Calling all USS Long Beach CGN-9 fans

[navydavesof]

Super duper ship!

Any ship needs a VERY good gym these days. With the USN physical training requirements, any warship needs a LOT, LOT, LOT of exercise and lift equipment aboard. As a CGN, or a new DDG, or a BB, a very large and capable gym is mission critical.

[DrPR]

The Long Beach had the Talos system removed in 1979. I have been told that the missile house was converted to a gym. It was a large space, and the magazine extended below the main deck to the keel. The other CGs also had the Talos missiles offloaded in 1979, but the launching systems remained until they were decommissioned in 1980.

The USS Oklahoma City was the last ship to have an active Talos system. The last Talos missile fired from a ship was launched from the Oklahoma City on 6 November 1979:

http://www.okieboat.com/Copyright%20ima ... 201024.JPG

Talos missiles were converted to supersonic (Mach 2.2 at sea level) MQM-8G Vandal targets, in three versions. They were launched from land bases, using Mk 7 launchers removed from Talos ships. They were either remotely piloted or flew preprogrammed courses, and were virtually impossible to kill with the Tarter and Terrier systems. The USS Norton Sound made the first kill with a prototype Aegis system using prototype Standard missiles. The first Vandal flew in 1983 and the last of the 644 Vandals flew in 2005.

You can find just about everything you want to know about Talos and a lot more here:

http://www.okieboat.com/Talos%20history.html

Phil

[Robin]

The USS Oklahoma City was the last ship to have an active Talos system. The last Talos missile fired from a ship was launched from the Oklahoma City on 6 November 1979:

http://www.okieboat.com/Copyright%20ima ... 201024.JPG

Phil[/quote]
I remember that day very well. It was a missilex where the Okie boat shot a bunch of Talos missiles and a group of ships about 60 nm away tried to shoot down the Talos shots. I was on the USS Benjamin Stoddert DDG-22 with the USS Worden CG-18 and the third ship I don�t recall. I was in Air Tracker alley tracking those Talos shots. I had a lot of fun with that exercise that day. The Benny got a shot or 2 off (Tarter/SM-1). The Worden (Terrier/ SM-1) got some shots too, but if my memory is correct no one got a hit that day.

[Suvoroff]

The upper level of the CGN-9's Talos missile magazine became a gym, at least most of it. The area below the Main Deck was divided up into offices and classrooms; the Engineering class room, Engineering training (RT) office, Personnel, and Disbursing were all down there, and probably more, but those are the only ones I dealt with.

Ahhh, bad memories...

Yours,
James D. Gray

[SumGui]

Yep - huge gym. And the Ships Store was there as well.

I saw her Monday from the ferry - she is still pierside with what looks like work being done to the reactor compartments from the temporary shelters above

[SumGui]

She is in drydock now.

Remains to be seen rather it is for temporary repairs to allow her scrapping to be put off, or if it is to actually begin the dismantling process.

[navydavesof]

Such a venerable ship. It's crazy we don't rebuild her into a strike cruiser. The Navy's is so uncreative....

[HvyCgn9]

She is in drydock now.

Remains to be seen rather it is for temporary repairs to allow her scrapping to be put off, or if it is to actually begin the dismantling process.

I wish we could see some pics of her in drydock.....

Bruce

[navydavesof]

HvyCgn9,

What do you think a modern USS Longbeach should be done? How would you fit them, how would you operate them, what would you do? Thanks so much!!!

[HvyCgn9]

HvyCgn9,

What do you think a modern USS Longbeach should be done? How would you fit them, how would you operate them, what would you do? Thanks so much!!!

See that's a trickee question cause on one hand I would have kept her fwd weapons as they were (120 SM2ER's are nothing to sneeze at! And with the improvements in guidance and motors much increased range and accuracy) with her aft n midships being refitted (as I have done on my model), but on the other hand there is the fully Albany style deck level up refit...... I would go for a big 8"mk71(modernised) fwd (inexact spot of fwd Mk10 mt) with a superstructure aft of that similar to her old SS but with 3 lots of 61 cell mk41 VLS, then AEGIS bridge block(modified version inspired by the old CSGN9 art work)with twin helo hanger at rear (supporting Mh60 and drones) then a rear 61 cell VLS then a second 8" Mk71 on the spot the Talos launcher was....with the usual selection of CIWS, RAM, etc....

Operation wise these would be the modern equivalent of a BB or Kirov.....the big stick you use to swat pests!

Bruce

[SumGui]

Does not look like she will be coming back out of that drydock. Scrapping underway.

[jcmackay]

Hi Bruce,

I wish we could see some pics of her in drydock.....Bruce

Here's an official photo released to the public:

BREMERTON, Wash. (Nov. 20, 2014) Hull sections of the former USS Long Beach (CGN 9), the world�s first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, are arranged in dry dock 5 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. The cruiser was commissioned in 1961 and decommissioned in 1994, thus providing more than 30 years of service to the Sailors who served aboard her. PSNS & IMF performs this work so the metal can be recycled and reused. (U.S. Navy Photo by Wendy Hallmark) 141120-N-GD259-049

CGN-9.png (191.79 KiB) Viewed 8960 times

John

[HvyCgn9]

sigh! Not quite what I was after!! I said "in the drydock" not "on the drydock" !! Sad to see her cut up... hope they atleast preserve her props or something...

Bruce

[jcmackay]

An official photo released by the Navy taken before she went into drydock for current limited scrapping:

[HvyCgn9]

She had a beautiful hull shape.......

[HvyCgn9]

Came across these photos of her being built..

[HvyCgn9]

found this pic which is I think of her entering Subic Bay.... I have a similar pic from a different angle too

[D-Boy]

found this pic which is I think of her entering Subic Bay.... I have a similar pic from a different angle too

She must have lit up radars back in the day. Not used to seeing such a low angle water shot of her.

[jasonfreeland]

I've always wondered what serving on that bridge must have been like.

[cgn9slr]

Sad to see her go. I served 27 months aboard in the mid 60's/ worked on the radars in the big box and spent a lot of my free time on the 09 level just above the bridge. Great timed, great memories, great shipmates.
Chuck