USS Guadalcanal (LPH 7)

- decommissioned -
- sunk as a target -

USS GUADALCANAL was the third IWO JIMA - class amphibious assault ship (helicopter) and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. Decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on August 31, 1994, the GUADALCANAL was subsequently laid up at the James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, VA. Transfered to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal on March 16, 2000, the GUADALCANAL was later scheduled to be towed to New York City to serve as helicopter landing platform in the INTREPID Sea, Air and Space Museum area in September 2001. However, those plans were cancelled and the GUADALCANAL was reaquired by the Navy on February 5, 2004 for use as a target. The ship was finally sunk as a target in the Virginia Capes area on May 19, 2005.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: December 21, 1959
	Keel laid: September 1, 1961
	Launched: March 16, 1963
	Commissioned: July 20, 1963
	Decommissioned: August 31, 1994
	Builder: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Penn.
	Propulsion system: Two boilers, one geared steam turbines, one shaft, 22,000 total shaft horsepower
	Propellers: one
	Length: 603, 65 feet (184 meters)
	Beam: 104 feet (31.7 meters)
	Draft: 25,9 feet (7.9 meters)
	Aircraft elevators: two
	Displacement: approx. 19,500 tons full load
	Speed: 23 knots
	Aircraft: 20 UH-46D Sea Knight Helicopters, 10 MH-53E Sea Stallion Helicopters, 3 UH-1 Helicopters, 3 AH-1 Helicopters but the actual mix depends upon mission
	Armament: two Phalanx CIWS, two Mk-25 Sea Sparrow Missile Launchers
	Crew: 80 officers, 638 enlisted, 1,750 Marine Detachment

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Crew List:

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

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

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USS GUADALCANAL Cruise Books:

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Accidents aboard USS GUADALCANAL:

Date	Where	Events
May 9, 1968	off North Carolina	USS GUADALCANAL is adrift off North Carolina due to a burned out bearing in the propulsion system.
January 27, 1976	Augusta Bay, Sicily	USS GUADALCANAL goes aground on a peak of coral which pushes in areas on either side of the bow, but does not crack or hole the ship. On January 30, with cargo, personnel, helicopters, and fuel off-loaded to assist the effort, the ship is refloated.
September 17, 1981	near Sardinia, Italy	A USMC CH-53C helicopter crashes while attempting to land aboard the USS GUADALCANAL during training exercises killing all five crewmen.
September 24, 1981	south of Sardinia, Italy	USS GUADALCANAL and the USNS WACCAMAW (T-AO 109) collide during an underway replenishment causing minor damage but no injuries.

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USS GUADALCANAL Image Gallery:

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