Secretary on the staff of Commander Cruisers, Scouting Force and in April 1935 was ordered to USS TENNESSEE. He served as Navigator of that battleship until June 1936, after which he again had duty, until May 1939, as an instructor at the Naval Academy, first in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics, and later in the Department of Seamanship and Navigation, acting as head of the latter department for six months in 1938.

Assuming command of Destroyer Division 7 in May 1939, he was transferred to duty as Commander Destroyer Squadron 6 on January 30, 1941. He was at sea, in command of Destroyer Squadron 6 at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He subsequently participated in the initial attack on the Gilbert and Marshall Islands on February 1, 1942, as part of the gun bombardment force under command of Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.; and in April his destroyers served as escort for the aircraft carrier HORNET from which Lieutenant General J. H. Doolittle's Army planes took off for the first bombing of Tokyo. He also participated in a shore bombardment of Wake Island in command of destroyers in Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance's Task Group.

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USS CONOLLY Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by Thomas Zera and shows the CONOLLY laid up at Philadelphia, Penn., on September 9, 2001.

The photos below were taken by Brian Barton on October 13, 2008, and show the CONOLLY laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The ships next to the CONOLLY are TICONDEROGA (CG 47), THOMAS S. GATES (CG 51) and the ARTHUR W. RADFORD (DD 968). CONOLLY is the one berthed between the two guided missile cruisers.

The photos below were taken by me on November 7, 2008, and show the CONOLLY laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

			Click here to view more photos.

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