USS Cook (FF-1083)

USS Cook (FF-1083)
History
United States
Name: Cook
Namesake: Lieutenant Commander Wilmer P. Cook USN
Ordered: 25 August 1966
Builder: Avondale Shipyard, Bridge City, Louisiana
Laid down: 20 March 1970
Launched: 23 January 1971
Acquired: 9 December 1971
Commissioned: 18 December 1971
Decommissioned: 30 April 1992
Struck: 11 January 1995
Motto: Above All Duty
Fate: Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred to Taiwan, 29 September 1999
General characteristics
Class and type: Knox-class frigate
Displacement: 3,201 tons (4,182 full load)
Length: 438 ft (134 m)
Beam: 46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
Draught: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Propulsion:
  • two CE 1200 psi boilers
  • one Westinghouse geared turbine
  • one shaft, 35,000 SHP (26 MW)
Speed: over 27 knots
Complement: 18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament:
Aircraft carried: one SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter

USS Cook (FF-1083) was a Knox-class frigate built for the United States Navy by Avondale Shipyard, Bridge City, Louisiana.

The ship was named after Lieutenant Commander Wilmer P. Cook USN, graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy on June 7, 1956. He was the pilot of an A-4E Skyhawk from Attack Squadron 155 on board the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). On December 22, 1967, LCdr. Cook launched from the carrier on a combat mission over North Vietnam. His was the only aircraft assigned to the mission. According to the U.S. Navy, because no other aircraft accompanied LCdr Cook that day, it is not known exactly what happened to him on that day. LCdr. Cook was lost, but no details are available. He was classified Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered, even though no information explaining this determination is included in public records available from the U.S. Navy. The last known position of Cook and his aircraft was over Ha Tinh Province, approximately 20 miles southeast of the city of Vinh.[1]

Design and description

The Knox class design was derived from the Brooke-class frigate modified to extend range and without a long-range missile system. The ships had an overall length of 438 feet (133.5 m), a beam of 47 feet (14.3 m) and a draft of 25 feet (7.6 m). They displaced 4,066 long tons (4,131 t) at full load. Their crew consisted of 13 officers and 211 enlisted men.[2]

The ships were equipped with one Westinghouse geared steam turbine that drove the single propeller shaft. The turbine was designed to produce 35,000 shaft horsepower (26,000 kW), using steam provided by 2 C-E boilers, to reach the designed speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). The Knox class had a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[3]

The Knox-class ships were armed with a 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun forward and a single 3"/50 caliber gun aft. They mounted an the 5-inch (127 mm) gun and the bridge. Close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two twin 12.75-inch (324 mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The ships were equipped with a torpedo-carrying DASH drone helicopter; its telescoping hangar and landing pad were positioned amidships aft of the mack. Beginning in the 1970s, the DASH was replaced by a SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter and the hangar and landing deck were accordingly enlarged. Most ships also had the 3-inch (76 mm) gun replaced by an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher in the early 1970s.[4]

Construction and career

Her keel was laid 20 March 1970, she was launched 23 January 1971 and delivered 9 December 1971. Cook was commissioned 18 December 1971 and decommissioned 30 April 1992. She was struck 11 January 1995 and disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), and transferred to Taiwan 29 September 1999. She served the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) as the Hai-Yang (FFG-936) with additional re-modifications and retired May 2015 .

Notes

  1. ↑ VA-155 Silver Fox Squadron HIstory
  2. ↑ Friedman, pp. 357–60, 425
  3. ↑ Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598
  4. ↑ Friedman, pp. 360–61; Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 598

References

  • Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-733-X.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
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