Career (US)
Builder:	Bath Iron Works
Laid down:	21 May 1984
Launched:	8 December 1984
Commissioned:	12 April 1986
Homeport:	Mayport, Florida
Motto:	No Higher Honor
Fate:	Active in service as of 2008
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
Displacement:	4,100 tons (4,170 t) full load
Length:	453 ft (138. Bath Iron Works (BIW is a Shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath Maine. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Naval Station Mayport is a major US Navy base in northern Duval County Florida. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Ships The ships were designed by Maine shipyard Bath Iron Works in partnership with New York-based naval architects Gibbs & Cox. For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. 1 m), overall
Beam:	45 ft (13. 7 m)
Draught:	22 ft (6. 7 m)
Propulsion:	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft and variable pitch propeller; 2 x Auxiliary Propulsion Units, 350 hp (. The General Electric LM2500 industrial and marine Turboshaft Gas turbine is a derivative of GE Aircraft Engines ' CF6-6 aircraft engine A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary Engine that extracts energy from a flow of Combustion gas A controllable pitch propeller (CPP or variable pitch propeller is a special type of Propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their A bow thruster, is a propulsion device built into or mounted to the bow of a Ship or Boat to enhance its maneuverability 25 MW) retractable electric azipods for maneuvering and docking. An Azimuth thruster is a configuration of Ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction making a Rudder unnecessary
Speed:	29+ knots (54+ km/h)
Range:	5,000 nm (9,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted maintainers
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPS-49 air-search radar AN/SPS-55 surface-search radar CAS and STIR fire-control radar AN/SQS-56 sonar. A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships A fire-control radar is a Radar which is designed specifically to provide information (mainly target azimuth elevation range and velocity to a Fire-control system Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate
Electronic warfare and decoys:	AN/SLQ-32; Mark 36 SRBOC
Armament:	1×OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun delivered with 1×Mk 13 Mod 4 single-arm launcher for Harpoon anti-ship missiles and SM-1MR Standard anti-ship/air missiles (40 round magazine) currently removed 1×OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun 2×Mk 32 triple-tube (324 mm) launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes 1×Vulcan Phalanx CIWS 4×. The AN/SLQ -32 is a shipboard Electronic warfare suite built by the Raytheon Company of Goleta California. The BAE Systems Mark 36 Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff (abbreviated as SRBOC or "Super-arboc" is a short-range mortar intended to launch chaff The Oto Melara 76 mm gun is a widely used naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Otobreda and Oto Melara. The Harpoon is an all-weather over-the-horizon, Anti-ship missile system developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Integrated The RIM-66 Standard MR (SM-1MR/SM-2MR is a medium range Surface-to-air missile (SAM originally developed for the United States Navy (USN The Oto Melara 76 mm gun is a widely used naval artillery piece built by the Italian company Otobreda and Oto Melara. Designed to attack high-performance submarines the Mark 46 Torpedo is the backbone of the U The Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS is an anti-missile system that was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division 50-cal (12. 7 mm) machine guns.
Aircraft carried:	2 × SH-60 LAMPS III helicopters

USS Samuel B. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Roberts (FFG-58) is one of the final ships in the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided missile frigates (FFG). Ships The ships were designed by Maine shipyard Bath Iron Works in partnership with New York-based naval architects Gibbs & Cox. For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship The ship was severely damaged by an Iranian mine in 1988, leading U. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. A naval mine is a self-contained Explosive device placed in water to destroy Ships or Submarines Unlike Depth charges mines are deposited S. forces to respond with Operation Praying Mantis. Operation Praying Mantis was an April 18, 1988 attack by US naval forces in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian

Commissioning and namesake

The frigate was named for Samuel B. Roberts, a Navy coxswain who was killed evacuating Marines during the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. Samuel Booker Roberts Jr ( 12 May 1921 &ndash 27 September 1942) was a U The coxswain (ˈkɒksən is the person in charge of a Boat, particularly its navigation and steering The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal, was fought between August 7, 1942, and February 9, 1943, in the FFG-58, the third U. S. ship to bear the coxswain's name, was launched in December 1984 by Bath Iron Works and sponsored by the wife of Jack Yusen, a sailor who served in World War II and in the battle of Leyte Gulf on the former Samuel B Roberts. Three ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Samuel B The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Bath Iron Works (BIW is a Shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath Maine. The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battle for Leyte Gulf" the "Battles for Leyte Gulf" and formerly as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Put in commission in April 1986 under the command of Commander Paul X. Rinn, the ship racked up numerous awards and commendations even before its first deployment. Commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service Captain Paul X Rinn, USN (Ret was the first Commanding officer of the and was in command when the ship struck a mine in the Persian Gulf on April

