Newport (LST-1179)

 

Newport (LST-1179) (q.v.) was laid down on 1 November 1966 at Philadelphia, Pa., by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; launched on 3 February 1968; sponsored by Mrs. Claiborne Pell; and commissioned on 7 June 1969, Comdr. Derwin T. Lamb in command.

 

Assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet, upon commissioning, Newport has alternated amphibious training operations along the east coast of the United States with extended deployments to the Caribbean and Mediterranean into 1980.

 

Newport (LST-1179) in the Delaware River, August 1969.

 

 

 

Newport (LST-1179) tests her bow ramp. The upper sections of her bow hinge out to the sides to allow the landing ramp to be rigged out. This "over-the-bow" configuration enables ships of this class to combine the fine hull lines needed for higher speeds with the LST's traditional ability to land tanks and heavy vehicles directly onto a beach.