USS Blue Ridge

USS Blue Ridge may refer to:

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) is the lead ship of the two Blue Ridge–class command ships of the U.S. Navy, and is the command ship of the United States Seventh Fleet. Her primary role is to provide command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) support to the commander and staff of the United States Seventh Fleet. She is currently forward-deployed to US Navy Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan, and is the third Navy ship named after the Blue Ridge Mountains, a range of mountains in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Blue Ridge is the oldest deployable warship of the U.S. Navy, following the decommissioning of USS Denver (LPD-9) in Pearl Harbor on 14 August 2014. As of 2011, Blue Ridge was expected to remain in service until 2039.

History

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) was put "in commission special" on 14 November 1970, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as an Amphibious Command and Control (LCC) ship, with Captain Kent J. Carroll (Vice Admiral Carroll, Ret.) as the Commanding Officer. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Gretchen Byrd, wife of the U. S. Senator from Virginia, Harry F. Byrd, Jr.. The principal speaker at the ceremony was the Honorable John W. Warner, Under Secretary of the Navy and later Senator from Virginia.

USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2)

USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2) was an Appalachian-class amphibious force flagship in the United States Navy. She was named for the southeasternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina.

Commissioning

Blue Ridge was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey, under a Maritime Commission contract. The ship was launched on 7 March 1943 under the sponsorship of Mrs. David Arnott. Blue Ridge was transferred to the Navy on 15 March 1943. The Bethlehem Steel Company of Brooklyn, New York, outfitted the ship as an amphibious force flagship and was commissioned on 27 September 1943. Commander Lewis R. McDowell, USN, was the commanding officer.

Service history

1943-1944

Following trial runs in Long Island Sound, Blue Ridge departed New York on 8 October 1943, to train in the Chesapeake Bay Area out of Norfolk, Virginia. On 1 November, the ship put to sea with two destroyers, bound for the South Pacific. After transit of the Panama Canal, Blue Ridge called at the Society, New Caledonia and Fiji Islands, en route to Brisbane, Australia, arriving on 16 December 1943. She pulled out of Brisbane three days later for Milne Bay, New Guinea where 24 December 1943, she became the flagship of Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, USN, Commander Seventh Amphibious Force. She served as the command ship for amphibious operations westward along the New Guinea Coast until 13 October 1944. On that day, Blue Ridge left Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) as the flagship of Rear Admiral Barbey's Northern Attack Force bound for the liberation of the Philippine Islands.

USS Blue

USS Blue has been the name of two ships of the United States Navy:

USS Blue (DD-744)

USS Blue (DD-744), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was the second United States Navy ship of that name, for Lieutenant Commander John S. Blue (1902–1942).

Blue was launched 28 November 1943 by Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island, New York; co-sponsored by Mrs. J. S. Blue and Miss Eleanor Stuart Blue, widow and daughter, respectively, of Lieutenant Commander Blue; and commissioned 20 March 1944, Commander Lot Ensey in command.

Service history

World War II

Blue reported to the Pacific Fleet in July 1944 and joined TF 58 at Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands. While screening the fast carrier task forces, Blue took part in:

USS Blue (DD-387)

USS Blue (DD-387), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the first United States Navy ship of that name, in honor of Rear Admiral Victor Blue (1865–1928). Blue served during World War II. She was launched 27 May 1937 by Norfolk Naval Shipyard; sponsored by Miss Kate Lilly Blue, sister of Rear Adm. Blue; and commissioned 14 August 1937, Lieutenant Commander J. Wright in command.

Service history

Inter-War Period

After spending her first year in shakedown and training cruises along the east coast and in the Caribbean, Blue sailed for the Pacific in August 1938 to become flagship of Destroyer Division 7, Battle Force. She exercised with the Battle Fleet in west coast waters until April 1940, when she accompanied her division to Pearl Harbor. Except for an overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard (February–March 1941) and exercises out of San Diego during April, she remained based at Pearl Harbor until war broke out as the flagship of Destroyer Division Seven of Destroyer Squadron Four.

World War II

Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge may refer to any of the following:

Places

In the United States:

In Canada:

Other