1988 deployment and mine strike

The frigate deployed from its homeport of Newport, Rhode Island in January 1988, heading for the Persian Gulf to participate in Operation Earnest Will, the escort of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers during the Iran-Iraq War. Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km south of Providence The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the Operation Earnest Will ( 24 July 1987 - 26 September 1988) was the U The Roberts had arrived in the Gulf and was heading for a refueling rendezvous on April 14 when the ship struck an M-08 naval mine in the central Persian Gulf, an area it had safely transited a few days previously. A naval mine is a self-contained Explosive device placed in water to destroy Ships or Submarines Unlike Depth charges mines are deposited The mine blew a 15-foot (5 m) hole in the hull, flooded the engine room, and knocked the two gas turbines from their mounts. A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary Engine that extracts energy from a flow of Combustion gas The crew fought fire and flooding for five hours, thereby saving the ship. Ten sailors were medevaced for injuries sustained in the blast; six returned to the Roberts in a day or so, while four burn victims were sent for treatment to a military hospital in Germany, and eventually to medical facilities in the United States. Medical evacuation, often termed MEDEVAC or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being ^[1]

When U. S. divers recovered several unexploded mines, they found that their serial numbers matched the sequence on mines seized the previous September aboard an Iranian minelayer named Iran Ajr. Iran Ajr, formerly known as the Arya Rakhsh, was a Japanese-built Amphibious assault ship used by Iran to lay Naval mines during the Four days later, U. S. forces retaliated against Iran in Operation Praying Mantis, a one-day campaign that was the largest American surface engagement since World War II. Operation Praying Mantis was an April 18, 1988 attack by US naval forces in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[2] U. S. ships, aircraft, and troops destroyed two Iranian oil platforms used to control Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf, sank one Iranian frigate, damaged another, and sent at least three armed, high-speed boats to the bottom. For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship The U. S. lost one Marine helicopter and its crew of two airmen.

Repairs

MV Mighty Servant 2 carrying mine-damaged Roberts on 31 July 1988

On 27 June 1988, Roberts was loaded onto the Mighty Servant 2, a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship owned by a Dutch shipping firm and carried back to Newport for $1. Mighty Servant 2 was a 29000-ton semi-submersible heavy-lift ship. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Mighty Servant 2 was a 29000-ton semi-submersible heavy-lift ship. A semi-submersible or semisubmersible is a Watercraft that can put much of its bulk underwater 3 million. ^[3] The frigate arrived at BIW's Portland, Maine, yard on 6 October 1988 for repairs. Portland is the largest city in the US state of Maine and the County seat of Cumberland County. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The repair job was unique: the entire engine room was cut out of the hull, and a 315-ton replacement module was jacked up and welded into place. ^[4] She undocked 1 April 1989 for sea trials. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Roberts returned to service after a ceremony on 16 October 1989 after 13 months of repairs. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) She was completed three weeks ahead of schedule at a cost of $89. 5 million, $3. 5 million less than expected. ^[5] By comparison, USS Princeton set off a bottom moored mine during the 1991 Gulf War and cost was $24 million. Mine Attack On the morning of 18 February 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, Princeton was patrolling an operating area 28 nautical miles off Failaka ^[6] However, she was not directly struck by the mine and the cruiser's displacement is nearly twice that of Roberts. The mine that nearly sank Roberts had an estimated cost of $1500. ^[7]

After repair

Roberts would make her second deployment in 1990 for Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. On March 28, 1991, she returned to Newport after conducting operations with the Red Sea Maritime Interception Force working cooperatively with an international force of ships to enforce U. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. N. sanctions against Iraq. The frigate alone conducted over 100 boardings of merchant ships to prevent cargo shipments to or from Iraq. ^[8]

On August 30, 1991, Joseph A. Sestak took command of Roberts, which was named the Atlantic Fleet's best surface combatant in the 1993 Battenberg Cup competition. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Joseph A "Joe" Sestak Jr (born December 12 1951) is a retired United States Navy Vice admiral (United Statesand is the The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFLTFORCOM of the United States Navy is the part of the Navy responsible for operations in and around the Atlantic Ocean. Surface combatants denotes a subset of naval fighting Ships generally speaking they are ships built to fight other ships submarines or aircraft and can carry out The Battenberg Cup is an award given annually as a symbol of operational excellence to the best ship or Submarine in the United States Navy Atlantic Fleet

"Sammy B", as the ship is sometimes called, is homeported in Mayport, Florida. Naval Station Mayport is a major US Navy base in northern Duval County Florida.

Notes

Sources

• Annati, Massimo Al diavolo le mine RID magazine, Coop. Riviera Ligure, Italy, n. 6/2005

Further reading

• Peniston, Bradley (2006). No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-661-5.  
• Wise, Harold Lee (2007). Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf 1987-88. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-970-3.  

External links

• USS Samuel B. Roberts official site
• navsource.org: USS Samuel B. Roberts
• navysite.de: USS Samuel B. Roberts
• Samuel B. Roberts narrative and timeline
• Photos of Samuel B. Roberts during February 1986 sea trials
• Photos of Samuel B. Roberts being commissioned in April 1986
• Photos of Samuel B. Roberts being hauled from the Persian Gulf to Newport, R.I. aboard Mighty Servant 2 in 1988
• MaritimeQuest USS Samuel B. Roberts FFG-58 pages